Best Independent Production
Subcategory of Matilda Awards
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Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 2022

Indexed selectively.
winner Batsh*t Leah Shelton , 2022 single work drama

'Strapped in, belted up and dressed to kill, psycho siren Leah Shelton dredges through history to unravel the hypocrisies and conundrums of female madness.

'Both wildly theatrical and unexpectedly intimate, BATSH*T draws on stories personal and perennial to explore the myths, fantasies and fears that keep us compliant, and the systems that let us down.'

Source: Melbourne Fringe.

Year: 2019

winner La Silhouette 2018 single work drama

'La Silhouette is a cabaret club; a maze of mirages where myriad mysterious shapes pull you into dark corners and hidden rooms. Here, the shape of Brisbane’s queer history is brought to life by eight people whose spirits suffer all, celebrate all and endure all across decades of hiding, rioting and retribution.

'On evenings like this, a drag queen may take you into her dressing room and whisper secrets. You may find yourself talking to the police on behalf of a door man who has fallen ill. Perhaps the proprietor will show you to her VIP room for a rare dram and a game of dice.

'This is La Silhouette, an immersive performance that shines a light on the past and into the future.'

Source: Weekend Edition.

Year: 2018

winner The Sound of a Finished Kiss Kate Wild , 2018 single work musical theatre

'The story of a generation and the city that shaped it – told through the songs of The Go-Betweens.

'When an old mixed tape is unearthed, four friends rewind to Brisbane in the 1990s. Through a series of monologues interwoven with the songs they loved, they relive the events which shattered friendships and scattered friends to the four corners of the world.

'The Sound of a Finished Kiss is a new Australian musical celebrating the internationally-renowned song-writing talents of Robert Forster and Grant McLennan along with their evocation of Brisbane’s unique subculture in the final decades of the twentieth century.'

Source: Brisbane Powerhouse.

Year: 2017

winner The Forwards Stefo Nantsou , Zeal Theatre , 2004 single work drama young adult
— Appears in: The Forwards [and] The Apology 2009; (p. 9-52)

Devised by Stefo Nantsou through a series of creative workshops with students from Victorian regional high schools, The Forwards combines comedy, drama and percussive energy as a means of exploring football culture, alcohol abuse, reckless behaviour in small rural communities and the role parents play in shaping the attitudes of their children.

The story concerns the Pintoon Parrots football team, which makes it to the Grand Final for the first time in the small town's history. Up against arch rivals the Gilpendry Goannas, the team knows that the game will be a hard-fought battle, and that their hopes rest on the forward trio, Hoges, Tractor and Gary Rabbit. However, as the big game approaches a rumour spreads throughout the town and subsequently brings the three 'friends for life' into major conflict. Fuelled with anger, jealousy and alcohol, violence explodes both on and off the field resulting in a shocking climax.

(2017 Brisbane Powerhouse production)

Year: 2007

winner y separately published work icon The Kursk Sasha Janowicz , 2007 Brisbane City : Playlab , 2009 Z1418049 2007 single work drama 'The Kursk is based on the events surrounding the sinking of the Russian nuclear submarine that resulted in the deaths of all 118 Russian submariners aboard. Using real testimonies and documentary materials, The Kursk follows the submariners' final moments on board, the rescuers' urgent mission and the relatives' desperate vigil on shore.' Source: /www.metroarts.com.au (Sighted 16/08/2008). Metro Arts Independents
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