A solo production by Leah Shelton interrogating the myths and fears of female madness, Batshit, took home four awards at the prestigious 2022 Matilda Awards last night (Monday 27 February 2023).
The fiercely funny and deeply intimate Metro Arts/Brisbane Festival co-production won Best Independent Production, Best Actor in a Leading Role – Independent Production and Best Design – Costume for Shelton, and Best Design – Video for Grace Uther and Freddy Komp.
Queensland’s premier awards for performing arts honoured 2022’s brightest and boldest artists across 20 categories at a gala ceremony at Brisbane Powerhouse.
The coveted Gold Matilda was awarded to Tom Oliver, founder of Wynnum Fringe, in recognition of the event’s exponential growth and success over three years.
Brisbane-based performer and producer Oliver created a three-day Wynnum Fringe in 2020 in response to the ongoing impacts of COVID on the performing arts sector with the 2022 event delivering three weeks of performances, special events and headline artists.
Other winners include Queensland Theatre’s powerful adaptation of The Almighty Sometimes, awarded Best Mainstage Production and Best Director for Daniel Evans.
Western Standard Productions’ Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club, a feel-good tribute to nostalgic ‘80s films, also won two awards for Best Musical or Cabaret and Best Ensemble.
Belloo Creative’s Boy, Lost won The Lord Mayor’s Award for Best New Australian Work with acting honours going to Jimi Bani for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Amy Ingram for Fourteen and Madeleine Little and Janelle Bailey, joint winners for The Normal Heart.
The Bille Brown Award for Best Emerging Artist also honoured joint winners: Oliver Hetherington-Page for The No Bang Theory and Perry Mooney for Queen’s City.
Matilda Awards Chair Jan Irvine congratulated all winners and finalists and said the annual celebration showcased the breadth of talent across Queensland’s performing arts industry.
“An impressive number of new and diverse Australian works were nominated this year including three Best Mainstage Production finalists making their world premieres,” said Ms Irvine.
“Queensland’s performing arts industry champions both independent and emerging local artists and provides vital opportunities for actors, artists, designers, directors, playwrights and creatives to live and work in this state.”
The Matilda Awards is supported by Arts Queensland and Brisbane City Council. For more information, including the full list of nominees, visit: www.matildaawards.com.au for details.
Image: Leah Shelton – photo by Joel Devereux
2022 MATILDA AWARD WINNERS
BEST DESIGN – SET
Renée Mulder – First Casualty (Queensland Theatre)
BEST DESIGN – COSTUME
Leah Shelton – Batshit (Brisbane Festival/Metro Arts)
BEST DESIGN – SOUND OR COMPOSITION
Guy Webster – Bunker (Metro Arts)
BEST DESIGN – LIGHTING
Jason Glenwright – The Twits (shake & stir theatre co./QPAC)
BEST DESIGN – VIDEO
Grace Uther & Freddy Komp – Batshit (Brisbane Festival/Metro Arts)
BEST DIRECTOR
Daniel Evans – The Almighty Sometimes (Queensland Theatre)
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE – INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Leah Shelton – Batshit (Brisbane Festival/Metro Arts)
BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE – MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Jimi Bani – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Queensland Theatre)
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION [JOINT WINNERS]
Madeleine Little and Janelle Bailey – The Normal Heart (Ad Astra)
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
Amy Ingram – Fourteen (shake & stir theatre co./QPAC/Brisbane Festival)
BEST ENSEMBLE
Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club (Western Standard Productions)
BILLE BROWN AWARD BEST EMERGING ARTIST [JOINT WINNERS]
Oliver Hetherington-Page – The No Bang Theory (indelabilityarts)
Perry Mooney – Queen’s City (Brisbane Festival/ Screen Qld/QPAC/ Blak Social)
BEST MUSICAL OR CABARET
Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club (Western Standard Productions)
BEST CIRCUS OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION
Knee Deep (CIRCFest/Casus Creations)
BEST INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION
Batshit (Brisbane Festival/Metro Arts)
BEST MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION
The Almighty Sometimes (Queensland Theatre)
THE LORD MAYOR’S AWARD FOR BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK
Boy, Lost – Adapted for the stage by Katherine Lyall-Watson from the book by Kristina Olsson. Produced by Belloo Creative
THE JUDGES’ AWARD
Adrift (Metro Arts/Counterpilot)
THE GOLD MATILDA
Tom Oliver and Wynnum Fringe
QUT School of Creative Practice BACKSTAGE AWARD
Daniel Maddison