Batshit the Big Winner at 2022 Matilda Awards

Batshit, a solo production by Leah Shelton (pictured above) interrogating the myths and fears of female madness, took home four awards at the prestigious 2022 Matilda Awards, presented on February 28, 2023.

The 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,” Ms Irvine said.

“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.”

For more information, including the full list of nominees, visit matildaawards.com.au/ or follow Matilda Awards on Facebook or Instagram

The Matilda Awards is supported by Arts Queensland and Brisbane City Council.

2022 MATILDA AWARD WINNERS

BEST DESIGN – SET
Renée Mulder - First Casualty - Queensland Theatre

BEST DESIGN – COSTUME
Leah Shelton - Batshit - Brisbane Festival/Metro Arts 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 – 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 Metro Arts/Counterpilot

THE JUDGES’ AWARD

Adrift - Metro Arts/Counterpilot

THE GOLD MATILDA

Tom Oliver and Wynnum Fringe

QUT School of Creative Practice BACKSTAGE AWARD

Daniel Maddison