Matthew Ryan

Matthew Ryan is an Australian playwright, theatre director and screenwriter.

Early life Ryan's family had a hobby farm at Shepparton in Victoria and he spent some of his childhood living there. The farm was not far from Glenrowan where the Ned Kelly shootout occurred and his 2012 his play Kelly looks at the myth and the legend of Ned Kelly.

He attended Somerset College on the Gold Coast and says, "I loved Drama in high school. For me it was a real escape from teenage life. I had a wonderful drama teacher at Somerset College ... who cared so much about the Arts." He continued to act in theatre on the Gold Coast after leaving school. Kelly, Summer Wonderland, The Harbinger

He is a co-founder with Jonathon Oxlade, Lucas Stibbard and Neridah Waters of independent theatre-making group The Escapists.

His play Boy Girl Wall toured from August 2011 to September 2012 through Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania.

The Harbinger toured from August to October 2014 through Queensland, Victoria, New South Wales Western Australia, Northern Territory, and ACT.

Awards 2000 George Landen Dann Award Winner (The Dance of Jeremiah)

2005 Matilda Awards nominated for the Book Nook Award for Best Playwright (The Dance of Jeremiah)

2007 Matilda Awards nominated for Best New Australian Work (Summer Wonderland)

2012 Matilda Awards nominated for Best New Australian Work (Kelly)

2017 ScreenCraft Drama Screenplay Contest (Los Angeles) Semi-finalist (Goodbye My Enemy)

2017 ScreenCraft Action & Thriller Screenplay Contest (Los Angeles) Grand Prize Winner (Get It Together)

Works First Performed TitleVenue First PerformedTitleVenue 1998 So You Die a Little (co-writer Tony Brockman) Cement Box Theatre, University of Queensland (Pandemonium Theatre) 2005 The Dance of Jeremiah Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove (La Boite) 2007 Summer Wonderland Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove (La Boite) 2009 Boy Girl Wall (co-writer Lucas Stibbard) Sue Benner Theatre, Brisbane (The Escapists/Metro Arts) 2011 The Harbinger (co-writer David Morton) Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove (La Boite) 2012 Kelly Cremorne Theatre, South Brisbane (QTC) 2014 Packed (co-writer Lucas Stibbard) The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga (The Escapists/HotHouse Theatre) 2015 Brisbane Playhouse, South Bank (QTC)

Other Theatrical Work First Performed TitleVenue 2008 Attack of the Attacking Attackers (Adaptor) Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove (La Boite) 2011 Sacre Bleu (Adaptor) Cremorne Theatre, South Brisbane (QTC)