Tommy Murphy

Tommy Murphy (born 1979) is an Australian playwright, screenwriter, adaptor and director . He created and was head writer for the 2022 TV series Significant Others. He is best known for his stage and screen adaptation of Timothy Conigrave's memoir Holding the Man. His most recent plays are a stage adaptation of Nevil Shute’s On The Beach, Mark Colvin's Kidney and Packer & Sons.

Early life Murphy was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia, the seventh of eight children in a Catholic family. Murphy attended St Edmund's College, Canberra. He is a graduate of the University of Sydney (BA 2004)

Career He was a resident writer at Griffin Theatre Company

After the multi-production international success of the stage play of Holding the Man, Murphy initiated the screen project. He partnered with executive producer Cameron Huang, producer Kylie Du Fresne of Goalpost Pictures, producers of The Sapphires and director Neil Armfield to see the film to fruition in 2015. It opened to strong domestic box office in Australia and is released globally via Netflix after an international cinema release. Murphy wrote the screenplay and worked as associate producer for the film.

Murphy's screen credits include teleplays for Offspring, Spirited, and Matchbox's 2014 Foxtel mini-series Devil's Playground. In 2007, he had the title of honorary associate conferred by the Faculty of Education & Social Work, University of Sydney. He is also currently writing for Belvoir Theatre as well as developing a number of screen projects. Murphy is the 2016 University of Queensland Drama Creative Fellow.

The Sydney Theatre Company has awarded Murphy the 2015 Patrick White Fellowship, worth $25.000.

In 2021 ABC Television commissioned Murphy to write a psychological drama series called Significant Others . The series, which was directed by Tony Krawitz, went to air from 16 October 2022.

Murphy won best For Audio – Fiction, for his radio play Call You Back as part of the Untrue Romance series at the AWGIE Awards 2022.

Plays Plays as listed on AusStage

Playwright Operation Marlowe, Newtown Theatre, Newtown, NSW, 9 March 2001 Kinderspiel - Out of Bounds, The Studio (Sydney Opera House), Sydney, NSW, 5 January 2002 Two-Up!, Bowlers' Club of NSW, Sydney, NSW, 7 January 2002 Bendy, ATYP Studio 1, The Wharf, Walsh Bay, NSW, 5 July 2002; Performance Space, Wollongong, NSW, 11 September 2002 360 Positions In A One Night Stand, Arts House Meat Market, North Melbourne, VIC, 2 October 2002; The Store Room, North Fitzroy, VIC, 29 July 2003; Annexe Theatre, Launceston, TAS, 2004; The Ausdance Studio, Adelaide, SA, 9 March 2004 Kings X Stories, Stables Theatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 9 October 2003 Troy's House, Carlton Courthouse, Carlton, VIC, 1 February 2005 (and Director); ATYP Studio 1, The Wharf, Walsh Bay, NSW, 11 October 1999 Holding the Man, Stables Theatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 3 November 2006; StablesTheatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 8 February 2007; Playhouse (Sydney Opera House), Sydney, NSW, 9 May 2007; Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills, NSW, 22 September 2007; Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm, QLD, 5 March 2008; Merlyn Theatre, Southbank, VIC, 14 March 2008; Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, SA, 21 October 2011; Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove, QLD, 16 February 2013, Belvoir 2024 Strangers in Between, The Q, Queanbeyan, NSW, 6 May 2008; Glen Street Theatre, Frenchs Forest, NSW, 13 May 2008; Stables Theatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 11 February 2005 Saturn's Return, Wharf 2 Theatre, Walsh Bay, NSW, 15 August 2008; Wharf 1, Sydney, NSW, 24 July 2009 Rough Draft #3, Wharf 2 Theatre, Walsh Bay, NSW, 5 September 2009 Gwen In Purgatory, Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills, NSW, 31 July 2010; Roundhouse Theatre, Kelvin Grove, QLD, 29 September 2010 Mark Colvin's Kidney, Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills, NSW, 25 February 2017 Packer & Sons, Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills, NSW, 20 November 2019 On The Beach, Sydney Theatre Company, July 2023

Adaptor The Massacre of Paris, TYP Studio 1, The Wharf, Walsh Bay, NSW, 2001 Blood Wedding, Cultural Olympiad's London May 2012 Festival Peter Pan, Belvoir Street Theatre, Surry Hills, NSW, 5 January 2013 Director The Crucible, The Cellar, Camperdown, NSW, 28 March 2001 NIDA Directors' Plays 2004 Program A, NIDA Studio, Kensington, NSW, 1 December 2004 Speedy Mustard, Stables Theatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 25 April 2006 Three Little Fears, Old Fitzroy Hotel Theatre, Woolloomooloo, NSW, 9 July 2006 Double Exposure, Belvoir Street Downstairs Theatre, Surry Hills, NSW, 5 January 2010 Assistant Director Stuff Happens, York Theatre, Chippendale, NSW, 21 July 2005; Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, VIC, 24 August 2005

Films/TV

Writer Spirited, 2011 TV series, writer 1 episode Offspring, 2012 TV series, writer 1 episode Devil's Playground, 2014 TV miniseries, writer 2 episodes Holding the Man, 2015 film, screenplay Fighting Season, 2017 TV miniseries, writer 1 episode The Twelve, 2022 TV Series Significant Others, 2022 TV series, all 6 episodes Producer Holding the Man, 2015 film, associate producer

Awards Winner, Sydney Theatre Company Young Playwright's Award – For God, Queen & Country. Winner, ACT Young Playwright's Award – For God, Queen and Country Nomination, Best New Australian Work, 2006 Sydney Theatre Awards – Holding the Man

Nomination, 2006 Australian Writers' Guild Award (AWGIE) for Best Play – Strangers in Between Winner, 2007 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Best Play – Holding the Man Winner, 2007 Australian Writers' Guild Award (AWGIE), Best Play – Holding the Man Winner, 2007 Aussietheatre.com Online Awards, Best New Play, Holding the Man Winner, 2007 Philip Parsons Young Playwrights Award Nomination, 2007 Helpmann Award for Best Play – Holding the Man Nomination, Best Play, 2007 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards – Holding the Man Winner British Council Realise Your Dream Award Winner 2010 WA Premier's Literary Awards, Best Play – Gwen in Purgatory Winner 2012 Richard Burton Award – Gwen in Purgatory Shortlisted 2021 Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting, NSW Premier's Literary Awards