STEPHEN CARLETON

ABOUT

Stephen Carleton is one of Australia’s leading and award-winning playwrights. Based in Brisbane, where he teaches drama and playwriting at the University of Queensland, he also maintains close ties to his hometown, Darwin, and to Cairns and Far North Queensland, where he was born. Stephen’s work is frequently anchored in northern landscape, imagery and politics, and is often lauded for the black humour that runs throughout. He is co-artistic director of Knock-em-Down Theatre with Mary Anne Butler and Gail Evans.

Stephen is one of only three playwrights nationally to win both major theatre industry awards for new writing: the Patrick White Playwrights’ Award (Sydney Theatre Company) and the Griffin Award for Best New Australian Play (Griffin Theatre Company).

He was Chair of the National Playwrights Committee for the Australian Writers’ Guild in 2015/16 (with Mary Anne Butler), and his company Knock-em-Down Theatre has received a Sidney Myer capacity building grant to promote his work in the US.

His major plays include: Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset (2006), The Narcissist (2007), Bastard Territory (2014), all published by Playlab, The Turquoise Elephant (2016) and the musical with Paul Hodge, Joh for PM (2017). His plays have grossed more than $2 million in combined box office earnings around the country, and been produced by companies including Queensland Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company, La Boite Theatre Company, Griffin Theatre Company, JUTE Theatre Company, Brown’s Mart in Darwin, La Mama, and the Brisbane Powerhouse.

Publications

New Babylon
available on Playlab
available on Australian Plays Transform

The Turquoise Elephant
available on Australian Plays

Bastard Territory
available on Australian Plays

The Narcissist
available on Australian Plays

Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset
available on Australian Plays

For young audiences

Smells Like Impulse
available on Australia Plays

Musicals

Joh for PM (with Paul Hodge)
available on Artour

Media Stories:

The Guardian: Brisbane’s New Theatre Boom and the Turquoise Elephant in the Room

Hush Hush Biz: The Creation of Joh for PM

Sydney Morning Herald: Play Set in the North’s Colonial Sun Wins Patrick White Award

Awards

2017 Matilda Award for Best New Australian Play (for Bastard Territory)
2015 Griffin Award for Best New Australian Play (for The Turquoise Elephant)
2004/5 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award (for Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset)

award nominations

2016 AWGIE Award (Playwriting) for The Turquoise Elephant
2011 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, QTC (for Bastard Territory)
2010 Patrick White Playwrights’ Award (for Bastard Territory – then titled ‘1975’)
2008 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards (Drama) for The Narcissist
2008 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards (Drama) for Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset
2007 AWGIE Award (Playwriting) for Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset
2005 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, QTC (for Constance Drinkwater and the Final Days of Somerset) 2001 Patrick White’s Playwrights’ Award (for ‘Mr Hare’s Seraglio’)

Education

BA (Hons) in Drama and English, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 1994
MPhil (Creative Writing) University of Queensland, 2002
PhD (Drama) University of Queensland, 2008.

Contact

stephencarleton[at]hotmail.com