Batshit the big winner at 2022 Matilda Awards

Batshit, a solo production by Leah Shelton interrogating the myths and fears of female madness, took home four awards at the prestigious 2022 Matilda Awards tonight. 

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,” 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.” 

Aruga was proud to support the Matilda Awards and present Aruga’s Best Ensemble Award to Dirty Fame Flash Candles Club by Western Standard Productions.

For more information, including the full list of nominees, visit matildaawards.com.au 

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 Batshit Brisbane Festival/Metro Arts 

& Freddy Komp 

BEST DIRECTOR 

Daniel Evans The Almighty Queensland Theatre 

Sometimes 

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 Queensland Theatre 

Virginia Woolf? 

BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION 

[JOINT WINNERS] 

Madeleine Little and The Normal Heart Ad Astra 

Janelle Bailey 

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