Andrew Bovell

Andrew Bovell is one of Australia’s most distinguished drama writers, penning powerful scripts for both screen and stage.

Andrew’s most recent film is the French language Iris, directed by Jalil Lespert (2017).  A Most Wanted Man is an adaptation of the John Le Carre’ novel directed by Anton Corbijn and staring Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Other credits include Edge of Darkness, Blessed, The Book of Revelation, Head On, Strictly Ballroom (co-written with Craig Pearce and Baz Luhrmann) and the multi-award winning Lantana. For television he has written Lust and The Fisherman’s Wake for the ABC and Piccolo Mondo for SBS.

His most recent work for the stage Things I Know to be True premiered in Adelaide in May 2016 in a co-production between The State Theatre Company and UK based, Frantic Assembly. The production opened in London at the Lyric Hammersmith in September before touring the UK.  It returns to the Lyric Hammersmith and an extensive UK tour later in 2017.

The Secret River was adapted from Kate Grenville’s novel. It premiered at the Roslyn Packer Theatre in the 2013 Sydney Festival. The acclaimed STC production was directed by Neil Armfield. It won six Helpmann Awards including Best Play, as well as Best New Work. It returned to Sydney in 2016 before touring to Brisbane and Melbourne. It was revived again for the 2017 Adelaide Festival of the Arts where it was performed in the Anstey Quarry. The Secret River would go on to be written for the screen by screenwriting duo Jan Sardi and Mac Gudgeon.

When the Rain Stops Falling premiered at the 2008 Adelaide Festival before touring nationally and going on to win numerous awards. The play has been produced in London at the Almeida Theatre (2009) and in New York at The Lincoln Centre (2010) where it won five Lucille Lortell Awards and was named best new play of the year by Time Magazine.

Earlier works for the stage include Holy Day, Who’s Afraid of the Working Class, Speaking in Tongues, Scenes From a Separation, Shades of Blue, Ship of Fools, After Dinner, The Ballad of Lois Ryan and State of Defense. The Sydney Theatre Company revived his early play, After Dinner, for a sell out season at the Wharf Theatre in Sydney in 2015 and in 2017 he was awarded the Patrick White Fellowship.