Three Australian writers will develop bold new theatre works as finalists in the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award 2026 (QPDA), one of the nation’s most prestigious theatre award programs.
Melanie Tait, Michelle Law and Alberto Di Troia were selected as finalists following a competitive, nationwide search for captivating stories and audacious ideas.
The three finalists will participate in an 18-month development process, including a week-long, regionally based residency. They will present their works in a public reading before a respected judging panel, with one named the QPDA winner later in 2026. The winning play will be further developed and premiered as part of Queensland Theatre Company’s (QTC) 2027 Season.
QTC Artistic Director Daniel Evans said the awards program holds a deeply personal place in his heart, having won the QPDA 2015 with Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
“The QPDA is more than just a prestigious award; it is a transformative opportunity for Australian writers and theatre makers to create unforgettable pieces of theatre.
For audiences, the QPDA is a key that unlocks a treasure chest of untold truths, fascinating stories, bold new perspectives, provocative ideas and profound emotions. It offers up compelling theatre with heart and impact that stops you in your tracks and inspires you to think and feel.
I am brimming with excitement to see how Melanie, Michelle and Alberto collaborate with QTC to develop their wholly original ideas into captivating complete scripts.”
The 2026 finalists are:
Melanie Tait’s Mrs Crocodilia is an outrageous new comedy set in Queensland’s biggest tourist attraction, Crocodilia Park. Led by park founder and matriarch Lynnie McGarry and her three very different daughters, this modern, feminist retelling of KingLear is a story of legacy and succession in Far North Queensland.
Tait is a broadcaster and writer for stage and screen. Her play, The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race, premiered at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney in March 2019 and played a season at Queensland Theatre during its 2021 national tour.
Michelle Law’s Cake is a hilarious and heartbreaking story of family and generational divide set in Brisbane’s Sunnybank. When a young woman joins forces with her estranged father to plan a family wedding, she finds herself willing to mend their relationship until his closely guarded secrets threaten to blow everything apart.
Law is a QUT alum whose debut play, Single Asian Female, premiered at La Boite Theatre in 2017. She also wrote Top Coat (Sydney Theatre Company, 2022) and Miss Peony (Belvoir St Theatre, 2023) and was commissioned by SBS to co-write the comedy-drama series Homecoming Queens in 2017.
Alberto Di Troia’s My Erotic Journey Through Italian Fascism is a darkly comic thriller set in Australia and rural Italy. A story of belonging and discovery, a young, queer writer travels to his ancestral Italian village where he discovers many of his long-lost family are neo-fascists.
Di Troia is a writer and script producer who has worked extensively across screen and theatre, most recently on Netflix’s The Survivors. He was the inaugural Victorian recipient of the SBS Emerging Writers Incubator in 2022 and is Co-Director of award-winning performance company Stage Mom.
QPDA 2026 marks the 13th iteration of the biennial award program, presented by QTC in partnership with the Queensland Government, which celebrates and supports writers and theatre makers in developing new work and bringing it to the stage.
The winning playwright will also receive a $30,000 cash prize, contributed by Griffith University, a full commission fee and box office royalties from the work’s QTC season.
Minister for the Arts John-Paul Langbroek said the Crisafulli Government was committed to supporting writers in creating exciting new works that reflect Australia’s unique stories, people and places.
“The 2026 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award encourages playwrights to create captivating theatre by submitting fresh ideas and concepts without a completed script.
Our investment in Queensland Theatre Company and this award enables the company to collaborate with the three finalists to develop their works, with the winning play to premiere in the 2027 season.
Our 10-year strategy for arts and culture, Queensland’s Time to Shine, outlines our commitment to celebrating our stories and storytellers and boosting the state’s reputation as a vibrant cultural destination.”
Griffith University Pro Vice Chancellor (Arts, Education and Law) and Assistant Vice Chancellor (Cultural Curation and Community Partnerships), Professor Scott Harrison, said Griffith University was delighted to support the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award once again.
“We are pleased to champion local voices and support the development of new Australian plays here in Queensland through the new iteration of QPDA. This award has received national recognition and reflects Griffith’s sustained commitment to strengthening a resilient creative industry and fostering a community deeply engaged in the arts.”
For more information about the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award, visit Queensland Theatre Company’s website at the link below.
Website: https://queenslandtheatre.com.au/queensland-premiers-drama-award
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/qldtheatreco/
Hero image: Malacañang Made Us, the 2024 QPDA winner. Photo by Morgan Roberts
The Queensland Premier’s Drama Award is proudly supported by the Queensland Government and Queensland Theatre Company, with prize contribution by Griffith University.
