Sue Rider Talks Brisbane Theatre, Cultural Representation and the 37th Annual Matildas

Queensland’s premier theatre celebration, the 37th annual Matilda Awards, is set to make a grand return to Brisbane Powerhouse on Monday 24 February 2025, spotlighting a dazzling mix of established favourites and fresh, independent talent. With 20 categories up for grabs and an exciting new partnership with ABF Qld, this year’s ceremony has already sparked lively debate, especially around standout productions like the ambitious STRAIGHT FROM THE STRAIT, which garnered six nominations, and five-nomination hits such as READY OR NOT, SCENES FROM A YELLOW PERIL, and 37. Also turning heads are a host of other nominees including AI MAY by Embodi Theatre, DIDO AND AENAS by Opera Queensland in association with Circa, and GRIMM from Shake & Stir Theatre Co. As the countdown begins, Sue Rider, Lead Judge for the Matildas, has had the unique privilege of seeing this vibrant scene firsthand. From large casts to solo shows, from seasoned theatre-makers to emerging risk-takers, she’s witnessed the breadth and depth of Queensland’s thriving performing arts community. In this interview, Sue Rider explores the stories, the passion, and the growing momentum behind the state’s theatre sector—and to find out what it means to uphold excellence year after year.

How have you witnessed the landscape of Brisbane’s theatre scene evolve over the last few years, particularly in terms of cultural diversity and new voices coming to the forefront?

I joined the Matilda Awards judging panel in 2021, and became Lead Judge eighteen months later. The first year opened my eyes to the extraordinary amount of independent theatre in Brisbane. I found myself going to venues I didn’t know existed and viewing theatre-makers I hadn’t seen before. At that time the emphasis was more on presenting existing scripts than original work. Cultural diversity tended to be celebrated either in cabaret or through the balance of programming by the mainstream companies.

In the past couple of years there’s been a real shift. Cultural diversity is far more evident in both content and casting, not only in Brisbane but across Queensland. We have new voices exploring questions of identity with a high degree of sophistication from Asian Australian, First Nations, the disabled and transgender communities. It’s very exciting.

What factors do you think have spurred this broader representation?

It hasn’t happened overnight. There’s been a groundswell which has surfaced recently, but many of these artists have been quietly doing their thing, developing work, training, collaborating, and now they are emerging into the spotlight. And companies like JUTE in Cairns and Playlab in Brisbane have been encouraging new voices for years. These theatre-makers are serious about their work. Many come from communities whose voices have not been heard. They want to make meaningful theatre with something to say.

In your capacity as Lead Judge for the Matilda Awards, what are some of the most striking shifts you’ve seen in the type of work being nominated, especially from independent theatre-makers?

I think most striking is the confident creativity of independent theatre-makers to embrace and play with new forms at a high level of complexity. In 2024 we saw Amy Chien-Yu Wang’s Embodi Theatre present an original work set in 2035 which juxtaposed traditional Chinese Australian family values with AI. Curtain World’s Slippery was a quirky, playful observation on contemporary issues in the form of a comedy-horror whodunnit. And we saw immersive works like Art of Courage from Art of Courage Ukraine and AMOR from D.I.V.E Theatre Collective.

How do you see these shifts contributing to the evolution of Queensland’s theatre identity?

There’s a growing confidence to take risks, to embrace the myriad aspects of the Queensland community, no story off-limits.

The Matilda Awards panel viewed 100 shows this year—a significant undertaking. What surprised or moved you most in these productions, particularly those that explore themes of difference and inclusivity?

Dangerous Goods from Polytoxic was a polished, energetic cabaret lifting the lid on the notion of people being labelled dangerous because of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and so on. PIP Theatre gave us an unexpectedly rounded production of the complex and moving musical Fun Home. 37 at Queensland Theatre was a powerful exploration of Australian racism in a mix of naturalism and heightened theatricality: physical, choral, poetic. Blue, presented by La Boite, gave us an astonishingly moving and graceful performance from Kamilaroi writer/performer Thomas Weatherall.

There’s a renewed emphasis on supporting mid-career artists and independent companies through the new awards honouring Carol Burns and Tony Gould. Can you expand on how these additions reflect the Matildas’ commitment to nurturing local talent and preserving Queensland’s theatrical heritage?

These awards have been initiated and will be presented by ABF. When they approached us with the idea of presenting these awards within the Matilda Awards we were delighted because they are based not on a particular show, but on accumulated achievement over a sustained period. Reaching mid-career takes guts, determination and dedication. It’s great to recognise that.

When considering the remarkable growth of independent theatre groups, what role have the Matilda Awards played in giving these emerging collectives visibility, and how do you hope to see that impact grow in the future?

I would like to think that by reaching out to view the work of as many independent companies as we can, we are bringing recognition to emerging artists and those working outside the mainstream. As I see it, one of the functions of the Matilda Awards is to bring the industry together, to celebrate the theatre we all do in Queensland. Amazingly, we are now viewing twice as many independent productions as mainstream.

STRAIGHT FROM THE STRAIT, READY OR NOT, and SCENES FROM A YELLOW PERIL each reflect culturally or regionally specific narratives. What do you find most compelling about these works’ success, and what does it say about Queensland audiences?

As the first Torres Strait Island musical, STRAIGHT FROM THE STRAIT was an ambitious and culturally significant work several years in the making, the result of extensive collaboration between different cultural communities. To sit in the audience on opening night was an extraordinary experience, as community members vocalised their connection with the telling of this story embedded in their history.

READY OR NOT was developed in the regions, but its originality in addressing challenging subject matter and Ainslee Palmer’s beautifully controlled solo performance give it a universality that would connect to any audience.

SCENES FROM A YELLOW PERIL is a NZ play adapted with the writer for an Australian audience. Emotional, never sentimental, poetic, often funny, it was given a disciplined, impactful production with a committed ensemble by The Reaction Theory and BIPOC Arts Australia.

Looking ahead, how do you envision the Matilda Awards continuing to foster relationships with institutions like Opera Queensland and QPAC, as well as smaller, independent companies? Is there a balance you aim to strike between large-scale collaborations and more intimate local projects?

The Matilda Awards are run by a voluntary Executive Committee and judging panel. We are proudly independent and endeavour to interact with all companies and institutions in the same way. We receive some funding from Arts Queensland and Brisbane City Council and we do of course have to partner with a venue for the event each year. For the past 3 years we have enjoyed a relationship with Brisbane Powerhouse, holding the event in the Powerhouse Theatre.

In your view, what are the biggest hurdles facing aspiring playwrights, performers, and producers in Queensland’s theatre sector today—and how can industry leaders like yourself and the Matilda Awards help overcome these challenges?

Finding affordable venues, reaching out to new audiences, coping with competition from other types of entertainment and recreational activity – these are all challenges theatre-makers are facing. I hope that an event like the Matilda Awards can draw attention not only to the amazing work being created here, but to the power theatre has within society to bring us together, to take us out of ourselves, and, importantly, show us other points of view.

Finally, with the 37th Matilda Awards on the horizon, what excites you most about the years to come—both for the Awards themselves and for the direction of Brisbane’s performing arts community as a whole?

Emerging theatre-makers are our future. When you’re setting out, the industry can seem like an impenetrable fixed entity. (“How do I break in?”) But in reality it is in constant flux, being shaped by anyone who is creating theatre at the time. As emerging artists find and develop their own ways of telling stories, they begin to shift how theatre is done, and we are all changed by it. I hope the Matilda Awards remain open to changes in the industry and continue to reflect and celebrate those changes.