List of notable or famous playwrights from Australia, with bios and photos, including the top playwrights born in Australia and even some popular playwrights who immigrated to Australia. If you're trying to find out the names of famous Australian playwrights then this list is the perfect resource for you. These playwrights are among the most prominent in their field, and information about each well-known playwright from Australia is included when available.
The list you're viewing is made up of many different people, like Nick Enright and Patrick White.
This historic playwrights from Australia list can help answer the questions "Who are some Australian playwrights of note?" and "Who are the most famous playwrights from Australia?" These prominent playwrights of Australia may or may not be currently alive, but what they all have in common is that they're all respected Australian playwrights.
Use this list of renowned Australian playwrights to discover some new playwrights that you aren't familiar with. Don't forget to share this list by clicking one of the social media icons at the top or bottom of the page.
1Alec Coppel
Dec. at 64 (1907-1972)Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Alec Coppel was an Australian-born screenwriter, novelist and playwright. He spent the majority of his career in London and Hollywood, specialising in light thrillers, mysteries and sex comedies. He... more2
Alex Broun
Age: 56Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Alex Broun (born 16 March 1965) is an Australian playwright and screenwriter, who has worked extensively with Short+Sweet, a series of theatre festivals for productions of ten minutes or less. Born... more- 3
Alison Croggon
Age: 59Birthplace: Transvaal Province, South Africa
Alison Croggon (born 1962) is a contemporary Australian poet, playwright, fantasy novelist, and librettist.... more - 4
Andrew Bovell
Age: 58Birthplace: Kalgoorlie, Australia
Andrew Bovell (born 23 November 1962) is an Australian writer for theatre, film and television.... more - 5
Andrew Upton
Age: 55Birthplace: Australia
Andrew Upton (born 1 February 1966) is an Australian playwright, screenwriter, and director. He is the husband of actress Cate Blanchett.... more - 6
Beejan Land
Age: 32Beejan Land (born 14 February 1989 in Paddington, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian actor and award-winning playwright. He graduated from Newtown High School of the Performing Arts Beejan... more - 7
Bill Neskovski
Dec. at 25 (1964-1989)Birthplace: Bitola, Republic of Macedonia
Blagoja "Bill" Neshkovski (Macedonian: Благоја „Бил“ Нешковски, 20 January 1964—25 November 1989) was a Macedonian Australian playwright and actor. He wrote in both English and Macedonian Born... more - 8
Bille Brown
Dec. at 61 (1952-2013)Birthplace: Biloela, Australia
Bille Brown AM (11 January 1952 – 13 January 2013) born as William Gerald Brown was an Australian stage, film and television actor and acclaimed playwright.... more - 9
Bob Maza
Dec. at 60 (1939-2000)Birthplace: Palm Island, Australia
Robert Lewis Maza (25 November 1939 – 14 May 2000) credited as Bob Maza was an Australian actor and playwright.... more - 10
Caleb Lewis
Age: 43Caleb Lewis (born 16 April 1978) is an Australian playwright. His plays include Destroyer of Worlds, Maggie Stone, Nailed, Dogfall, Death in Bowengabbie, Rust and Bone, Aleksander and the Robot Maid,... more - 11
David Logan
Age: 61 - 12
David Williamson
Age: 79Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
David Keith Williamson, AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian dramatist and playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.... more - 13
Dorothy Hewett
Dec. at 79 (1923-2002)Birthplace: Perth, Australia
Dorothy Coade Hewett (21 May 1923 – 25 August 2002) was an Australian feminist poet, novelist and playwright. She has been called "one of Australia's best-loved and most respected writers". She was... more - 14
Gwen Meredith
Dec. at 98 (1907-2006)Birthplace: Orange, Australia
Gwenyth Valmai Meredith OBE (18 November 1907 – 3 October 2006), also known by her married name Gwen Harrison, was an Australian author, dramatist and playwright, and radio writer. She is best known... more - 15
Hal Porter
Dec. at 73 (1911-1984)Birthplace: Victoria, Albert Park, Australasia, Melbourne, Australia
Harold Edward (Hal) Porter (16 February 1911 – 29 September 1984) was an Australian novelist, playwright, poet and short-story writer. Porter was born in Albert Park, Victoria, grew up in... more - 16
Hannie Rayson
Age: 64Birthplace: Melbourne, Australia
Hannie Rayson (born 31 March 1957) is an Australian playwright and newspaper columnist. She is recognised as one of Australia's most significant playwrights. ... more - 17
Jack Davis
Dec. at 83 (1917-2000)Birthplace: Australasia, Western Australia, Australia, Yarloop
Jack Davis (11 March 1917 – 17 March 2000) was an Australian 20th-century playwright and poet, and an Indigenous rights campaigner. He was born in Western Australia, in Perth, and lived in Fremantle... more - 18
Jane Harrison
Age: 61Jane Harrison (born 1960) is an indigenous Australian playwright, novelist, writer and researcher. A descendant of the Muruwari people of New South Wales, from the area around Bourke and Brewarrina,... more - 19
Jennifer Rankin
Dec. at 38 (1941-1979)Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Jennifer Rankin (born Jennifer Mary Haynes) (18 November 1941 – 8 December 1979) was a 20th-century Australian poet and playwright. Rankin was born in and grew up in Sydney and went to Ravenswood... more - 20
Jim McNeil
Dec. at 47 (1935-1982)Birthplace: St Kilda, Australia
James Thomas McNeil (23 January 1935 – 16 May 1982) was an Australian award-winning playwright. While serving a 17-year sentence in Parramatta Correctional Centre for armed robbery and shooting a... more - 21
Joanna Murray-Smith
Age: 59Birthplace: Mount Eliza, Australia
Joanna Murray-Smith (born 17 April 1962) is a Melbourne based Australian playwright, screenwriter, novelist, librettist and newspaper columnist.... more - 22
Katherine Thomson
Age: 66Birthplace: Manly, Australia
Katherine Thomson is an Australian playwright and screenwriter. Katherine Thomson was born in Manly, New South Wales and began her theatrical involvement as a teenager with the Australian Theatre for... more - 23
Kenneth G. Ross
Age: 80Birthplace: Victoria, Australasia, Melbourne, Australia, Brunswick East
Kenneth Graham Ross (born 4 June 1941) is an Australian playwright, screenwriter, and lyricist best known for writing the 1978 stage play Breaker Morant, that was based on the life of Australian... more - 24
Kylie Tennant
Dec. at 75 (1912-1988)Birthplace: New South Wales, Australasia, Manly, Australia
Kathleen Kylie Tennant AO (; 12 March 1912 – 28 February 1988) was an Australian novelist, playwright, short-story writer, critic, biographer and historian.... more - 25
Leah Purcell
Age: 45Birthplace: Murgon, Australia
Leah Purcell (born 14 August 1970) is an Indigenous Australian actress, director and writer. She is a Helpmann Award and AACTA Award winner.... more
