Griffin Theatre Company is thrilled to announce that Australian playwright, screenwriter and journalist Melanie Tait has been awarded the 2026 Suzie Miller Award.
Based in Sydney, Tait’s plays include The Vegemite Tales (Riverside Studios and Leicester Square Theatre), The Appleton Ladies’ Potato Race (Ensemble Theatre and National Tour), The Queen’s Nanny (Ensemble Theatre and National Tour), and How to Plot a Hit in Two Days (Ensemble Theatre) and she has written extensively for the ABC, Guardian Australia and News Corp. Tait will receive a $30,000 commission and a two-year residency at Griffin Theatre Company, alongside mentorship from Suzie Miller, to write a piece about medical ethics in the world of brain cancer science.
As part of her residency, Melanie will mentor early-career playwrights through Griffin Studio, judge for the Griffin Award, and sit on the programming committee for Griffin’s annual season.
One of Australia’s leading playwrights, Suzie Miller’s history with Griffin encompasses her works Caress/Ache, Sunset Strip, Jailbaby, and the Oliver Award-winning Prima Facie.
With more than 100 productions on stages across the world, including London’s West End and Broadway, Miller’s international accolades including four Tony Award nominations and the 2023 Whatsonstage Award for Best New Play.
Established in 2024 by Miller and Griffin Theatre Company, the Suzie Miller Award is supported by Suzie herself and is open to mid-career writers from across Australia with at least five years of professional theatre credits, and a track record of work that speaks to the present day, asking hard-hitting questions of Australia’s audiences
Following a considerable number of high-calibre entries, Griffin Theatre Company is also excited to announce that award-winning playwright and screenwriter Vanessa Bates has also been awarded a one-off $17,700 commission by Miller, which she will use to develop a new play examining the life and political impact of Junie Morosi.
Image: Sally Flegg
