School of Education and Professional Studies Masters student and sessional staff member, Daniel Evans is the winner of the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award (QPDA) 2014-15 with his explosive new play Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.
Following a record 121 entries for the 2014-15 Queensland Premier’s Drama Award (QPDA), and three finalists announced earlier this year, Queensland writer, director and producer Daniel Evans has been announced the overall winner.
Evans’ work was selected following a public play reading which also showcased plays by fellow finalists Megan Shorey for One In Seven and Brisbane-born, London based playwright Tim Benzie for his work The Overflow. The QPDA is delivered through Queensland Theatre Company (QTC).
Oedipus Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is a contemporary reimagining of the events leading to the implosion of the most talked-about family in the Ancient Greek myths of The Oedipus Cycle. Ripped from today’s headlines and spurred on by neighbourhood hearsay, the story is delivered from the perspective of characters on the periphery of the action; a trolley-boy is charged with the task of killing a royal child, and a chorus of pram- wielding mothers try and decide why they never saw the tragedy coming.
“The Queensland Premier’s Drama Award is the only playwriting award in Australia which guarantees a professional production of the winning entry,” said Premier Campbell Newman.
“Last year we called for entries from artists for a performance of quality and relevance to Australians today. Evans has taken a well-known Ancient Greek myth and brought it into modern times, with inspirations from pop culture and today’s headlines. The work explores how we respond to tragedy in 2014 and is highly entertaining, engaging and pushes the boundaries.
“Evans is an accomplished local writer, director and producer who has worked across Australia in theatre, festivals, print and television, and currently teaches Applied Theatre at Griffith University. I congratulate him on this highly regarded achievement,” Mr Newman said.
Arts Minister, Ian Walker said, “The future for theatre in Queensland is very bright with talent like Evans, Shorey and Benzie, and we are assured of our place as a leading arts state.”