A tender dramedy that pits love against obligation has won the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award 2025. There were 200 entries and three finalists announced earlier this year.

Playwright Jordan Shea has been announced as the winner for his play Malacañang Made Us,  alongside fellow finalists David Burton for The Good Dad and Steve Rodgers for The Future is History.

Premier Steven Miles congratulated Shea on his winning entry for his “brave and powerful tale, touching on themes of politics, identity, culture and resilience”.

“It’s a story inspired by Jordan’s own multicultural journey and one that many Queenslanders will be able to relate to, given the diversity of our community,” said the Premier. “I look forward to seeing Jordan’s thought-provoking play make its debut on the Queensland Theatre stage and thank everyone who has contributed their diverse storytelling to the awards.”

Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch says the award helps to “grow opportunities and capacity for our creative talent”.

Shea’s winning work will receive ongoing mentorship from some of the state’s most renowned theatre makers, a substantial $30,000 cash prize from prize sponsor Griffith University, a $16,000 fee to develop the play ahead of its production as part of Queensland Theatre’s 2025 season.

Queensland Theatre executive director Criena Gehrke says welcoming a new Queensland Premier’s Drama Award winner’s incredible storytelling is always a highlight for the company.

“Since the award launched in 2002, we’ve developed 39 new Australian plays, employing over 245 actors, writers and directors along the way, and gathered more than 52,000 audience members to see these plays on stage,” Gehrke says.

“This award magnifies the diverse playwrighting talent we have in this country and we couldn’t be more excited to work alongside Jordan Shea to bring his powerful work in Malacañang Made Us to Queensland audiences.”

Malacañang Made Us tells the story of the 1986 separation of two hopeful and young Filipino brothers, Martin and Ernie, during Ferdinando Marcos’s 21-year dictatorship and their reunion almost 40 years later in Brisbane. It’s an ambitious, complex story of family, legacy and survival, which award judges commended for its powerful, thought-provoking creativity.

The judges statement describes Shea’s play as reading “like a global and historic conversation”, one that “carries themes that will undoubtedly resonate with the world today”.

“Shea has woven together many different stories, elevating under-represented voices, with it all centred on the power of ordinary people creating history and change. From the first reading of this script, we could sense Shea’s bravery as it’s quite ambitious in scale and journeys through language, time and place – making this something we know audiences will be moved by.”

Alongside Queensland Theatre’s associate artistic director (First Nations) Isaac Drandic, judges for the 2025 award included Marcel Dorney, playwright, director and performer; Dan Giovannoni, playwright and theatre maker; Courtney Stewart, artistic director and CEO at La Boite Theatre; and Lydia Miller, creative consultant, Marigold Enterprises.

Professor Scott Harrison, Griffith University’s pro vice chancellor (arts, education and law) and assistant vice chancellor (cultural curation and community partnerships) says the university was happy to support the award.

“From what began with a production sponsorship with Queensland Theatre more than 20 years ago, we’re proud to play a role in seeing so many incredible productions and emerging talent realised, and we recognise that the continuation of live theatre in Queensland is vital,” Professor Harrison says.

Shea’s win follows the enormous success of previous award recipients, including 2022-23 winner Ryan Enniss for his play Drizzle Boy, which premiered in Brisbane in March 2023 and is about to tour regionally in October.

queenslandtheatre.com.au

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