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Suzie Miller is an Australian/British playwright, librettist and screenwriter. In April 2022, Miller made her West End debut with Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer.

Suzie Miller
NationalityAustralian, British
SpouseRobert Beech-Jones
Children2[1]

Overview


Suzie Miller is a contemporary international playwright, librettist and screenwriter drawn to complex human stories often exploring injustice. She has often been described as a courageous writer and won the Australian Writers’ Guild and Kit Denton Fellowship for Writing with Courage in 2008.

Born in Melbourne, Australia, she now resides between London, United Kingdom, and Sydney, Australia. Miller has been produced around the world winning multiple prestigious awards. Her most recent play, Prima Facie (premiered 2019, Griffin Theatre), won the 2020 Australian Writers' Guild Award for Drama; the 2020 David Williamson Award for Outstanding Theatre Writing; and the 2020 prestigious Major Australian Writers' Guild Award across all categories of theatre, film and television. Its premiere production earned 5-star reviews across all platforms.

Miller has a background in law and science, and is currently developing major theatre, film and television projects across the UK, USA and Australia. Miller worked as a human rights lawyer and a children’s rights lawyer before leaving the law and moving to London in 2010 with her young family to pursue a theatre writing career full time and she now resides between both London and Sydney.

Miller works in theatre, film and television. She is married to Robert Beech-Jones and has two children.


Background


Having studied law, drama and science, Miller is deeply interested in exploring the human condition and the issues that challenge contemporary society. She is a committed feminist and rights advocate.

Her work ranges from large scale plays to intimate plays (Griffin Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre Company), to films of original screenplays to television work (Film Art Media; Matchbox/NBC).

Miller has enjoyed many residencies throughout her career, in recent times these have included; University of Queensland (Creative Fellow 2018), Currency Press (2018 and 2019), National Theatre of Scotland (2014), National Theatre in London (2011 and 2009), Griffin Theatre Sydney (2012), Critical Stages NSW (2013), Theatre Gargantua Toronto (2013), and was the Artist in Resident at La Boite Theatre (2016 and 2015). She was attached to Ex Machina in Quebec with Robert Lepage (2012) and has been commissioned by companies in Australia, England, Scotland, Ireland and Canada.

In 2006 and 2009 she was mentored by US playwright Edward Albee (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?).


Works



Early works (2005–2008)


Miller’s first play, Cross Sections, was based on contemporary stories from the experience of working as lawyer for homeless youth in Sydney’s red-light district (Kings Cross), was nominated for major awards and transferred to the Sydney Opera House in 2005. A radio version of the play was recorded at ABC Radio and won the Australian Writers’ Guild award for Radio. Both versions were directed by Chris Mead.

“I was humbled to realise I could touch people with stories and start a conversation about changing our society; it was individual audience members sharing the personal impact of my first play that led to my belief that stories can raise awareness, change people and communities. I felt that I had more impact with my plays than my daily court battles”.

Her two follow up plays SOLD (a darkly humorous play about selling our souls for materialism) directed by John Sheedy and All the Blood and All the Water (tackling racism in Australia) directed by John Sheedy both won the Inscription award and a mentorship with Edward Albee. SOLD was later produced at Theatre503 in London (2011) directed by Natalie Ibu.

An early work, Reasonable Doubt, played at the Edinburgh and New York Fringe Festivals at the Assembly Halls Edinburgh and the Cherry Lane Theatre NY in 2008. Directed by Lee Lewis, it won the New York Fringe Overall Excellence Award for Outstanding Playwriting.


Recent works (2009–present)



Prima Facie

Main article: Prima Facie (play)

Miller's drama Prima Facie premiered in 2019 with Griffin Theatre Company, directed by Lee Lewis. The production of Prima Facie returned to Sydney in 2021 toured Australia at the Queensland Theatre with covid cancelled seasons at the Malthouse Theatre Melbourne, and other venues to be rescheduled.

Prima Facie won Miller the 2020 Australian Writers' Guild Award for Drama; the 2020 David Williamson Award for Outstanding Theatre Writing; and the 2020 prestigious Major Australian Writers' Guild Award across all categories of theatre, film and television. It won the Griffin Award in 2018.

Prima Facie premiered in 2022 at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End, produced by James Bierman (ex Donmar, Almeida and Michael Grandage Company) for Empire Street Productions. The production stars Jodie Comer (Killing Eve) and is directed by Justin Martin.

Comer's West End debut in the play was announced on October 1, 2021. In March 2022, it was announced the play would be partnering with charity The Schools Consent Project, giving away free tickets to partner school groups to see the show and access further ancillary support. The production also donated and raised money throughout the run to support the charity which aims to educate young people in the UK about consent.

Prima Facie received rave views from critics, including 5-stars from Arts Desk, Londonist and Reviews Hub.

In their 4-star review, WhatsOnStage wrote, "With Comer as its protagonist, blazing away, it is impossible to avert your gaze. She brings its arguments to forceful life and in the process creates an unforgettable moment of theatre." The play also received 4-star reviews from The Guardian, The Daily Mail, The Times, The Daily Telegraph, BroadwayWorld, The Evening Standard, the Independent and the Sunday Express.

Prima Facie is published in Australia by Currency Press.


Short plays



Awards


Miller has won or been shortlisted for a number of Australian Writers’ Guild Awards, and Premier’s awards (Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales).

She also received the 2008 National Kit Denton Fellowship for writing with courage.[10] She was shortlisted for the 2010 Australian Writers Guild Award for drama, and was shortlisted for the Griffin Award 2009.

She won the 2006 and the 2009 Inscription award.

She received the 2008 New York Fringe Festival 'Overall Excellence Award for Outstanding Playwriting'.

She received the 2005 Theatrelab award. She was shortlisted for Premiers' awards and AWGIES (Writers Guild awards).

Miller has sat on the board of Playworks, Playwriting Australia, TRS, State of Play, Darlinghurst Theatre and the Australian Writers Guild Theatre  She has been a judge for the Australian Writers Guild for film scripts, plays and the Kit Denton, and has sat on the Australia Council of the Arts Literature Board as a theatre peer. She is also on the reader panel for various theatre companies in Australia and London.


References


  1. "Stage Noise, Q & A with Suzie Miller (accessed 12 June 2012)". Stagenoise.com. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 31 July 2012.


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