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Matthew Ryan Matthew Ryan i(A75227 works by) (a.k.a. Matt Ryan)
Born: Established: 1978 ;
Gender: Male
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Works By

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1 Place, History and Story: Tony Birch and the Yarra River Carolyn Masel , Matthew Ryan , 2016 single work criticism
— Appears in: Australian Literary Studies , 2016 vol. 31 no. 2 2016; 'This essay examines the three Yarra River stories in Tony Birch’s short fiction collections. ‘The Sea of Tranquillity’ ‘The Chocolate Empire’ and ‘The Toecutters’ all question the historical inscription of the Yarra that favours the culturally dominant account by placing it in relation to alternative stories. The torsion engendered by this questioning is apparent in the stories themselves. They are simultaneously discussions of class-based social exclusion and counter-stories of settlement; settled places are re-inscribed with meanings and histories obscured by the dominant account of ‘settlement’, which it thus critiques. The structure of the contemporary short story, to reveal a truth buried under the mundane details of life, aids Birch’s purpose. The form enacts a propensity to doubling, twinning and contrasting the familiar and the strange, or being at once in the dominant reality of the settler-colonial culture and, by social imposition, in the situation of the other. Hence, Birch’s stories open into narratives drawn from a number of socially marginalised groups, according to class, gender, geography or age. In Birch’s own account of his disillusionment with the institutionally-based academic writing of the post-history wars environment he speaks of embarking on an alternative project to ‘put meat on the bones of history’, a project which involves turning from the Historian’s history to ‘the way that fiction deals with the past and its role in documenting history’: to bring history and story together (‘Trouble’ 235, 241). This essay traces that process in the three Yarra stories.' (Abstract)
1 4 y separately published work icon Brisbane Matthew Ryan , 2015 Strawberry Hills : Currency Press , 2019 7896475 2015 single work drama historical fiction war literature

'Brisbane, 1942: a big country town jumping at shadows, never knowing if that buzz in the air is a cicada or a squadron of merciless Japanese Zeroes. World War II took the city’s innocence, and that of 14-year-old Danny Fisher.

'Danny's dashing pilot brother has been killed in the Bombing of Darwin. As Danny's devastated family unravels, the teen finds a surrogate sibling in Andy, one of the Americans stationed in Brisbane. The American pilot takes Danny under his wing, and as the tension begins to rise between the Yank and Aussie servicemen, Danny hatches a reckless revenge plan against those who took his brother.

'A QTC world premiere drawing on true stories from the leafy streets of Brisbane in the middle of wartime, Matthew Ryan’s Brisbane is a life-affirming coming-of-age tale, with moments of sublime comedy amid a heartfelt tale of a family fragmented by tragedy. A living, breathing picture postcard from a time that could have been the making or breaking of a city. ' (Production summary)
1 Lost Property Rules Matthew Ryan , 2014 single work drama
— Appears in: Plays from the Top of the Stairs 2014;

'Alice and Isobel are running away to Grandma’s house. But to get there they’re going to have to spend the night at the train station, hiding from the Guard Dog. Huddled in a Lost Property box, they try to stay calm by telling each other stories based on the lost things they find in there. An empowering play about accepting change, this work finds stories in the most unusual of places – stories that might not be as made up as they seem.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.
1 Rule of Thumb Matthew Ryan , 2014 single work drama
— Appears in: Plays from the Top of the Stairs 2014;

'Veronica Thumb is a bit different. She speaks differently and sees the world differently. Follow Veronica through her childhood as she learns to come to terms with Aspergers and the way it affects the different stages of her life. A story about accepting others and accepting yourself, this work shows the world through the eyes of girl who lives with a very different set of rules.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.
1 The Tree House Matthew Ryan , 2014 single work drama
— Appears in: Plays from the Top of the Stairs 2014;

'Follow the life of a tree growing inside a house and all the lives it affects along the way. From a young girl dealing with change, adults too busy to enjoy life, a poor family at Christmas and renovators intent on knocking the tree down – no one escapes the influence of the tree. An imaginative and uplifting work for even the youngest of aspiring theatre-makers.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.
1 y separately published work icon Plays from the Top of the Stairs Matthew Ryan , Fortitude Valley : Playlab , 2014 11978852 2014 selected work drama children's young adult

'A collection of plays for performers from 8 to 15 years of age, Plays From The Top Of The Stairs was developed from drama exercises in consultation with young performers at Backbone Youth Arts and written by one of the Australian’s most prolific playwrights. Each play is made up of smaller stories, encouraging group work and easy classroom management.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.
1 11 y separately published work icon Kelly Matthew Ryan , 2011 Strawberry Hills : Currency Press , 2013 Z1813202 2011 single work drama

'Cowards, murderers or heroes? Life or death?

'Ned Kelly is about to hang for his crimes, but his final night in prison is interrupted by the arrival of his brother Dan, disguised as a priest. Supposedly killed at the siege of Glenrowan, Dan is intent on moving north to Queensland and forgetting his past.

'To do so, he needs Ned’s blessing and forgiveness. But the last time they saw each other, Dan tried to shoot Ned dead. So begins a brutal confrontation by two titans of Australian history. Facing the sins of their past, each blames the other for their downfall. And neither will escape unharmed.' (Production summary)
1 8 y separately published work icon The Harbinger David Morton , Matthew Ryan , 2011 Fortitude Valley : Playlab , 2014 Z1791779 2011 single work drama 'A city is in turmoil. A civil war has broken out and the streets are on fire. Savage plagues strike down the people whilst fear and panic drive the city to the brink of destruction. The hungry roam the streets, the poor steal and the crazed murder the helpless for pleasure. But within this chaos and devastation messages of hope are left upon lamp posts for all to read; news of a man, a hero who is approaching the city with the promise of salvation. But no one knows who leaves these messages...

Produced by Dead Puppet Society, the creators of "The Timely Death of Victor Blott", "The Harbinger" is an original story that examines the notions of truth, myth making and propaganda. Through the use of puppetry and stage illusion it questions the role of storytelling and legend in the making of history, and interrogates the place of faith and hope as mechanisms for survival.' (Source: Dead Puppet Society website)
1 13 y separately published work icon Boy Girl Wall Matthew Ryan , Lucas Stibbard , 2010 Sydney : Currency Press , 2012 Z1714550 2010 single work drama

'This is the story of Thom and Alethea. Two neighbours in a West End apartment block, trying desperately to keep their lives from falling apart. But the Wall that stands between them has decided they belong together. A one-man show using chalk, sock puppets, a projector and over two-dozen characters in a tall tale of whimsy, imagination and architectural enlightenment.

Source: Metro Arts (www.metroarts.com.au/) (Sighted: 06/08/2010).
1 5 Attack of the Attacking Attackers! Matthew Ryan , 2008 single work drama horror science fiction humour 'All Margaret wants is a comet-spotting badge for her Brownie uniform. Too young to go camping alone, Margaret drags her big brother and his cheerleading girlfriend into the haunted woods. But when the cheerleader suddenly goes missing, the teenagers find themselves caught in a war between Space Aliens and Demons from Hell. Will they escape the hellish House on the Hill? Will they survive an Alien Probing? And what happens when you swim naked in the Swamp of No Return? Spawned from the disturbed minds of Brisbane's finest young theatre-makers comes this warped love letter to Sci-Fi, Horror and the War on Terror.' Source: www.laboite.com.au/ (Sighted 19/11/08).
1 3 y separately published work icon Summer Wonderland Matthew Ryan , 2007 Fortitude Valley : Playlab , 2017 Z1435634 2007 single work drama humour 'Welcome to Dickens Court. Old-fashioned battler Bob Jones has lost his job. His neighbour Eugene just bought a mail-order bride but is now in debt to the Russian mafia, and the snobs across the road are desperate to buy a trendy new beachfront apartment. When they discover the grand prize in the Christmas Lights Competition can solve their respective money problems, the neighbourhood goes to war.' Source: www.laboite.com.au/ (Sighted 15/10/2007).
1 y separately published work icon Summer Wonderland [and] The Dance of Jeremiah Matthew Ryan , Fortitude Valley : Playlab , 2007 7280062 2007 selected work drama
1 Julia Rose Matthew Ryan , 2003 single work drama
2 4 The Dance of Jeremiah Matthew Ryan , 2000 single work drama humour
— Appears in: Summer Wonderland [and] The Dance of Jeremiah 2007; (p. 113-183) The Australian Play Bundle # 2 2013;
1 y separately published work icon So You Die a Little Matthew Ryan , Tony Brockman , 1998 Z1036070 1998 single work drama
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