Nick Enright facts for kids

Nicholas Paul Enright was an amazing Australian writer, director, and teacher. He was born on December 22, 1950, and passed away on March 30, 2003. Nick Enright wrote many plays, musicals, and screenplays that were loved by audiences. He helped shape Australian theatre and film.

Early Life and Education

Nick Enright grew up in East Maitland, Australia. He was born into a family that valued learning. When he was in school at St Ignatius' College, Riverview in Sydney, he was very involved in drama and debating. He even won debating championships in 1966 and 1967.

After school, Nick joined the Genesian Theatre in Sydney. He acted in plays like A Doll's House and Uncle Vanya. He also directed a play called London Assurance. He then went on to study at Sydney University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1972.

A Creative Career Begins

Nick Enright started his career working behind the scenes at the Nimrod Theatre in Sydney. He then became a trainee director at the Melbourne Theatre Company. He received a special scholarship to study directing in New York City. He graduated from New York University in 1977.

When he returned to Australia, Nick joined the State Theatre Company of South Australia. He worked there as an actor and director. Later, he became an associate director. He also taught acting at the NIDA in 1983 and 1984. One of his teachers in New York, Israel Horovitz, encouraged him to start writing plays.

Famous Plays and Screenplays

Nick Enright wrote many popular plays. Some of his well-known works include Good Works, Blackrock, and Daylight Saving. His plays were performed by major theatre companies all over Australia.

One of his one-act plays, A Property of the Clan, was later made into a full-length play. It then became the film Blackrock in 1997. Nick also wrote screenplays for movies. He was even nominated for an Academy Award for his work on the film Lorenzo's Oil (1992). He co-wrote this screenplay with director George Miller.

Musicals and Other Works

Nick Enright also wrote the words and stories for many musicals. He worked with composers like Terence Clarke on musicals such as The Venetian Twins and Variations. He also wrote Summer Rain.

One of his biggest successes was writing the story for the stage musical The Boy from Oz. This musical was based on the life of Australian singer Peter Allen. It was very popular in Australia and later in New York.

He also adapted the famous book Cloudstreet by Tim Winton for the stage. This adaptation was a huge success. Nick also wrote for ABC Radio and even wrote a children's book called The Maitland and Morpeth String Quartet.

Later Life and Legacy

Nick Enright passed away on March 30, 2003, at the age of 52, after a battle with cancer. Three years after his death, the animated movie Happy Feet was dedicated to his memory.

His contributions to the arts were recognized with many awards. The Play Award at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards is now called the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting. This shows how important he was to Australian theatre.

In 2004, he was given a special honour. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia. This award recognized his service to the performing arts. It celebrated his work as a playwright, teacher, actor, director, and as someone who helped new talent.

Awards and Honours

• Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Lorenzo's Oil (1992).
• Won the Major AWGIE Award from the Australian Writers Guild four times:
  • For the play Daylight Saving (1990).
  • For the play A Property of the Clan (1993).
  • For the screenplay Blackrock (1997).
  • For the stage adaptation of Cloudstreet (1999, with Justin Monjo).
• Received the first Play Award at the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards in 1983 for the musical Variations. This award is now named the Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting.
• Won a Helpmann Award for Best New Australian Work in 2001 for the musical The Boy from Oz.
• Received the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards (1998 Individual Winner).
• Appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004 (posthumously).

Selected Works

Plays

• On the Wallaby (1980)
• Daylight Saving (1989)
• A Property of the Clan (1992)
• Good Works (1994)
• Blackrock (1995)
• Cloudstreet (1998)
• A Man with Five Children

Musicals

• The Venetian Twins (1979)
• Variations (1982)
• Summer Rain (1983)
• Miracle City (1996)
• The Boy from Oz (1998)

Screenplays

• Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
• Blackrock (1997)