In The Haus: Ryan Enniss

With the recent news about the finalists of Queensland Premier’s Drama Award 2025, the spotlight is ready to shine on emerging talents in Australian playwriting. From over 200 submissions, three scripts have been chosen for their unique narratives and potential impact on the theatre scene. These finalists will undergo creative development this year, with the winner set to premiere their work during Queensland Theatre’s 2025 season, accompanied by a prize and mentorship to further their artistic journey.

Among these voices was last year’s winner, Ryan Enniss, an autistic playwright whose work ‘Drizzle Boy’ has not only garnered critical acclaim but is also currently touring the state. Enniss’ journey from an inspired young writer to a celebrated playwright underscores the significance of the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award in nurturing and recognising the unique perspectives brought to Australian theatre. Theatre Haus spoke with Enniss about his incredible career and upcoming aspirations.

We’d love to know more about the beginning of your career – where and how did you get your start? 

That is a question with several answers. I definitely get my love of storytelling from my grandfather, he and I used to make up silly walks, faces, and stories together all the time when I was very little. He instilled a love of play, creativity, and curiosity in me from the time I was born.

I started writing when I was old enough to hold a pencil. Something about words always drew me. I used to take my parent’s giant fantasy novels to school and read them in the classes where I got bored. The way that they could paint entire worlds, events, and people out of thin air in the dreamlike whispers of my brain was incredibly exciting, and I knew I wanted to do that in some way as well.

The thing that drew me to performance as a storytelling medium was random chance. In year 10, I was too indecisive for my own good, and when choosing electives I only had two options because everything else was full. It was either biology or drama. I chose drama, even though I’d never done any acting beyond playing Space Jump before. From the moment we were handed our first script, I became obsessed with storytelling in all its forms after that, started training as an actor, which fed back into my writing, and I started drafting plays a few years later.

Forty-three plays later, and we’re at ‘Drizzle Boy’, with more on the way.

What or who were some of your early influences or inspirations that shaped your career?

My parents, luckily enough for me, are lovers of entertainment. I grew up surrounded by books, films, games, and music. Thanks to that, I am a sponge for art, I can never get enough of it in any form it comes. Everything from Tolkien, to video games like ‘The Last of Us’, to metal bands like Slipknot or Megadeth. I watched ‘Alien’ (1979), possibly far younger than I should have, and still remains my favourite movie of all time. My career was really inspired by all the pieces of art that made me feel something. Which is a roundabout way of saying that my parents are nerds, and everything I do is their fault (thank you, Mum and Dad).

What are some of the most defining moments or milestones in your career so far?

There are a couple that spring to mind. The first would be seeing people perform my words for the first time. I was in my first year of uni at the University of Tasmania (UTAS), and we were rehearsing this tiny script called ‘(Dis)cord’ that I’d written for a festival that didn’t even end up going on. But being in a rehearsal room with people crafting the story I’d written for the first time, that was huge. Left a considerable impact on me as a young creative.

I’ll upset someone if I don’t say getting accepted into the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) as an actor. That whole degree was a big one. A whirlwind madhouse of an experience that I won’t ever forget.

And then the most recent was winning the Queensland Premier’s Drama Award 2022-23 and being able to take ‘Drizzle Boy’ to the stage. More specifically, working with the cast and crew for the first few days of their rehearsal process. To see the love, passion, and genuine excitement they had to tell an authentic neurodivergent story was so affecting, and incredibly lovely. It really gave me hope, both for myself as an artist and for the future of storytelling in general.

What is a quirky fact about you? 

I have an incredibly gripping fear of the deep ocean. Particularly of whales.

What are you currently working on and how has that creative process been?

I’ve been keeping busy with a few things of late. Between gigs as a voice-over artist, writing my first screenplay, and building three new plays, I have been a bit flat out. I adore the voice-over jobs, they’re always different, challenging, and a whole lot of fun. The screenplay has been slow, I’m learning a few new tricks to make that one work, doing a lot of reading and watching to steal good techniques and formats from things I enjoy. And the plays are a dream. The first draft stage is always a joy because you’re free from trying to write anything that’s good. A first draft will always be bad, so it simply needs to exist. And when that’s its only goal, you’re free as a writer to just imagine, and play. To let the characters and the story go wherever they want to take you.

What’s in your rehearsal bag that you can’t go without? 

As an actor and a voice-over artist, I never go into anything without doing a tune-up or warm-up. Yoga to warm up the body, and then a lot of playing with consonants, tone, and text to get into gear for speaking. But a warm-up for me is mostly play. If I don’t make myself laugh by doing something ridiculous in a warm-up, I’m not ready to work.

For writing, a cup of tea. A good cuppa is an essential storytelling device, if for no other reason than it gives you something warm to hold onto while you sit back and wonder “what the hell was I thinking?”

Do you have a reading, teaching/advice, institution or resource that changed your life/perspective, which you’d recommend to others?

In my second year of actor training at NIDA, we did a rehearsal room play project. I was extremely lucky and got placed in a showing of ‘Uncle Vanya’, which was directed by a wonderful woman named Clara Voda. Throughout that whole show, she emphasised the importance of love. As a creative, as a storyteller, and as a human being. Even when you are dealing with your worst enemy, you have to find the love in that interaction. That remains the biggest piece of advice I’ve ever received, and it’s something I try to carry into everything I do, and especially the art I make. Find the love.

What advice would you give to a young person today aspiring to walk in your shoes? 

Nothing is going to go the way you think it is. And that is okay. Be open to change, be brave enough to put yourself out there, and be scared, but do it anyway.

What are your future aspirations or projects that you’re excited about?

Oh, there’s so much I want to do. I want to keep bringing neurodivergent stories to Australian media, as there aren’t enough authentic ones being uplifted out there. The screen industry is the next big hurdle I want to tackle with my writing. I’d also love to get into animation or videogame voice-over work, I think that would nurture my soul in an exciting way.

In general, I have no plans to shut up, ever. So I think the goals and aspirations are all just to keep creating art that’s important to me, and that I think says something valuable.

I am also hoping to adopt a cat in the future, so there’s a future role. Cat dad.

Theatre Haus is the ‘home of theatre’, where, what or who do you call home?

My parent’s house, down in Tasmania, for sure. I lived there from birth until I was 18, and there is no place like it on this planet. It’s a little bushland property that has the cleanest air, sky, and water you have ever seen. Every time I think of home, that is the place that comes to mind. My family, nestled in a cosy little house amongst the trees.

Keep up-to-date with Ryan Enniss via his Instagram account, and hear upcoming touring news about his work ‘Drizzle Boy’ with Queensland Theatre. Also, learn more about the Queensland Premier Drama Awards via Queensland Theatre’s website. 

Want to feature in our In The Haus series? Email [email protected].