Joanna Murray-Smith

Playwright

Produced and translated all over the world in over two dozen languages, including on Broadway, the West End and at the Royal National Theatre, Joanna’s plays have been read or performed by many of the world’s leading companies and actors including Meryl Streep, Annette Bening, Laura Linney, Dame Eileen Atkins, Dame Diana Rigg and many others.

They include Honour, Julia, Berlin, The Female of the Species, Bombshells, American Song, Switzerland, Songs for Nobodies, Three Little Words, L’Appartement, The Gift, Ninety, Rapture, Nightfall, Love Child and many others.  Her adaptations include Scenes From a Marriage for Sir Trevor Nunn in London, A Doll’s House, Hedda Gabler and Uncle Vanya and the recently acclaimed adaptation of The Talented Mr Ripley.

She also writes for the screen and her film adaptation of Switzerland featuring Helen Mirren, directed by Anton Corbijn, has recently completed filming in Italy and the UK and will be released in 2026.

This year, Julia, her hit-play about Australia’s only female Prime Minister, completed a national tour playing to sell-out audiences.

She has recently completed a film adaptation of her play, Honour, to film in the UK in 2026 and is also adapting Charlotte Wood’s The Weekend to the screen. 

Joanna has written many teleplays, two operas and three novels (published by Viking/Penguin). She been nominated for and won many awards, including an A.M. in the recent Australia Day Honors.