Beatrix graduated from the NIDA playwright’s studio in 1991. Her first play Spumante Romantica had its premiere production at Griffin Theatre Company in 1992. From there she became an Affiliate Writer and then Writer-in-Residence with Sydney Theatre Company’s New Stages. Her second play Blue Murder was produced at Belvoir Street Theatre in 1994 and Eureka Theatre Company in 1996, and was winner of Best New Play (Sydney Theatre Critics Circle) and shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. The Governor’s Family premiered at Belvoir Street Theatre in 1997, and was selected as the one Australian play to be read at Teesri Duniya (Montreal) and was also nominated for an AWGIE and the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.
In 1998 Beatrix was awarded The ANPC/New Dramatists Award to travel to New York. Her comedy, Fred was produced by Sydney Theatre Company, Melbourne Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company and shortlisted for both the NSW and Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. Her play Old Masters was produced by Sydney Theatre Company and won the 2002 Queensland Premier’s Literary Award for drama.
Other playwriting credits include Faust’s House, then the mountain comes, The Promised Land (Australian Museum); Mad, Bad & Spooky (Theatre of Image) and Ten Things Not To Do On A First Date (Queensland Theatre Company). For the Sydney Theatre Company, Beatrix has adapted A Doll’s House (Ibsen) and Life Is A Dream (Calderon), and co-adapted (with Benedict Andrews) Chekhov’s Three Sisters. Bea has also collaborated on theatre projects with companies Legs on the Wall and Performing Lines.
Beatrix’s television credits include White Collar Blue (Network Ten), MDA (ABCTV), the mini- series A Dangerous Fortune and The Whiteout for Network Movie and Constantin Germany. She wrote four out of six episodes of the FremantleMedia adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock and acted as Script Producer for the series now sold to Amazon, Canal+, BBC and Deutsche Telekom. She has been in writers’ rooms on a number of projects for See-Saw Films and Fremantle Media Australia and on individual projects for companies including See Pictures, Ludo Studio, Matchbox Pictures, Aquarius Films, Goalpost Pictures,Porchlight Films, Revlover and others. She is currently working on projects for Big Talk London, Three Tables & Fremantle Media London, Aquarius Films and Warner Bros. Australia.
In film she has collaborated with directors Jim Sharman and Jutzo Itami. Her film Jindabyne for Ray Lawrence (Lantana) starring Laura Linney and Gabriel Byrne was selected for Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006. Other screenplays include Garden Boy for Future Films UK and Rosa for producers Su Armstrong and Emma Slade. Bea’s most recent feature film Hearts and Bones (co-written and directed by Ben Lawrence) has its premiere at Sydney Film Festival 2019.
