Finegan has had 101 commissioned plays performed on six continents and translated into eight languages. He has received 42 awards (at least one each year since 2002) including the 2017 Mickey Miners Lifetime Achievement Award for services to international theatre for young audiences, the 2015 David Williamson Award for Excellence in Australian Playwrighting, and an inaugural Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship.
In 2022, 38 seasons of 14 plays (including three world premieres) will be presented globally, in six countries and three languages. In Germany, he is represented by Rowohlt Agency.
To date, Finegan’s plays have had seasons in: 200 international festivals; all Australian states/territories; eight US national tours; five UK national tours; and at the Sydney Opera House (seven works), Scotland’s Imaginate Festival (four works), New York’s Lincoln Center for the Arts (three works), DC’s Kennedy Center for the Arts (three works), Ireland’s Abbey Theatre (two works) and Shanghai’s Malan Flower Theatre (two works).
As well as the Mickey Miners and David Williamson Awards and Sidney Myer Fellowship, Finegan and his work have received eight Australian Writers Guild (AWGIE) Awards, 2012 Helpmann Award for Children’s Theatre, 2010 Rodney Seaborn Award, 2006 Jill Blewett Playwrights Award and 2002 Colin Thiele Scholarship.
Finegan has been a speaker at the Ubud Writer’s Festival (Indonesia), the Edinburgh International Children’s Theatre Festival (Scotland), TYA USA National Conference, and the ITYARN Conference (Argentina), among others. He has delivered papers or sat on panels at conferences/festivals in nine countries, with papers published.
He was one of 21 selected worldwide for the ASSITEJ Next Generation (young leaders in children’s theatre), and has sat on numerous arts boards including the Australian Script Centre and Tasmanian Arts Advisory Board, Arts Tasmania’s Assistance to Individuals, Tas Literary Awards and Artsbridge panels, and the Story Island Project board (promoting youth literacy and empowerment through storytelling with marginalised young people).
Finegan was born in Ireland and moved halfway around the world to Adelaide, Australia aged eight. After 15 years, he and his wife left for the island state of Tasmania. And after 15 more, with their son Moe, they returned.
He is committed to making strong and respectful work for children, which acknowledges them as astute audience members outside the play, and worthy subjects within.
2021
Best Production for Children: Aus Writers Guild AWGIE Award (shortlisted)
Magic Beach (CDP Theatre Producers)
2020
Best Australian Community Play: Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award
A Hymn to the Hateful (Adelaide High/DreamBig Children’s Festival)
Best Production for Children: Critics Awards Scotland (shortlisted)
This Girl Laughs (Stellar Quines/Edinburgh Int Children’s Festival)
Best Writing for the Australian Stage: Green Room Awards (shortlisted)
The Violent Outburst that Drew Me to You (Melbourne Theatre Company)
2019
Most produced original children’s playwright in the USA
2018
Best Australian Children’s Play: Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award
My Robot (Barking Gecko Theatre Company)
The Hope Prize short story competition
Like Dresses in a Tree
2017
Mickey Miners Lifetime Achievement Award: for Services to International Theatre for Young Audiences (presented at IPAY, Madison, USA)
Best Australian Children’s Play: Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award
Where Words Once Were (Kennedy Center for the Arts)
Best Production for Children: Sydney Theatre Awards (shortlisted)
You and Me and the Space Between (Terrapin Puppet Theatre/Honolulu Theatre for Youth)
Nick Enright Playwriting Prize: NSW Premiers Literary Awards (shortlisted)
You and Me and the Space Between (Terrapin Puppet Theatre/Honolulu Theatre for Youth)
2015
David Williamson Prize for Excellence in Australian Playwrighting
Future Leader Award: The CHASS Australia Prizes
Exceptional Writing: The Tasmanian Theatre Awards
Best Australian Children’s Play: Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award
The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Trusty Sidekick)
Best Performance for Secondary Students: Drama Victoria Awards
The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Melbourne Theatre Company)
Best Moving Experience: The Diemen Awards
The Wanderer (East Coast Tourism)
Best Original Community Work: The Tasmanian Theatre Awards
My Heart is a Hall (Stompin)
2014
Best Children’s Show (Fab Family Fare): Seattle Times Footlight Award
The Boy at the Edge of Everything (Seattle Children’s/Trusty Sidekick)
Best Australian Children’s Play: Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award
The Grumpiest Boy in the World (Paper Balloon, UK)
Best Theatre For Young Audiences: Australian Writers Guild AWGIE Award
The Violent Outburst That Drew Me To You (Siren Theatre/Griffin Theatre)
2013
Most Excellent Play: Shanghai International Children’s Theatre Festival
Boats (Terrapin Puppet Theatre)
First children’s work ever selected for the RADA showcase
The Grumpiest Boy in the World (Paper Balloon)
2012
Best Presentation for Children: Helpmann Awards
Boats (Terrapin Puppet Theatre)
2011
Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship (inaugural – one of 12 nationally)
ATINA Argentinean TYA Awards: Best Foreign Show
This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing
2010
Rodney Seaborn Playwrights’ Award
This Girl Laughs, This Girl Cries, This Girl Does Nothing
Best New Work: Ruby Awards
Best Show (Comedy): Adelaide Theatre Guide Curtain Call Awards
Sunday Best Award: Sunday Mail
Man Covets Bird (Slingsby)
Top two places on ‘Best Theatre of 2010’: No Plain Jane review website
Number One: Ruby Bruise (The Misery Children/Vitalstatistix)
Number Two: Man Covets Bird (Slingsby)
First children’s work ever selected for Dublin Theatre Festival’s Re:Viewed
The Girl Who Forgot to Sing Badly (The Ark/Theatre Lovett)
2009
Best Australian Children’s Play: Australian Writers’ Guild AWGIE Awards
The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy (Slingsby)
Tasmanian Young Achiever MyState Financial Arts Award
Video Clip of the Week: Rage, ABC Television
Defeating the Feeling (Mere Theory)
2008
Best Children’s Theatre Playwright: South Australian Oscarts
The Tragical Life of Cheeseboy (Slingsby)
Ruby Award for Innovation: Ruby Awards
Winner: Bank SA Support Act Award
Best Show Second Week: International Adelaide Fringe Festival
Trouble on Planet Earth (The Border Project)
2007
Best Playwright: South Australian Oscarts
This Uncharted Hour (Brink Productions/State Theatre of SA)
Most Innovative Play: South Australian Oscarts
Trouble on Planet Earth (The Border Project)
2006
Jill Blewett Playwrights’ Award
This Uncharted Hour (Brink Productions/State Theatre of SA)
Best Opera: Lightyear Awards
Best Double Bill: South Australian Oscarts (with a sibling work)
Bastian und Bastienne (adapted recitativo – State Opera of SA)
2005
Best Show: Adelaide Theatre Guide Curtain Call Awards
Drums in the Night (adaptation – Brink Productions/State Theatre SA)
2004
Winner: National Schooling Awards
Boys Will Be Boys (Riverland Youth Theatre)
2002
Colin Thiele Emerging Writers’ Scholarship
articles and interviews
Finegan has been writing for various arts journals since 2000. Academically, he has written and presented a number of papers at conferences in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Denmark, England, Scotland, Sweden and the US, and published in Australian and international anthologies.
The Taboo of Sadness – Why are we scared to let children be scared?
‘TYA, Culture, Society (International Essays on TYA)’, ed: Manon van de Water
Published by: Peter Lang – ‘Kinder-,Schul- und Jugendtheater’
El Apuntador – ‘Teatro para publicos jovenes’ (Spanish language)
Sydney Theatre Company – programme material for ‘Storm Boy’.
A Reader’s Story (written for a child readership)
Essay for the children’s website ‘Reading for Australia’
A Conversation with Finegan Kruckemeyer
Interview for the prestigious American arts journal, Howlround.
On treating kids and adults as equals
Interview for CultureMap, Austin TX.