Background
Bovell was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and, until recently, lived in Adelaide, South Australia, before moving to New New York
Bovell was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia and, until recently, lived in Adelaide, South Australia, before moving to New New York
He has recently moved back to the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. His AWGIE award-winning play, Speaking in Tongues,(1996) has been seen throughout Australia as well as in Europe and the United States and Bovell adapted it for the screen as Lantana (2001). Both the play and screenplay have been published by Currency Press along with (1988), Holy Day (2001), Scenes from a Separation (written with Hannie Rayson) (1995) and (1998), written with Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves, Christos Tsiolkas and Irene Vela. was adapted to film as Blessed.
In 2010, a production of When the Rain Stops Falling opened in New New York
The New York Times reviewed the play describing it as "a fitfully moving but diagrammatic play about the long legacy of unnatural acts" and commenting that "the relationships eventually emerge with an emotional clarity that the play’s elliptical structure works against".
When the Rain Stops Falling (2008) won the 2008 Victorian Premier"s Literary Award and the 2008 Queensland Premier"s Literary Awards. Holy Day; winner of the 2002 Victorian Premier"s Literary Award and AWGIE – Stage Award. Who"s Afraid of the Working Class?. Winner of the 1999 AWGIE Award – Best New Work & Best Stage Play, Victorian Green Room Award, and the Queensland Premier"s Literary Award. Speaking in Tongues. Winner of the 1997 AWGIE – Stage Award. When the Rain Stops Falling. Winner of the 2008 Queensland Premier"s Literary Award and Victorian Premier"s Literary Award, as well as the 2009 Victorian Green Room Award, AWGIE – Stage Award, and Sydney Theatre Award – Best New Australian Work.
