One of Australia's Living National Treasures and its best known and most widely performed playwright, David Williamson brings us five of his latest works. Age has not wearied him, and indeed this collection exemplifies Williamson's uncanny ability to be timely, relevant and thoroughly modern.
As director Sandra Bates notes in her introduction, Williamson is unique in Australian theatre because of 'his ability to see and understand Australia's current circumstances, our society's circumstances right here, right now; indeed to be ahead of what is current'.
At Any Cost?: Deals with delicate end-of-life issues, and the huge costs of keeping extremely ill patients alive.
Managing Carmen: A secretively cross-dressing AFL superstar threatens lucrative advertising dollars.
Nothing Personal: Two highly ambitious book publishing executives go head-to-head in an all-out war over the top job'and unsurprisingly in 2012 it's two women!
Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica: Two 40-something lonely singles come together in a delightful romantic comedy.
When Dad Married Fury: This play has it all'the GFC, a billionaire, intense inheritance battles and a Tea Party beauty queen!
Williamson, David: - DAVID WILLIAMSON is Australia's best known and most widely performed playwright. His first full-length play The Coming of Stork was presented at La Mama Theatre in 1970 and was followed by The Removalists, Don's Party, The Department, The Club, Travelling North, The Perfectionist, Sons of Cain, Emerald City, Top Silk, Money and Friends, Brilliant Lies, Sanctuary, Dead White Males, After the Ball, Corporate Vibes, Face to Face, Rupert, Nearer the Gods, and Sorting out Rachel. He has had over fifty plays produced. His plays have been translated into many languages and performed internationally, including major productions in London, Los Angeles, New York and Washington. As a screenwriter, Williamson has brought to the screen his own plays including The Removalists, Don's Party, The Club, Travelling North and Emerald City along with his original screenplays for feature films including Libido, Petersen, Gallipoli, Phar Lap, The Year of Living Dangerously and Balibo. The adaptation of his play Face to Face, directed by Michael Rymer, won the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Williamson was the first person outside Britain to receive the George Devine Award (for The Removalists). His many awards include twelve Australian Writers' Guild AWGIE Awards, five Australian Film Institutes' Awards for Best Screenplay and, in 1996 the United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Award. In 2005 he was awarded the Richard Lane Award for services to the Australian Writers' Guild. David has received four honorary doctorates and been made an Officer of the Order of Australia. Williamson has been named one of Australia's Living National Treasures.
