KATHERINE THOMSON began her career in the theatre as an actor. For the stage she has written Harbour, Navigating, Diving for Pearls, Barmaids, Mavis Goes to Timor and Wonderlands all published by Currency. Other plays performed by leading theatre companies include Kayak, A Sporting Chance, Darlinghurst Nights and This Hospital is My Country. She has also written extensively for television where her credits include Grass Roots, Blackjack, Wildside, Fallen Angels, Halifax fp, GP and Something in the Air. She has been nominated for five New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards, winning for Harbour and three Australian Film Institute Awards and has won multiple AWGIEs — three in 2006 alone, two as co-writer of the television series Answered by Fire and a third for her screenplay for the film Unfolding Florence — The Many Lives of Florence Broadhurst. She has been Vice-President of the Australian Writers’ Guild and President of Sydney PEN. In 2005 she received the ANPC Award for her contribution to the Australian theatre industry.

ANGELA CHAPLIN has been involved in professional theatre for over two decades and has directed a number of national and international productions. Angela has been Artistic Director of Arena Theatre Company, Magpie Theatre and deckchair theatre in Fremantle, Western Australia. For deckchair theatre Angela commissioned work and directed plays including Emma, Barmaids, Factory Girl, Too Far to Walk, Ningali (which won an Edinburgh Fringe Festival First Award for Best New Production 1995 and a Green Room Award for Best Solo Performer), Edge, Voices, Waterfront Women, Kate ‘N’ Shiner, Jimmy & Pat Meet the Queen, This Hospital is My Country, Diving for Pearls, La Heroina Del Dolor, Red Alert, King for This Place, Salt, Luna, Hysteria and Romeo & Juliet. Other directing credits include: Summer of the Aliens (Sydney Theatre Company); Our Path (Theatre North/Ten Days on the Island Festival); Matricide – The Musical (Chanber Made Opera); and Black Mary (Combany B, Festival of the Dreaming). In 2002 Angela spent six weeks as director-in-residence at Curtin University.