Description

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!

Biography

David Williamson

DAVID WILLIAMSON is Australia’s best known and most widely performed playwright. Some of his 55 produced plays over the last 50 years include The Coming of the Stork, The Removalists, Don’s Party, The Club, Travelling North, Emerald City, Money & Friends, Dead White Males, The Jack Manning Trilogy, Up for Grabs, Soulmates, Nothing Personal, When Dad Married Fury, Rupert, Cruise Control, Dream Home, Odd Man Out, Sorting Out Rachel, Nearer the Gods, The Big Time, Family Values, Crunch Time, The Great Divide, The Puzzle and Aria. His plays (also in translation) have been performed internationally, including in London, Los Angeles, New York and Washington. David has adapted many of his plays into feature films to great acclaim and his original feature screenplays include Gallipoli, Phar Lap, The Year of Living Dangerously, Balibo (as co-writer) and On the Beach (adapted for television). David’s many awards include 12 Australian Writers’ Guild Awards, 5 Australian Film Institute Awards for Best Screenplay and, in 1996, the United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Award. David has received four honorary doctorates and been made an Officer of the Order of Australia, as well as having been named one of Australia’s Living National Treasures.