PLAYWRITING CONVENTIONS USED by DAVID WILLIAMSON David Williamson Is One of Australia’S Leading Playwrights
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PLAYWRITING CONVENTIONS USED BY DAVID WILLIAMSON David Williamson is one of Australia’s leading playwrights. His plays put Australian society on stage and have been watched by more Australians than any other playwright. An ode to a Outlined here are the Dramatic Forms that define David Williamson’s works. twilight love affair BASTARDS ON STAGE AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY Most of his plays feature male characters Williamson is a contextual playwright that possess undeniable and unforgivable which means he writes about issues at the flaws. Whether it is the foul mouthed, forefront in society of the time. He has wife bashing Kenny in The Removalists or explored all facets of Australian life includ- the apparently lecherous Gary Fitzgerald ing the workplace, family, football clubs, in Brilliant Lies. The male characters in the police force and politics. His characters Williamson’s plays often cause audiences are scarily accurate and the storylines are to leave the theatre at the end of the play straight from middle-class Australia. Aus- reeling in frustration and disbelief at their tralia identity is often perceived to be tran- behaviour. Running parallel to this are sient but Williamson’s plays have played Williamson’s female characters that are an important role in helping define our na- often of lower status and across the course tional character. As Colin in Emerald City of the play gain higher standing over their written in 1987 states, “…we need to know male counterparts. Most recently William- what we are like, and we need to know that son has written Rupert about Rupert Mur- we are important enough to have fictions doch saying “He might be a bastard on a written about us, or we will always feel that global scale, but he’s our bastard.” real life happens somewhere else and is spoken in accents other than our own.” SATIRE SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY AND ALLENS PRESENT Williamson subtly uses the comedic style CONFLICT DAVID WILLIAMSON’S of Satire which highlights and makes fun All Realism and ‘well made plays’ are of flaws in people, institutions and soci- driven by dramatic tension or conflict. ety in general. Laughing at ourselves is an Williamson’s plays are structured where- innate Australian quality that has ensured by the conflict is established, made more TRAVELLING the success of Williamson’s plays. The is- complex through flawed characters and sues at the core of Williamson’s works can two sided arguments and then resolved. be quite heavy, while the satirical style of Mostly, Williamson’s plays present two sid- the plays ensures audiences also enjoy the ed arguments, allowing audience’s to really NORTH performance. chew over the issue and decide where they BRYAN BROWN STARS IN DAVID WILLIAMSON’S 9 JAN – 22 MAR 2014 SYDNEYTHEATRE.COM.AU CLASSIC TALE OF LOVE, LOSS AND FAMILY stand. Such conflicts include age vs. youth, WHARF 1 THEATRE 9250 1777 head vs. heart, truth vs. lies, idealism vs. DIRECTOR LIGHTING DESIGNER WITH PRESENTING SPONSOR ASSOCIATE SPONSOR MEDIA PARTNER ANDREW UPTON NICK SCHLIEPER BRYAN BROWN ANDREW TIGHE pragmatism and egotism vs. selflessness. DESIGNER SOUND DESIGNER HARRIET DYER SARA WEST DAVID FLEISCHER STEVE FRANCIS RUSSELL KIEFEL ALISON WHYTE EMILY RUSSELL Photo James Green.