The Irresistible Rise and Occasional Fall of David Williamson: Playwright

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David Keith Williamson AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.

Early life

David Williamson was born in Melbourne, Victoria, on 24 February 1942, and was brought up in Bairnsdale. He initially studied mechanical engineering at the University of Melbourne from 1960, but left and graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in 1965. His early forays into the theatre were as an actor and writer of skits for the Engineers' Revue at Melbourne University's Union Theatre at lunchtime during the early 1960s, and as a satirical sketch writer for Monash University student reviews and the Emerald Hill Theatre Company.

After a brief stint as design engineer for GM Holden, Williamson became a lecturer in mechanical engineering and thermodynamics at Swinburne University of Technology (then Swinburne Technical College) in 1966 while studying social psychology as a postgraduate part-time at the University of Melbourne. He completed a Master of Arts in Psychology in 1970, and then completed further postgraduate research in social psychology. Williamson later lectured in social psychology at Swinburne, where he remained until 1972.
Career

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Williamson first turned to writing and performing in plays in 1967 with La Mama Theatre Company and the Pram Factory, and rose to prominence in the early 1970s, with works such as Don's Party (later turned into a 1976 film), a comic drama set during the 1969 federal election; and The Removalists (1971). He also collaborated on the screenplays for Gallipoli (1981) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Williamson's work as a playwright focuses on themes of politics, loyalty and family in contemporary urban Australia, particularly in two of its major cities, Melbourne and Sydney.

Major stage works include The Club, The Department, Travelling North, The Perfectionist, Emerald City, Money and Friends and Brilliant Lies.

Recent work has included Dead White Males, a satirical approach to postmodernism and university ethics; Up for Grabs, which starred Madonna in its London premiere; and the Jack Manning Trilogy (Face To Face, Conversation, Charitable Intent) which take as their format community conferencing, a new form of restorative justice, in which Williamson became interested in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

In recent years he has alternated work between larger stages (including Soul Mates, Amigos and Influence – all premiered with the Sydney Theatre Company) and smaller ones (including the Manning trilogy, Flatfoot and Operator, which premiered at the Ensemble Theatre).

In 2005, he announced his retirement from main-stage productions, although he has continued to write new plays for the mainstage, many produced with the Ensemble Theatre. He had a serious health problem, cardiac arrhythmia, which had required frequent hospitalisation. An operation resolved this issue, but then in 2009 he had a mild stroke, from which he recovered fully.[1]

Williamson was instrumental in the founding of the Noosa Long Weekend Festival, a cultural festival in Noosa, Queensland, where he lives.

In August 2006 Cate Molloy, former Australian Labor Party member of the Queensland Parliament for Noosa, announced that Williamson would be her campaign manager as she sought to recontest her seat as an Independent.

In 2007, Lotte's Gift, a one-woman show starring Karin Schaupp, which traced a journey through Schaupp's own life as well as those of her mother and grandmother (the Lotte of the title), was produced.

In 2021, his memoir, Home Truths, was published by HarperCollins. Reviewing the book for The Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Craven wrote "He comes across as a likeable, flawed fellow with no more blindness than people of lesser talent".[2]
Personal life

Williamson is married to Kristin Williamson (sister of independent filmmaker Chris Löfvén) who have homes in Sydney and on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. They have five adult children and 11 grandchildren.[1]

His son, Rory Williamson, and his stepson, Felix Williamson, are both actors. Rory starred as Stork in the 2001 revival of The Coming of Stork at the Stables Theatre in Sydney, produced by Felix's company, the Bare Naked Theatre Company.[citation needed]
Honours and awards

1971 – British George Devine Award
1972 – Australian Writers Guild Awgie Award for best stage play and best script with The Removalists
1983 – appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia[3]
1988 – Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Sydney
1990 – Honorary Doctor of Letters, Monash University
1995 – Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Drama Award for Sanctuary [4]
1996 – chosen to deliver the inaugural Andrew Olle Media Lecture
1996 – Honorary Doctor of Letters, Swinburne University of Technology
2004 – Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Queensland
2012 – Nominated Senior Australian of the Year

Australian Film Institute Awards

1977 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted, Don's Party
1981 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted, Gallipoli
1987 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Adapted, Travelling North
2009 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Adapted, Balibo (shared with director Robert Connolly)

Helpmann Awards

The Helpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001.[5] In 2005, Williamson received the JC Williamson Award, the LPA's highest honour, for their life's work in live performance.[6]
Year Nominee / work Award Result
2005 Himself JC Williamson Award awarded
Writings
Plays

The Indecent Exposure of Anthony East (1968)
You've Got to Get on Jack (1970)
The Coming of Stork (1970)
The Removalists (1971)
Don's Party (1971)
Jugglers Three (1972)
What If You Died Tomorrow? (1973)
The Department (1975)
A Handful of Friends (1976)
The Club (1977)
Travelling North (1979)
Celluloid Heroes (1980)
The Perfectionist (1982)
Sons of Cain (1985)
Emerald City (1987)
Top Silk (1989)
Siren (1990)
Money and Friends (1991)
Brilliant Lies (1993)
Sanctuary (1994)
Dead White Males (1995)
Heretic (1996)
Third World Blues (1997, adaptation of Jugglers Three)
After The Ball (1997)
Corporate Vibes (1999)
Face to Face (2000)
The Great Man (2000)
Up for Grabs (2001)
A Conversation (2001)
Charitable Intent (2001)
Soulmates (2002)
Flatfoot (2003)
Birthrights (2003)
Amigos (2004)
Operator (2005)
Influence (2005)
Lotte's Gift (2007) – also known as Strings Under My Fingers
Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot (2008)
Let the Sunshine[7] (2009)
Don Parties On (2011)
At Any Cost? (2011)
Nothing Personal (2011)
When Dad Married Fury (2011)
Managing Carmen (2012)
Happiness (2013)
Rupert (2013)
Cruise Control (2014)
Dream Home (2015)
Jack of Hearts (2016)
Credentials (2017)
Sorting Out Rachel (2018)
Nearer the Gods (2018)[8]
The Big Time (2019)
Family Values (2020)
Crunch Time (2020)

Screenplays

Stork (1971) – based on his play
Libido (1972) – segment "The Family Man"
Petersen (1974)
The Removalists (1975) – based on his play
Eliza Fraser (1975)
Don's Party (1976) – based on his play
The Department (1980) (TV movie) – based on his play
The Club (1980) – based on his play
Gallipoli (1981)
Duet for Four (1982)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
Phar Lap (1983)
The Last Bastion (1984) (TV series) – also produced
The Perfectionist (1987) (TV movie) – based on his play
Emerald City (1987) – based on his play
Touch the Sun: Princess Kate (1988) (TV)
A Dangerous Life (1988) (TV mini-series)
The Four Minute Mile (1988)
Sanctuary (1995) – based on his play
Brilliant Lies (1996) – based on his play
Dog's Head Bay (1999) (TV series) – 13 episodes
On the Beach (2000) (TV series)
Balibo (2009)
Face to Face (2011) – based on his play

References

Michael Shmith, "Lunch with David Williamson", The Age, 7 September 2013, Life&Style, p. 3
Craven, Peter (21 October 2021). "The irresistible rise and occasional fall of David Williamson". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
"870154". Australian Honours Search Facility. Archived from the original on 19 December 2023.
"1995 Human Rights Medal and Awards". Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 11 August 2007.[dead link]
"Events & Programs". Live Performance Australia. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
"JC Williamson Award recipients". Helpmann Awards. Live Performance Australia. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
"Let The Sunshine". Archived from the original on 12 January 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2009.

Nearer the Gods, production details, Queensland Theatre Company

External links

Official website
"David Williamson interviews by Martin Portus, 22 and 23 January 2018" (library record). State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
David Williamson at IMDb
David Williamson playscripts, Australian Script Centre
David Williamson Australian theatre credits at AusStage

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Works by David Williamson
Plays

The Indecent Exposure of Anthony East (1968) You've Got to Get on Jack (1970) The Coming of Stork (1970) The Removalists (1971) Don's Party (1971) Jugglers Three (1972) What If You Died Tomorrow? (1973) The Department (1975) A Handful of Friends (1976) The Club (1977) King Lear (1978) Travelling North (1979) Celluloid Heroes (1980) The Perfectionist (1982) Sons of Cain (1985) Emerald City (1987) Top Silk (1989) Siren (1990) Money and Friends (1991) Brilliant Lies (1993) Sanctuary (1994) Dead White Males (1995) Heretic (1996) Third World Blues (1997) After the Ball (1997) Corporate Vibes (1999) Face to Face (2000) The Great Man (2000) Up for Grabs (2001) A Conversation (2001) Charitable Intent (2001) Soulmates (2002) Flatfoot (2003) Birthrights (2003) Amigos (2004) Operator (2005) Influence (2005) Lotte's Gift (2007) Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot (2008) Let the Sunshine (2009) Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica (2010) Don Parties On (2011) At Any Cost? (2011) Nothing Personal (2011) When Dad Married Fury (2011) Managing Carmen (2012) Happiness (2013) Rupert (2013) Cruise Control (2014) Dream Home (2015) Jack of Hearts (2016) Odd Man Out (2017) Credentials (2017) Sorting Out Rachel (2018) Nearer the Gods (2018) The Big Time (2019) Family Values (2020) Crunch Time (2020) The Great Divide (2024)

Screenplays

Stork (1971) Libido (1973) Petersen (1974) The Removalists (1975) Eliza Fraser (1975) Don's Party (1976) The Department (1980) (TV movie) The Club (1980) Gallipoli (1981) Duet for Four (1982) The Year of Living Dangerously (1983) Phar Lap (1983) The Last Bastion (1984) (TV series) - also produced The Perfectionist (1987) (TV movie) Emerald City (1987) Travelling North (1987) Touch the Sun: Princess Kate (1988) (TV) A Dangerous Life (1988) (TV mini-series) The Four Minute Mile (1988) Sanctuary (1995) Brilliant Lies (1996) Dog's Head Bay (1999) (TV series) On the Beach (2000) (TV series) Balibo (2009) Face to Face (2011)

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JC Williamson Award

Edna Edgley (1998) Kenn Brodziak (1998) Googie Withers (1999) John McCallum (1999) Ruth Cracknell (2001) Clifford Hocking (2001) Kevin Jacobsen (2002) Graeme Murphy (2002) Wendy Blacklock (2003) John Robertson (2003) John Farnham (2004) John Sumner (2004) Joan Sutherland (2005) David Williamson (2005) John Clark (2006) Graeme Bell (2006) Margaret Scott (2007) Barry Tuckwell (2007) Sue Nattrass (2008) Barry Humphries (2008) John Bell (2009) Michael Gudinski (2009) Tony Gould (2010) Brian Nebenzahl (2010) Nancye Hayes (2011) Toni Lamond (2011) Jill Perryman (2011) Jimmy Little (2012) Katharine Brisbane (2012) Kylie Minogue (2013) David Blenkinsop (2013) John Frost (2014) Paul Kelly (2015) Stephen Page (2016) Richard Tognetti (2017) Robyn Archer (2018) Reg Livermore (2018) Robyn Nevin (2018) Archie Roach (2018) Jim Sharman (2018) Kev Carmody (2019)

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Longford Lyell Award

Ian Dunlop (1968) Stanley Hawes (1970) Ken G. Hall (1976) Charles Chauvel (1977) Marie Lorraine, Paulette McDonagh, and Phyllis McDonagh (1978) Jerzy Toeplitz (1979) Tim Burstall (1980) Phillip Adams (1981) Eric Porter (1982) Bill Gooley (1983) David Williamson (1984) Don Crosby (1985) Barry Jones (1986) Paul Riomfalvy (1987) Russell Boyd (1988) John Meillon (1989) Peter Weir (1990) Fred Schepisi (1991) Lee Robinson (1992) Sue Milliken (1993) Jack Thompson (1994) George Miller (1995) Jan Chapman (1997) Bud Tingwell (1998) John Politzer (1999) Anthony Buckley (2000) David Stratton (2001) Patricia Edgar (2002) Ted Robinson (2003) Patricia Lovell (2004) Ray Barrett (2005) Ian Jones (2006) David Hannay (2007) Dione Gilmour (2008) Geoffrey Rush (2009) Reg Grundy (2010) Donald McAlpine (2012) Al Clark (2013) Jacki Weaver (2014) Andrew Knight (2015) Cate Blanchett (2015) Paul Hogan (2016) Phillip Noyce (2017) Bryan Brown (2018) Sam Neill (2019) David Gulpilil (2021) Catherine Martin (2022)

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