Australian Screen

Teacher’s notes

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This clip shows Australian playwright David Williamson recalling his experiences of theatre management early in his career and the difficulty of having Australian plays staged. David Williamson and his wife, Kristin, both recall first meeting on the set of The Removalists at La Mama Theatre in Melbourne. The interviews are intercut with archival photographs of La Mama Theatre and a young David and Kristin Williamson.

Educational value points

• David Williamson, Australia’s most commercially successful playwright, began writing (and performing in) plays in 1968 at La Mama Theatre Company in Melbourne. He has been the recipient of four Australian Film Institute (AFI) and 11 Australian Writers’ Guild Awards. His career spans more than 35 years and his work has encompassed more than 30 theatre, film and television productions.

• Kristin Williamson has a background in theatre, history and education as a performer, teacher and writer. After teaching and lecturing in drama, she changed career paths and took up journalism before becoming a full-time writer. Her books include The Last Bastion (1984), Tanglewood (1993), The Jacaranda Years (1995), Brothers to Us (1997), Treading on Dreams (1998) and Women on the Rocks: A Tale of Two Convicts (2004).

• The archival images include historic photographs of La Mama Theatre Company. The company was established in 1967 by Betty Burstall, who was married to film producer Tim Burstall (1929–2004), to encourage new Australian dramatic productions. Burstall was inspired by experimental theatre, and particularly 'La Mama’ in New York during the 1960s. The Melbourne La Mama is a small, intimate theatre located in an old factory in Carlton, an inner-city suburb. Since its beginnings, La Mama has provided opportunities for Australian playwrights, directors and performers to explore new ideas, new forms of expression and local stories reflective of Australian culture.

• During the 1960s and early 1970s, mainstream theatre management was generally unwilling to support local productions. Before that time there were very few Australian films, television programs or theatre performances being produced as it was thought audiences were not interested in Australian stories. However, in contrast to other theatre establishments in Melbourne, La Mama provided an opportunity for writers, directors and performers to share Australian stories and subject matter. This proved so successful that La Mama is still a working theatre today and has expanded to two main venues, La Mama Theatre and The Courthouse, both in Carlton.

• The interviews reveal that David Williamson and Kristin Green first met and fell in love on the set of The Removalists at La Mama Theatre when they were both acting in the play about male aggression and a woman struggling for liberation. They share their time between Sydney and Queensland and have five children. The Removalists became a launching pad for David Williamson’s career as a playwright, with the play receiving international recognition and widespread acclaim among audiences. The Removalists continues to be performed and is regarded as one of Williamson’s best works.