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... with stunning use of effective language. All his plays achieve moments of striking, non-realistic drama, challenging our attitudes to sexuality and life, but are said to be sketchy and undeveloped as drama. In 1968 Thomas Keneally, another renowned novelist wrote Childermas, a symbolic play dealing with the plight of children in Vietnam. This was one of the first plays to confront the topic of Vietnam.
The 1960 s also saw a significant Federal Government contribution to the arts. A number of new theatre companies were formed including the Australian performing group, based at the Pram Factory in Melbourne, and the aboriginal theatre foundation, which was established in 1969 to encourage cultural traditions and arts amongst aborigines. The worldwide movement of new liberalism including material prosperity, free education and employment, a reasonably peaceful international scene, voting at 18, sexual freedom, a more permissive society, censorship laws relaxed and the emerging roles of women led to a freer and more spontaneous way of approaching play themes, structure, and dialogue towards an Australian identity. The year 1970 saw the appearance of the first play by Australia's most successful playwright, David Williamson. In 1971, the two Williamson major works appeared. The Removalists concerns an experienced, cynical police sergeant, Simmonds, and his new young constable Ross.
They agree to help Fiona separate from her drunken husband Kenny. However, Kenny is attacked by Ross and so badly beaten that he dies. The play ends with the two policemen bashing each other so that they can claim that they were injured by Kenny and killed him in self defense. This play is Williamson's most serious piece of social reflection, a powerful comment on violence and misused authority. Dons Party on the other hand, is a cynical, black comedy about the failure of dreams and the breakdown of the institution of marriage. It depicts a group of people at a party on the eve of the 1969 Federal election.
Both plot and characterization are sketchy, but the language is hilarious and revealing. Williamson wrote prolifically about all aspects of Australian identity in the 1970 s, producing more plays about family relationships such as What If You Died Tomorrow. The Club was a hilarious bit comedy about an Aussie rules football club. All in all, the 1970 s was the most vibrant decade in the whole development of Australian drama.
In contrast to the vocal ocker image of the 1970 s, Australian theatre of the 1980 s had a more international and mature flavor. Australia in the 1980 s was a more broad society open to ideas, and the theatre reflected these changes in the way it represented feminism and womens issues, ethnic groups and multiculturalism, the legal recognition of groups such as blacks and gays, the acceptance and encouragement of the unusual and eccentric arts. The decade of the 1980 s saw two major developments in Australian drama. The established theatres and the well known playwrights continued to flourish. At the same time, a whole new range of theatres emerged, and there was an upsurge in new writing for the stage. As well as presenting classic plays such as Shakespeare, and a regular flow of foreign material there was a large interest in rediscovering plays from earlier decades, such as Betty Roland's A Touch Of Silk.
As the established theatres continued to establish in the 1980 s, so did the well known playwrights. David Williamson continued to be Australia's most successful playwright, with The Perfectionist (1982) being performed throughout the country. This was another one of Williamson's savage comedies about marriage, but with an alternative feminist viewpoint. Two other established playwrights completed plays which linked in with earlier successes to create dramatic trilogies. Ray Lawlers Other Times follows on from Kid Stakes, written in the 1970 s, telling the story of Roo, Barney, Olive and Nancy up to the beginning of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. However, these later plays are slight pieces of work in comparison with The Doll, written more than twenty years previously.
Aboriginal playwright Jack Davis wrote The Dreamers, which shows us modern Aborigines living in squalor and despair as their tribal past is lost. No Sugar, set in the 1930 s, depicts Aborigines being forced onto reserves. Davis subsequently wrote Barumgin, which combined with The Dreamers and No Sugar to become a trilogy of plays performed together over two nights, and titled The First-born Trilogy. This trilogy was one of the most important theatrical events of the late 1980 s.
These two trilogies depict different aspects of Australian identity including the plight of aboriginal Australia - the gulf between white society and aboriginal traditions, and the Aussie experience. It would be impossible to list all of the new plays and playwrights of the 1980 s. The richness and variety of the work, and diversity of new and innovative theatre companies which presented them, was evidence of the new life of Australian drama. In the 1990 s, some of the plays written and performed since the 1950 s were considered as modern classics and are studied in high schools and universities in Australia and overseas. Some theatre companies have gone out of business but been replaced by some smaller, more radical companies. Australians have a renewed sense of pride in Australian drama and this has culminated in the restoration of several of Australia's oldest theatres.
Contemporary new playwrights such as Michael Gow (author of Europe and Away) and Darryl Emmerson (The Pathfinder) have emerged as significant new talents in the 1990 s. They are known for their fresh, energetic and thought-provoking work. Michael Gows famous Away explores the great themes of suffering, regeneration and reconciliation. Its Christmas 1967 and time to re-enact the rituals of the summer holiday.
Three Australian families set out separately but are driven together by a storm. At times funny and yet painfully truthful, Away exposes the comedy and tragedy of their lives. A very Australian play, it certainly captures the essence of our way of life. These plays and more continue to capture this essence into the 21 st century, and have brought many Australian playwrights into fame due to their outstanding works in regard to reflecting Australia's national identity. Changes in Australia's national identity have been reflected through drama in many ways. Up until the 1950 s there was only a small amount of Australian content in our theatres, but occasionally we did see the odd bush play, mirroring our hardy, battling lifestyle.
Through the 50 s and 60 s the Australian theatre industry took off, and our national identity became public through plays such as The Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and Ham Funeral, in both Australia and overseas. The 1970 s saw the most vibrant decade in Australian drama with shockingly realistic plays on the harsher aspects of Australian culture such as The Removalists and Dons Party, both written by Australia's most successful playwright, David Williamson. The 1980 s in Australia saw a more open and tolerant society and the theatre reflected these changes in the ways it represented such issues as womens rights, multiculturalism, black rights and gays. No Sugar, set in the 1930 s but written in the 80 s, depicted aborigines being forced onto reserves and highlighted the gulf between whites and Aborigines in Australia. There was more continuity in Australian drama in the 1990 s. New theatres continued to present radical, left-wing dramas as we became an even more liberal and open minded society.
Our drama has provided an effective and insightful mirror of Australian identity and society through the last century and has presented outstanding entertainment along the way. Bibliography Chapter 5: The Development of Australian Theatre Historical Overview of Australian Drama
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