David Keith Williamson AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian dramatist and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

. He has also written

screenplay ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, f ...

s and

teleplay A teleplay is a screenplay or script used in the production of a scripted television program or series. In general usage, the term is most commonly seen in reference to a standalone production, such as a television film, a television play, or a ...

Early life

David Williamson was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

, Victoria, on 24 February 1942, and was brought up in Bairnsdale. He initially studied

mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, ...

at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb ...

from 1960, but left and graduated from

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has ...

with a

Bachelor of Engineering A Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) or a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) is an academic undergraduate degree awarded to a student after three to five years of studying engineering at an accredited college or university. In the UK, a Ba ...

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 Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws ...

Swinburne University of Technology Swinburne University of Technology (often simply called Swinburne) is a public research university based in Melbourne, Australia. It was founded in 1908 as the Eastern Suburbs Technical College by George Swinburne to serve those without acce ...

(then Swinburne Technical College) in 1966 while studying

social psychology Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the ...

as a postgraduate part-time at the

. He completed a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in Psychology in 1970, and then completed postgraduate research in social psychology. Williamson later lectured in social psychology at Swinburne, where he remained until 1972.

Career

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 The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles s ...

'' (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 ''The Department'' is a satirical comedy on BBC Radio 4 about a secret organisation with the power to influence every aspect of your life. Chris Addison, John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman star as Research Team 32, an eccentric three-man think-t ...

'', '' Travelling North'', ''

The Perfectionist ''The Perfectionist'' is a 1981 play by David Williamson David Keith Williamson AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian dramatist and playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays. Early life David Williamson was born in ...

'', '' 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 Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

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 Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in The Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Thea ...

) and smaller ones (including the Manning trilogy, ''Flatfoot'' and ''Operator'', which premiered at the

Ensemble Theatre The Ensemble Theatre is an Australian theatre company and theatre, situated in the Sydney suburb of Kirribilli, New South Wales. History It is Australia's longest continuously running professional theatre group, having given its first performa ...

). 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 Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adult ...

, which had required frequent hospitalisation. An operation resolved this issue, but then in 2009 he had a mild

stroke A stroke is a disease, medical condition in which poor cerebral circulation, blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: brain ischemia, ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and intracranial hemorrhage, hemorr ...

, from which he recovered fully. 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 The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms t ...

member of the Queensland Parliament for

Noosa The Shire of Noosa is a local government area about north of Brisbane in the Sunshine Coast district of South East Queensland, Australia. The shire covers an area of . It existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it wa ...

, announced that Williamson would be her campaign manager as she sought to recontest her seat as an Independent. In 2007 appeared ''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). In 2021 his memoir, ''Home Truths'', was published by HarperCollins. Reviewing the book for ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'',

Peter Craven Peter Theodore Craven
, fansite biography by Jim Blanchard. (accessed 12 July 2006). (21 June 1934 – 2 ...

wrote "He comes across as a likeable, flawed fellow with no more blindness than people of lesser talent".

Personal life

Williamson is married to

Kristin Williamson Kristin Löfvén Williamson (born 1940) is an Australian journalist and author. Life Williamson was born in Melbourne, went to school in Geelong and trained as a teacher. On graduating she took up a scholarship at the University of Florence ...

(sister of

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...

maker

Chris Löfvén Chris Löfvén (born 4 April 1948) is an Australian film maker. He is best known for directing the feature film ''Oz (1976 film), Oz'' (1976) and for directing a number of video clips, including "Eagle Rock (song), Eagle Rock". He started making ...

) who have homes in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...

and on Queensland's

Sunshine Coast Sunshine Coast may refer to: * Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia **Sunshine Coast Region, a local government area of Queensland named after the region **Sunshine Coast Stadium * Sunshine Coast (British Columbia), geographic subregion of the Br ...

. They have five adult children and 11 grandchildren. Michael Shmith, "Lunch with David Williamson", ''

The Age ''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...

'', 7 September 2013, Life&Style, p. 3 His stepson Felix Williamson and his son Rory 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.

Honours and awards

* 1971 – British

George Devine George Alexander Cassady Devine (20 November 1910 – 20 January 1966) was an English theatrical manager, director, teacher, and actor based in London from the early 1930s until his death. He also worked in TV and film. Early life and education ...

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 The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

* 1988 –

Honorary Doctor of Letters Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doc ...

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

* 1990 – Honorary Doctor of Letters,

* 1995 – Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Drama Award for ''Sanctuary '' * 1996 – chosen to deliver the inaugural

Andrew Olle Media Lecture The Andrew Olle Media Lecture was established in 1996 by the presenters and staff at 702 ABC Sydney (formerly 2BL) to honour the memory of ABC Radio and television broadcaster Andrew Olle, who died in 1995 of a brain tumour. It focuses on the role ...

* 1996 – Honorary Doctor of Letters,

* 2004 – Honorary Doctor of Letters,

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

* 2012 – Nominated Senior Australian of the Year

Australian Film Institute Awards

* 1977 – AFI Award,

Best Screenplay Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

, Original or Adapted, '' Don's Party'' * 1981 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Original or Adapted, ''

'' * 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 The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical th ...

is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group ''Live Performance Australia'' (LPA) since 2001. In 2005, Williamson received the JC Williamson Award, the LPA's highest honour, for their life's work in live performance. , - ,

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; " Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris was discover ...

, , Himself , , JC Williamson Award , , , -

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 ''Juggler's Three'' is an Australian play by David Williamson. It was based on the breakup of his first marriage, when he left his pregnant wife for a woman who left her husband. Background The play was commissioned by John Sumner of the Melbou ...

'' (1972) *'' What If You Died Tomorrow?'' (1973) *''

'' (1975) *'' A Handful of Friends'' (1976) *'' The Club'' (1977) *'' Travelling North'' (1979) *''

Celluloid Heroes "Celluloid Heroes" is a song performed by The Kinks and written by their lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Ray Davies. It debuted on their 1972 album ''Everybody's in Show-Biz''. The song names several famous actors of 20th century film ...

'' (1980) *''

'' (1982) *''

Sons of Cain ''Sons of Cain'' is a 1985 play by David Williamson about three female investigative reporters. It looks at the New South Wales Labor government of the 1980s. Production Williamson directed the original production himself, the first time he ha ...

'' (1985) *'' Emerald City'' (1987) *'' Top Silk'' (1989) *''

Siren Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology Places * Siren (town), Wisconsin * Siren, Wiscon ...

'' (1990) *'' Money and Friends'' (1991) *'' Brilliant Lies'' (1993) *''

Sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

'' (1994) *'' Dead White Males'' (1995) *''

Heretic Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important relig ...

'' (1996) *'' Third World Blues'' (1997, adaptation of ''Jugglers Three'') *'' After The Ball'' (1997) *'' Corporate Vibes'' (1999) *'' Face to Face'' (2000) *''

The Great Man ''The Great Man'' is a 1956 American film noir drama film directed by and starring José Ferrer. The screenplay was written by Ferrer and Al Morgan, Morgan's novel of the same name the source material. It was loosely based on the controversial c ...

'' (2000) *'' Up for Grabs'' (2001) *''

A Conversation ''A Conversation'' is a play by the Australian author David Williamson David Keith Williamson AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian dramatist and playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays. Early life David Williamson ...

'' (2001) *''

Charitable Intent ''Charitable Intent'' is a play by David Williamson David Keith Williamson AO (born 24 February 1942) is an Australian dramatist and playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays. Early life David Williamson was born in Melbo ...

'' (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'' (2009) *'' Don Parties On'' (2011) *'' At Any Cost?'' (2011) *'' Nothing Personal'' (2011) *'' When Dad Married Fury'' (2011) *'' Managing Carmen'' (2012) *''

Happiness Happiness, in the context of mental or emotional states, is positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishing and eudaimonia. ...

'' (2013) *''

Rupert Rupert may refer to: People * Rupert (name), various people known by the given name or surname "Rupert" Places Canada * Rupert, Quebec, a village *Rupert Bay, a large bay located on the south-east shore of James Bay *Rupert River, Quebec *Rupert ...

'' (2013) *''

Cruise Control Cruise control (also known as speed control, cruise command, autocruise, or tempomat) is a system that automatically controls the speed of a motor vehicle. The system is a servomechanism that takes over the throttle of the car to maintain a ...

'' (2014) *''

Dream Home ''Dream Home'' (維多利亞壹號 ''Wai dor lei ah yut ho'', literally ''Victoria No. 1'') is a 2010 Hong Kong slasher film directed and co-written by Pang Ho-cheung. The film is the story of Cheng Lai-sheung ( Josie Ho) who saves up money ...

'' (2015) *'' Jack of Hearts'' (2016) *''Credentials'' (2017) *'' Sorting Out Rachel'' (2018) *'' Nearer the Gods'' (2018)''Nearer the Gods''
production details, Queensland Theatre Company *'' The Big Time'' (2019) *''

Family Values Family values, sometimes referred to as familial values, are traditional or cultural values that pertain to the family's structure, function, roles, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals. In the social sciences and U.S. political discourse, the convent ...

'' (2020) *'' Crunch Time'' (2020)

Screenplays

*''

Stork Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. They belong to the family called Ciconiidae, and make up the order Ciconiiformes . Ciconiiformes previously included a number of other families, such as herons an ...

'' (1971) – based on his play *'' Libido'' (1972) – segment "The Family Man" *''

Petersen Petersen is a common Danish patronymic surname, meaning ''"son of Peter"''. There are other spellings. Petersen may refer to: People In arts and entertainment * Adolf Dahm-Petersen, Norwegian voice specialist * Anja Petersen, German operatic s ...

'' (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 *''

'' (1981) *''

Duet for Four ''Duet for Four'' is a 1982 film directed by Tim Burstall. Plot A middle aged man, Ray Martin, faces a series of problems – his wife is cheating on him, his mistress wants to get married and Americans want to take over his toy business. Cast ...

'' (1982) *'' The Year of Living Dangerously'' (1983) *'' Phar Lap'' (1983) *''

The Last Bastion ''The Last Bastion'' is a television mini-series which aired in Australia in November 1984. It is a docudrama telling the story of Australia's involvement in World War II, and its often strained relations with its two main allies, Great Britai ...

'' (1984) (TV series) – also produced *''

'' (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) *''

'' (1995) – based on his play *'' Brilliant Lies'' (1996) – based on his play *''

Dog's Head Bay ''Dog's Head Bay'' is a 1999 Australian television series co-written by David Williamson on the ABC. It was about a criminal lawyer, Alex Santorini, who buys a house in the sleepy coastal town of Dog's Head Bay. One of the stars was Shane Withing ...

'' (1999) (TV series) – 13 episodes *'' On the Beach'' (2000) (TV series) *'' Balibo'' (2009) *'' Face to Face'' (2011) – based on his play

References

External links

* * *
David Williamson playscripts
Australian Script Centre * {{DEFAULTSORT:Williamson, David 1942 births 20th-century Australian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Australian male writers 20th-century Australian non-fiction writers 20th-century Australian screenwriters 20th-century essayists 21st-century Australian dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Australian male writers 21st-century Australian non-fiction writers 21st-century Australian screenwriters 21st-century essayists 21st-century memoirists Acting theorists Australian essayists Australian historical fiction writers Australian male dramatists and playwrights Australian male non-fiction writers Australian male screenwriters Australian memoirists Australian satirists Australian social commentators Australian television writers Critics of postmodernism Cultural critics Helpmann Award winners Lecturers Living people Monash University alumni Officers of the Order of Australia People educated at University High School, Melbourne People from Bairnsdale Psychological fiction writers Social critics Swinburne University of Technology faculty Theatre theorists Theatrologists Writers about activism and social change Writers about theatre Writers from Melbourne Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age