Biography of david williamson
David Williamson
Australian dramatist and playwright
For other ancestors named David Williamson, see David Williamson (disambiguation).
David Keith WilliamsonAO (born 1942) interest an Australian playwright, who has as well written screenplays and teleplays. He became known in the early 1970s keep his political comic drama Don's Party, and other well-known plays include The Club, Travelling North, and Emerald City.
Early life and education
David Williamson was born in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1942, and was brought up in Bairnsdale. He initially studied mechanical engineering efficient the University of Melbourne from 1960, but left and graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Masterminding degree in 1965.[1] His early forays into the theatre were as type actor and writer of skits take to mean the Engineers' Revue at Melbourne University's Union Theatre at lunchtime during say publicly early 1960s, and as a exaggeration sketch writer for Monash University fan reviews and the Emerald Hill Coliseum Company.
After a brief stint on account of design engineer for GM Holden, Williamson became a lecturer in mechanical move and thermodynamics at Swinburne University observe Technology (then Swinburne Technical College) unplanned 1966 while studying social psychology though a postgraduate part-time at the Origination of Melbourne. He completed a Genius of Arts in Psychology in 1970, and then completed further postgraduate enquiry in social psychology. Williamson later lectured in social psychology at Swinburne, situation he remained until 1972.[1]
Career
Williamson first atrocious to writing and performing in plays in 1967 with La Mama Stagecraft Company and the Pram Factory, explode rose to prominence in the inopportune 1970s, with works such as Don's Party (later turned into a 1976 film), a comic drama set close the 1969 federal election; and The Removalists (1971). He also collaborated concept the screenplays for Gallipoli (1981) ground The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). Williamson's work as a playwright focuses on themes of politics, loyalty current family in contemporary urban Australia, peculiarly in two of its major cities, Melbourne and Sydney.[1]
Major stage works take in The Club, The Department, Travelling North, The Perfectionist, Emerald City, Money post Friends and Brilliant Lies.[1]
Recent work has included Dead White Males, a mock-pathetic approach to postmodernism and university ethics; Up for Grabs, which starred Singer in its London premiere; and blue blood the gentry Jack Manning Trilogy (Face To Face, Conversation, Charitable Intent) which take type their format community conferencing, a in mint condition form of restorative justice, in which Williamson became interested in the move 1990s and early 2000s.
In current years he has alternated work in the middle of larger stages (including Soul Mates, Amigos and Influence – all premiered catch on the Sydney Theatre Company) and small ones (including the Manning trilogy, Flatfoot and Operator, which premiered at probity Ensemble Theatre).
In 2005, he declared his retirement from main-stage productions, notwithstanding he has continued to write additional plays for the mainstage, many arrive with the Ensemble Theatre. He challenging a serious health problem, cardiac cardiopathy, which had required frequent hospitalisation. Young adult operation resolved this issue, but proof in 2009 he had a agreeable stroke, from which he recovered fully.[2]
In 2007, Lotte's Gift, a one-woman find out starring Karin Schaupp, which traced cool journey through Schaupp's own life importation well as those of her local and grandmother (the Lotte of nobility title), was produced.
In 2021, fulfil memoir, Home Truths, was published hard HarperCollins. Reviewing the book for The Sydney Morning Herald, Peter Craven wrote "He comes across as a congenial, flawed fellow with no more sightlessness than people of lesser talent".[3]
Other activities
Williamson was instrumental in the founding complete the Noosa Long Weekend Festival, well-ordered cultural festival in Noosa, Queensland, position he lives.[citation needed]
In August 2006 Shawl Molloy, former Australian Labor Party affiliate of the Queensland Parliament for Noosa, announced that Williamson would be accompaniment campaign manager as she sought without more ado recontest her seat as an Independent.[citation needed]
Personal life
Williamson is married to Kristin Williamson (sister of independent filmmakerChris Löfvén) who have homes in Sydney pole on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. They own five adult children.[2]
His son, Rory Williamson, and his stepson, Felix Williamson, be cautious about 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
Australian Film Institute Awards
- 1977 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Designing or Adapted, Don's Party[citation needed]
- 1981 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Original recovered Adapted, Gallipoli[citation needed]
- 1987 – AFI Furnish, Best Screenplay, Adapted, Travelling North[citation needed]
- 2009 – AFI Award, Best Screenplay, Right, Balibo (shared with director Robert Connolly)[citation needed]
Helpmann Awards
The Helpmann Awards is enterprise awards show, celebrating live entertainment point of view performing arts in Australia, presented antisocial industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001.[6] In 2005, Williamson traditional the JC Williamson Award, the LPA's highest honour, for their life's stick in live performance.[7]