 | The topic of this article may not meet Wikipedia's general notability guideline .(December 2019) |
| Family Values | |
|---|---|
| Written by | David Williamson |
| Date premiered | 2020 |
| Place premiered | Griffin Theatre, Sydney, Australia |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | Social comedy |
Family Values is a 2020 play by David Williamson. [1] It was inspired in part by Williamson's anger at Australia's treatment of refugees. [2] As of 2020, it was his second last play. [3]
A judge is about to retire. On his 70th birthday, his eldest daughter attempts to shelter an asylum seeker, originally from Nauru, from the Australian Border Patrol, which causes familial strife. [4]
Williamson said, “What kind of country have we become, to send people fleeing persecution to Nauru?” In particular he family of Tamil asylum seekers from Biloela. “My play is based on a lot of real events. I researched Nauru as fully as I could, I looked at the makeup of the people there and the women too, and it is an attempt to depict the situation truthfully.” He added, I also depict a family coming apart at the seams. There are lots of blackly funny moments based on the ideological positions of the children, which differ so widely.” [5]
Williamson also wanted to explore the growth of religion in Australia.“ The influence of evangelism seems to be growing. When our current prime minister invites cameras into church to see him asking God for a favour ... it's troubling.” [6]
“It’s a play in which people who shouldn’t be in the same room together have to be in the same room together because they’re related,” Williamson says. “So drama ensues – and comedy, too. Without that, the situation would be unbearable... It’s a big ask for any play, but I think it’s right on the fault lines of where we are now. Australia today is a deeply divided nation.” [6]
The play had its world premiere at the Griffin. “I couldn’t be happier than having the circle close at Griffin,” he said. “John Bell’s production of The Removalists in 1972 was on that stage – back when it was called the Nimrod Theatre – and that established me as a writer more than anything else. My career as a playwright took off from there and it’s terrifically satisfying to come back to that wonderful. I’m back where I started, but I’m terribly happy to be there.” [6]
David Keith Williamson is an Australian playwright. He has also written screenplays and teleplays.
The Pacific Solution is the name given to the government of Australia's policy of transporting asylum seekers to detention centres on island nations in the Pacific Ocean, rather than allowing them to land on the Australian mainland. Initially implemented from 2001 to 2007, it had bipartisan support from the Coalition and Labor opposition at the time. The Pacific Solution consisted of three central strategies:
The Nauru Regional Processing Centre is an offshore Australian immigration detention facility in use from 2001 to 2008, from 2012 to 2019, and from September 2021. It is located on the South Pacific island nation of Nauru and run by the Government of Nauru. The use of immigration detention facilities is part of a policy of mandatory detention in Australia.
Away is a play written by Australian playwright Michael Gow. First performed by the Griffin Theatre Company in 1986, it tells the story of three internally conflicted families holidaying on the coast for Christmas, 1968.
Influence is a 2005 play by David Williamson about a right-wing radio "shock jock". It was inspired by the popularity of such personalities as Stan Zemanek, John Laws and Alan Jones.
Katherine Louise Stewart is an AACTA and Logie Award-winning Australian actress who has made numerous appearances in television series, movies and on-stage.
Travelling North is a 1987 Australian film directed by Carl Schultz and starring Leo McKern, Julia Blake, Graham Kennedy and Henri Szeps. Based on an original 1979 play of the same name by David Williamson, it is one of Williamson's favourite movies based on his works. The act of "travelling north" as used in the title, in the context of the southern hemisphere in which the film and its original play are set, denotes transitioning from the colder, business-dominated southern regions of the Australian continent to the notionally more relaxed and warmer subtropical or tropical northern regions such as northern New South Wales and ultimately, far north Queensland.
Suzie Miller is an Australian-British playwright, librettist, screenwriter, and lawyer. In April 2022, Miller made her West End debut with Prima Facie starring Jodie Comer.
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.
Money and Friends is a 1991 Australian play written by David Williamson. Its world premiere was at the Queensland Theatre Company directed by artistic director Aubrey Mellor.
Nothing Personal is a 2011 play from David Williamson.
Mitchell Patrick Butel is an Australian actor, singer, director and writer. He is best known for his work in theatre, including musical and opera productions. He has been the artistic director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia since March 2019.
Rupert is a 2013 play by David Williamson about Rupert Murdoch.
Cruise Control is a 2014 play by David Williamson.
Sam Strong is an Australian theatre director and arts leader; he was the artistic director of Queensland Theatre Company (2015–2019) and of Griffin Theatre Company (2010–2013). He has also been Chair of Circa and the Associate Artistic Director of Melbourne Theatre Company.
Nakkiah Lui is an Australian actor, writer and comedian. She is a young leader in the Australian Aboriginal community.
The Bleeding Tree is a play by Australian writer Angus Cerini.
Kim David Carpenter is an Australian visual artist, theatre director, designer and devisor. For thirty years he was artistic director of his company, Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image.
The Big Time is a 2019 Australian comedy play by David Williamson. It premiered at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney from January to March 2019.
Crunch Time is an Australian play by David Williamson. It had its world premiere in 2020. Williamson says it is about a family at crisis point, "a story of sibling rivalry and a story about dying."