The Great Divide (Australian play)

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The Great Divide
Written by David Williamson
Directed byMark Kilmurry
Date premieredMarch 8, 2024 (2024-03-08)
Place premieredEnsemble Theatre, Sydney
Original languageEnglish
Subjecteconomic inequality
Genrecomedy
SettingWallis Heads, a coastal town

The Great Divide is a 2024 Australian play by David Williamson.

Contents

Background

It was written after his announced retirement. "I felt the urge to write again,” he said. “I had a burst of activity. I couldn’t be stopped... We pretend we’re an egalitarian society, but the reality of the Australia we live in now is that it is one of the most unequal developed countries in the world. And our drama just doesn’t address that … I felt a bit of anger about that. I thought it’s time that I had a look at just what sort of country Australia has become." [1]

William argued, "Australian drama hasn’t addressed inequality for 40 years! It’s been obsessed with identity politics, which has brought many strong new writers, many good plays, but it has ignored the elephant in the room – that we are an unfair and unequal society. The notion of class, which is a huge factor in Australia, has totally disappeared from our stages." [2]

The play had its world premiere in 2024 at the Ensemble Theatre. [3]

Premise

According to Sydney's Ensemble Theatre:

Golden sands, turquoise waters and a lush green golf course — Penny Poulter leads an almost idyllic life in one of Australia’s best kept secrets, Wallis Heads. But when this hidden coastal gem is discovered by the ruthless and immensely wealthy Alex Whittle, ambitious plans to put the town firmly on the tourist map spark a bitter rivalry. Can this human bulldozer with money to burn ever be stopped? [4]

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References

  1. ↑ Story, Hannah (14 August 2023). "'I feel a bit of anger': David Williamson steps out of retirement with something to say". Sydney Morning Herald.
  2. ↑ Blake, Elissa (16 March 2024). "David Williamson: 'Australian drama has ignored the elephant in the room – we're an unfair and unequal society'". The Guardian.
  3. ↑ "David Williamson (The Great Divide)". 4BC. 27 August 2023.
  4. ↑ The Great Divide at Ensemble Theatre
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