The debut of ICONS: ENSEMBLE CONVERSATIONS set a high bar for the series, with Mark Kilmurry, Artistic Director of Ensemble Theatre, leading a thoughtful and engaging interview with David Williamson AO, one of Australia’s most celebrated playwrights. Inducted as Australia’s Living National Treasure in 1997, Williamson has penned more than 50 plays across 50 years.

Despite his remarkable success, the playwright remains a humble man who takes the time to finesse many drafts of his work. He confessed that he is often ashamed of what he has written previously, remarking that “good writers aren’t writers; they are re-writers.” 

Though he is often his own harshest critic, his influence has been so profound that he is frequently described as a writer of the zeitgeist, capturing the spirit and concerns of contemporary Australia. When Williamson was first starting out, it was during a time of cultural cringe, when overseas success was seen as a prerequisite for being considered good in Australia. Today he is credited with helping to change this perception, creating opportunities for other playwrights and actors to find success on home ground.

Williamson began his career as a mechanical engineer before discovering his passion for playwriting. That spark was lit when he saw a Joseph Heller production and witnessed how deeply the audience connected with the actors and knew that was something he could do. Although he acknowledged his poor memory, he noted his strong ability to recall emotional subtext and capability to use the power of language, wielding it as a weapon of attack, praise, or self-praise.

Fascinated by personality types, especially narcissistic ones, Williamson revealed that his most recent play, the explosive drama Aria, was inspired by a psychological case study, explaining, “I do tend to draw a little bit from life.” His love for social psychology and the study of human dynamics has clearly shaped his writing, giving it a depth that astutely resonates on stage.

What makes Williamson’s work so compelling is his ability to write about real people and real situations with a style that is both relatable and sharply observant. This was evident in his most controversial plays, Don’s Party and The Removalists, where he exposed the inconsistencies and contradictions of politics, as well as the harsh realities of domestic violence and police brutality.  However, he believes a writer should “always want to be a little bit unsettling, playing with your audience.”

His success extends beyond live theatre to the world of film, with notable screenplays including Emerald City, Phar Lap, and Gallipoli. However, Williamson confessed that he prefers working on stage, where the immediacy of dialogue and body language allows him to explore the depths of human interaction more vividly. Over his career, he has collaborated with many stars, including Madonna who stared and handpicked Up For Grabs, for her West End London stage debut.

His dedication to the craft is evident in his prolific output — writing 2-3 plays a year. Even after retiring three years ago, he has written five new plays, admitting that writing plays is addictive.

Kilmurry’s questions drew out candid anecdotes and lesser-known stories from Williamson’s career, making the interview more conversational rather than a traditional Q&A. This familiarity is unsurprising, given Williamson’s 30-year associated with Ensemble Theatre and Kilmurry’s experience directing many of his plays, including the recent Great Divide.

This first installment of ICONS: ENSEMBLE CONVERSATIONS not only celebrated Williamson’s remarkable legacy but also set the stage for what promises to be a fascinating series of discussions with legends of Australian theatre. If the debut is anything to go by, this series will be a must-watch for anyone interested in the heart and soul of Australian storytelling.  

For more information visit: https://www.ensemble.com.au/

Click here to read about David Williamson’s plays.