IN THE THEATRE
FLAUNTING FABULOSITY &
CULTURAL DIVERSITY It’s Crunch Time for David Williamson as the stage is set for a major prelude to this year’s NOOSA alive! Helen Flanagan discovers a program packed with culture.
N
oosa’s homage to cultural diversity in arts and entertainment is a 10-day tapestry of riotous colour and food for thought covering dance, music, literature, theatre, visual arts, film, cabaret, comedy and more!
It’s got all the ingredients that make his plays so very Australian, so contemporary, and so razor-sharp funny
NOOSA alive! producer Tim Loydell said there was a fabulous energy amongst the cast that includes actors of the calibre of John Wood (Blue Heelers), Guy Edmonds (Betrayal) and Diane Craig. “We’re so looking forward to seeing another thoroughly gripping Williamson production come to life here. It’s got all the ingredients that make his plays so very Australian, so contemporary, and so razor-sharp funny, full of wit; and his gift of putting relevant and real social issues under the spotlight,” he said. Asked to reflect on 50 years in the theatre ahead of the openings of Family Values and Crunch Time, David and his wife Kristin said “between us, we have been directly involved in creating and running four IN Noosa Magazine
Party Like Gatsby - Cabaret Noir
Paul Grabowsky
PHOTO: PIA JOHNSON
alive! In addition, David will be donating royalties from Crunch Time to the festival.
Diane Craig and John Wood in CRUNCH TIME rehearsals
PHOTO: ROBERT CATTO
David Williamson
PHOTO: @DOMDOMMARTIN
It will be his final play before retirement and what a coup having the latest theatrical triumph as a curtain-raising prelude to - and fundraiser for - NOOSA
PHOTO: ROBERT CATTO
In its 18th year, the bar is certainly several notches higher with festival co-founder and arguably Australia’s most widely performed playwright, David Williamson preparing to exit stage left with Crunch Time.
Deline Briscoe
Noosa Long Weekend Festivals (now NOOSA alive!) and of course have been involved in all 18 festivals to date. Each has left us with many wonderful memories.”
on a wild, stormy night in a huge tent that was packed with excited young film-makers; and became mentors to many of them.
David recalls times when the sharing of culture through art and performance brought the community together and times when it was all hands on deck to support (and accommodate) the artists.
“And who could forget the opening night when fireworks exploded from barges out to sea and lit up the whole of Noosa beach, after which hundreds of people of three generations danced in the sand to the performance of that timeless band, The Delltones.”
“In the first years, Bryan Brown came offstage and shared anecdotes with the audience over a few beers, and then disappeared into the surf for days,” David fondly recalls. “Film critics Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton judged short films screened 22
David recalls a time when the festival relied on the generosity of locals to support the artists and performers. “If we couldn’t find enough free hotel accommodation for our actors, musicians