FAMILY VALUES DAVID WILLIAMSON’S

DIRECTED BY LEE LEWIS

Queensland Theatre acknowledges the Jagera and Turrbal people who are the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work, and their unique relationship with the lands, seas and waterways. We pay our respects to their Elders both past and present, and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Sit back and relax while we take care of any feisty family disagreements on the Bille Brown stage. Amanda Jolly

Executive Director

Welcome to Season 2023. How was your festive break? If it was filled with family gatherings, hopefully they were genial and devoid of infighting, squabbling and drama. Either way, how better to open our exciting year of plays than by inviting you to sit back and relax while we take care of any feisty family disagreements on the Bille Brown stage. Played for laughs, of course.

One of our greatest playwrights, the inimitable David Williamson has a long history with Queensland Theatre. The Company’s first Williamson production was in 1975, with his groundbreaking work The Removalists at the SGIO Theatre, and since then we have staged some 20 of his plays. Family Values is the latest in David’s repertoire, and it has all the hallmarks of classic Williamson — a cast of all too recognisable characters thrown together in a one-room crucible, where their differing opinions and values do battle, with no quarter asked or given. And as ever, David is able to capture the zeitgeist of our nation at any given time, delving into overarching issues that matter to us, now, as Australians.

Bringing David’s words to life is a cast made up of familiar faces: Peter Kowitz, Andrea Moor, Helen Cassidy, Leon Cain, Amy Ingram and Jodie Le Vesconte, joined by Sepi Burgiani, who is making her Queensland Theatre debut. Under Lee’s inspired direction, the comic skills of this extraordinary group of actors is on full display for our enjoyment. We’ll all feel at home in the classic Queenslander setting, designed by Renée Mulder, lit by Ben Brockman and filled with Tony Brumpton’s evocative music and sound.

It just remains for me to thank our production partners for this play, BDO and Board Matters, whose invaluable support is greatly appreciated. With that, the table is set, the celebration is about to begin — so leave all the yelling and screaming to us and enjoy watching the chaos unfold!

— Amanda