David Keith Williamson was born in Melbourne on 24 February 1942 and brought up in Bairnsdale. He studied mechanical engineering and psychology at the University of Melbourne and Monash University, graduating in mechanical engineering in 1964. He lectured in both these subjects and worked as a design engineer for General Motors. His first play, The Indecent Exposure of Anthony East, was produced by the Tin Alley Players at Melbourne University’s Union Theatre in 1968. David Williamson’s career as a dramatist began when La Mama produced three of his short plays and The Coming of Stork in 1970, followed by The Removalists in 1971, launching him to become one of Australia’s best known and most widely performed playwrights and one of Australia’s leading screenwriters. Some of his more than fifty produced plays include Don’s Party, The Department, The Club, Travelling North, The Perfectionist, Sons of Cain, Emerald City, Top Silk, Money & Friends, Sanctuary, Dead White Males, After the Ball, Face to Face, Up For Grabs, A Conversation, Charitable Intent, Soulmates, Birthrights, Amigos, Influence, Lotte’s Gift, Scarlet O’Hara at the Crimson Parrot, Let the Sunshine, Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica, Don Parties On, At Any Cost? (co-written by Mohamed Khadra), When Dad Married Fury, Managing Carmen, Rupert, Cruise Control, Jack of Hearts, Odd Man Out, Sorting Out Rachel, Nearer the Gods, and Family Values.    His plays have been produced by all the major Australian theatre companies – with twenty Sydney Theatre Company productions and twenty-two at Sydney’s Ensemble Theatre. His plays have been translated into many languages and performed internationally, including; The Removalists at Royal Court London, New York, Germany, France and Los Angeles; Don’s Party at the Royal Court and in Scandinavia; The Club at Kennedy Center for Arts in Washington DC and then a Broadway transfer, Hampstead Theatre London, Toronto; The Perfectionist at Hampstead Theatre and the Spoleto Festival; Money & Friends in Los Angeles, and in Poland and Canada; Sanctuary in NZ, Antwerp, Belgium, Hong Kong and Singapore; Up For Grabs on the West End starring Madonna, and Rupert at the Kennedy Centre Washington DC in 2013. David has directed eight professional productions of his own work and written many radio dramas.  David has written (or co-written) fifteen feature films, including the original screenplays for Petersen, Eliza Fraser, (starring Susannah York) Gallipoli, The Year of Living Dangerously (both starring Mel Gibson), Phar Lap and Balibo. His writing feature adaptations of his own plays include The Removalists, Don’s Party, The Club, Travelling North, Emerald City and Sanctuary. For television he adapted On the Beach, wrote The Four Minute Mile, A Dangerous Life, The Perfectionist, and The Department. David was the first person outside Britain to receive the George Devine Award (for The Removalists). His many awards include twelve Australian Writers’ Guild AWGIE Awards, five Australian Film Institutes’ Awards for Best Screenplay and, in 1996 The United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Award.  In 2005 he was awarded the Richard Lane Award for services to the Australian Writers’ Guild. David has received four honorary doctorates and been made an Officer of the Order of Australia, as well as having been named one of Australia’s Living National Treasures. David’s memoir Home Truths was published by Harper Collins and shortlisted for the 2022 National Biography Award.A much lauded revival of his play Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica is currently playing a season at the Ensemble theatre in Sydney.The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages).www.stagespodcast.com.au

The STAGES podcast is Back - Season 6 commences on Wednesday April 5th. You’re invited to join me and a most sensational set of guests as we embark on a new season of the podcast, that converses with creatives about craft and career. We hope you’ve enjoyed the STAGES World Pride mini-series playing in recent weeks - a retrospective of the magnificent drag performers and personalities who have been featured on the STAGES podcast over the past 5 years. And the overview episode of the construction of a play - CAMP! It’s been a good break - but we’ve not been idle - STAGES has been tete a tete with a tittering of terrific guests already. They will reveal even more of why the podcast has garnered such loyal listenership. Why we love it. Why we crave the anecdote and wisdom imparted by each of our guests, every week. In the first episodes of this series, prepare to hear from a stellar line-up of guests … a pod-cast of characters! Standby for conversations with …. Peter Whitford, David Williamson, Todd McKenney, Valerie Bader, Jeremy James,  Kaye Tuckerman, Brian Castles-Onion, Angela Ayers, Stella Ginsberg and Rod Clarke, Michael Misita, and Richard Bonynge. And that’s just for a start! We’ve many conversations lined up with an array of artists from all disciplines - on stage and behind the scenes. A front row seat to the artists and creatives who have enriched our lives in so many ways. The STAGES podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify and wherever you access your favourite podcasts. I’m excited! I look forward to your company on Wednesday April 5th when we commence season 6 with episode 376!

The evolution and construction of any theatre is eternally fascinating. Elements of collaboration, persistence, intellect, resilience, humour, patience and invention are required - the creative process is unleashed as players and creatives forge forward to arrive at Opening Night - delivering a theatrical ‘baby’ ready to be invested, received and judged by the anticipating audience. This journey is much more heightened in the construction of a new play - CAMP by Elias Jamieson Brown, commissioned by Robyn Kennedy and directed by Kate Gaul - is a play with historical and political elements - chronicling the rise of a movement in Australia. The birth of LGBTQI rights and the subsequent advocacy it ignited for further human rights at home and globally, is a salient story demanding to be told to an audience ignorant of what has gone before - but also to an audience who forged that movement and who hopefully will find further and deserved recognition in this theatrical treatment. The play is being served at World Pride - a gathering of the global tribe in Sydney - where the reverberations of the movements early days can now be rightly celebrated - alongside a recognition of what is still left to be accomplished. How will this play be received? What does it take to build a production from the ground floor? Who are the players tasked with this responsibility? In this episode of the STAGES podcast, we chart the development of the play CAMP, speaking with the creatives and artists involved and examine that tumultuous time in history (not that far away) when the story of CAMP was born. The STAGES podcast is available to access and subscribe from Spotify and Apple podcasts. Or from wherever you access your favourite podcasts. A conversation with creatives about craft and career. Follow socials on instagram (stagespodcast) and facebook (Stages). www.stagespodcast.com.au

It’s World Pride 2023 and the queer globe is converging on Sydney Australia to celebrate diversity, inclusion, community and fabulousness! To mark this momentous event the STAGES podcast is saluting the cast of captivating drag divas and personalities who have been featured on the podcast during the past 5 seasons. They are artists who have appeared on national and global stages; thrilling audiences, making a difference, healing community and expressing unique and wondrous talents. We spotlight these episodes so you can savour a second listen - or so you can sample the delights of these entertainers for the very first time. A Diva a day for each day of World Pride! Carlotta is an Australian cabaret performer and television celebrity. She is as iconic as the Sydney Opera House, Kylie Minogue and Vegemite! Carlotta began her career as an original member of the long-running Les Girls cabaret show, performed entirely by heavily costumed males, which started in 1963 in the purpose built Les Girls building, which stood on a prominent corner in the heart of Sydney's Kings Cross, Carlotta, rose through the ranks of the show to eventually become the show's compere and its most famous member. Les Girls and Carlotta soon became must-see attractions for visitors to Sydney and the show was popular with visiting international celebrities. Since then she has become an iconic part of the Australian queer and mainstream landscapes, appearing in a host of stage triumphs -  and as a popular personality on television. Carlotta returned to the stage for two dynamic outings in 2022; as ‘Astrid Zeneca’ in Trevor Ashley’s Christmas panto, Moulin Scrooge and a triumphant turn performing in Priscilla; Queen of the Desert at The Star on The Gold Coast. The STAGES podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify and from where you find your favourite podcasts. Tune in daily for a history of drag in Sydney. Tell your friends, share the podcast, relish the stories and embrace your own sense of Pride.

It’s World Pride 2023 and the queer globe is converging on Sydney Australia to celebrate diversity, inclusion, community and fabulousness! To mark this momentous event the STAGES podcast is saluting the cast of captivating drag divas and personalities who have been featured on the podcast during the past 5 seasons. They are artists who have appeared on national and global stages; thrilling audiences, making a difference, healing community and expressing unique and wondrous talents. We spotlight these episodes so you can savour a second listen - or so you can sample the delights of these entertainers for the very first time. A Diva a day for each day of World Pride! In the bohemian world that is drag, few artists can lay claim to the exulted and ebullient eccentricity that is Cindy Pastel. The alter ego of performer Ritchie Finger, Cindy has been delighting, thrilling and astonishing audiences for close to 45 years. A unique talent, Finger has inspired generations of drag performers who have followed in his fabulous footsteps - whether they be in stilettos or on skates. Ritchie Finger arrived in Sydney from Melbourne in 1979 and became one of the many young drag addicts to work at ‘Patch’s’ Nightclub on Sydney’s celebrated Oxford street. In the early part of the A.I.D.S. crisis Pastel was a tireless worker for HIV/AIDS organisations and charities. The decimation of community was enormous and Pastel, alongside many drag artists, kept everyone smiling. Cindy Pastel has been recognised by the DIVAs - The Drag Industry Variety Awards - twice in her illustrious career. A career that has reached incredible peaks and challenged with occasional obstacles. But through it all Ritchie Finger and Cindy Pastel have danced, paraded, twirled and taken centre stage, to ensure that ‘Everybody’s happy!” Recently celebrating a 72nd birthday, Miss 3D is still going strong, embracing every opportunity to perform and entertain an adoring fanbase. The alter ego of Glenn R. Lewis, Miss 3D has been at the pinnacle of Drag performance for over 40 years. Recognised as a matriarch of Sydney Drag performers, she has entranced with a vibrant and unique style; and incredible artistry, eternally mesmerising with opulent and eccentric costume. Growing up in a rural Victorian town, a diet of community theatre and ballet classes shaped a desire to command a stage. Study at the Australian Ballet school followed, before a quick visit to Sydney seduced Glenn and he met his drag tribe through performers such as Doris Fish, Teresa Green and Danny Aboud. Miss 3D quickly established herself on the scene as an artist of superior talent and invention. A holiday to New York City landed a permanent gig at the iconic Anvil Club where 3D performed for two years, wowing the American crowd. Returning to Australia Miss 3D continued to navigate the stages of venues such as Stranded and Patchs, eventually taking up residence at the iconic Albury Hotel with a trio called The Showbags, alongside Drag Legends, Cindy Pastel and Pat Gently. It was a privilege and a delight to feature these two iconic performers in the STAGES ‘Live’ series at The Powerhouse Up late for VIVID Sydney. They are an essential part of Sydney’s Gay heritage and elders of the community who must be celebrated and applauded for an immense contribution. The STAGES podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify and from where you find your favourite podcasts. Tune in daily for a history of drag in Sydney. Tell your friends, share the podcast, relish the stories and embrace your own sense of Pride.

It’s World Pride 2023 and the queer globe is converging on Sydney Australia to celebrate diversity, inclusion, community and fabulousness! To mark this momentous event the STAGES podcast is saluting the cast of captivating drag divas and personalities who have been featured on the podcast during the past 5 seasons. They are artists who have appeared on national and global stages; thrilling audiences, making a difference, healing community and expressing unique and wondrous talents. We spotlight these episodes so you can savour a second listen - or so you can sample the delights of these entertainers for the very first time. A Diva a day for each day of World Pride! Strykermeyer is a drag performer of unique powers and enormous skill. His work has enamoured audiences around the world. His ability to conjure a crowd is harnessed with immense theatricality; drawn from the combination of idiosyncratic invention in performance; and the greasepaints that contribute to the creation of an arresting and hypnotic aesthetic. Migrating to Australia as a boy from the UK, his family found residence in the Goldfields town of Kambalda in Western Australia. The contrast of geography and climate built a resilience in the young Stryker and forced avenues to escape - in imagination and by train! Landing in Perth in the 70s he entered his first nightclub - Matches on William street. The lure of the stage called and his place in the world was found. This was the time of a different drag scene. Experimental and exciting, it drew a queer community together and launched the careers of a bounty of burgeoning artists. Established performer Audrey Woodstock-Rose guided Stryker in the early days providing lessons in stagecraft and an appreciation of Asian theatre styles such as Kabuki, Noh, and Butoh; influences that resonate in Stryker’s performance repertoire. Early song choices that supported his developing style included Gary Numan’s Are Friends Electric? and Iggy Pop’s I’m Bored, which he performed in ‘boy drag’. Considered one of the best make-up artists in Australia, Stryker contributed to the drag aesthetic on the film Priscilla - Queen of the Desert; ultimately being awarded the British Academy of Film and Television Award for Best Make-up and Hair Design in 1994. Today he continues to contribute a vivid artistic and considered temperament to queer and art spaces around W.A. Collaborations with fellow performer Ash Baroque inspire his creativity and ensure we continue to be enthralled by his vast talents. Stryker the man, is a modest gentleman who possesses years of experience and knowledge; eternally maintaining a passion for his art and craft. He is a treasured and gifted artist who has been an avant-garde presence on the queer scene for several decades. What a treat that he shares all of that in this riveting episode of the STAGES podcast! The STAGES podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify and from where you find your favourite podcasts. Tune in daily for a history of drag in Sydney. Tell your friends, share the podcast, relish the stories and embrace your own sense of Pride.

It’s World Pride 2023 and the queer globe is converging on Sydney Australia to celebrate diversity, inclusion, community and fabulousness! To mark this momentous event the STAGES podcast is saluting the cast of captivating drag divas and personalities who have been featured on the podcast during the past 5 seasons. They are artists who have appeared on national and global stages; thrilling audiences, making a difference, healing community and expressing unique and wondrous talents. We spotlight these episodes so you can savour a second listen - or so you can sample the delights of these entertainers for the very first time. A Diva a day for each day of World Pride! Hugh Monroe has been delighting audiences since childhood in a range of entertainments. A long resume demonstrates success and exuberant performance across stage, television, drag performance and Audio/Visual production. As a child he appeared in productions of Shakespeare, directed You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and flew ‘across the skies’ as an impish Peter Pan. You may recall him as a congenial presenter on the highly popular television show, Simon Townsend’s Wonder World - a news program produced for a youth audience in the ‘80s. At the other extreme you might have been witness to his antics as the regular host of the piano bar at the iconic Albury Hotel on Sydney’s Oxford Street. Hugh could sing, on his head, on the piano! His skill in drag has also allowed him forays into the musical theatre joy of Pageant and La Cage Aux Folles. The past decade has been spent in Children’s theatre, nurturing audiences of the future and informing them via various theatre-in-education projects. Touring the country he introduces the magic of theatre to thousands of young people each year. Hugh loves a chat. And a story. It was much fun to share the microphone with Hugh Monroe, in this naughty but nice, Stages conversation. He is passionate, excitable, cheeky,  and he enjoys nothing more than to engage & entertain an audience. The STAGES podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify and from where you find your favourite podcasts. Tune in daily for a history of drag in Sydney. Tell your friends, share the podcast, relish the stories and embrace your own sense of Pride.

It’s World Pride 2023 and the queer globe is converging on Sydney Australia to celebrate diversity, inclusion, community and fabulousness! To mark this momentous event the STAGES podcast is saluting the cast of captivating drag divas and personalities who have been featured on the podcast during the past 5 seasons. They are artists who have appeared on national and global stages; thrilling audiences, making a difference, healing community and expressing unique and wondrous talents. We spotlight these episodes so you can savour a second listen - or so you can sample the delights of these entertainers for the very first time. A Diva a day for each day of World Pride! Vonni Brit Watkins’ first stage experience was in 1975 when she worked in a cabaret style burlesque club as a striptease artist in Adelaide. In 1978 she joined the Melbourne touring show of Les Girls!, touring and performing throughout Australia and New Zealand, including outback Australia. She toured in a bus, working and performing in pubs and casinos, including Lasseters Casino in Alice Springs. In 1983 she received an invitation from Carlotta to join the world-famous Sammy Lee's Les Girls in Kings Cross Sydney as their resident stripper. In 1984 she appeared in a pop video clip for Stephen Cummings smash hit Another Kick In The Head. Which then, in 1995 lead her being asked to appear as ‘Lola the stripper’ in the Channel 9 TV mini-series Shout the story of Johnny O'Keefe. In 1996 she left Sydney to live in Adelaide where she still lives. For 17 years she was the manager of Australia’s longest running strip club The Crazy Horse Revue. Vonni also co-wrote 5 live shows that toured South Australia and in 2008 one of the shows The Girly Side of Butch went to Dublin and enjoyed a sell-out season at The Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival. These days she works as a freelance performer hosting shows and running talent shows. She is also dabbling in the craft of the DJ. In July,  Vonni made her musical debut in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at The Star Gold Coast, presented by Matt Ward Entertainment. She played the glamorous showgirl and matriarch, ‘Bernadette’. The show had her back working alongside her long-time friend and ex house mate, the legendary Carlotta; the inspiration for ‘Bernadette’. Vonni’s enthusiasm and passion for performance is palpable. She is astute, big-hearted, and she employs the most wicked and delightful sense of humour. Hers is a life lived fully and a career that is fascinating and fabulous! The STAGES podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify and from where you find your favourite podcasts. Tune in daily for a history of drag in Sydney. Tell your friends, share the podcast, relish the stories and embrace your own sense of Pride.

It’s World Pride 2023 and the queer globe is converging on Sydney Australia to celebrate diversity, inclusion, community and fabulousness! To mark this momentous event the STAGES podcast is saluting the cast of captivating drag divas and personalities who have been featured on the podcast during the past 5 seasons. They are artists who have appeared on national and global stages; thrilling audiences, making a difference, healing community and expressing unique and wondrous talents. We spotlight these episodes so you can savour a second listen - or so you can sample the delights of these entertainers for the very first time. A Diva a day for each day of World Pride! Every Sunday night, for over 15 years, a weekly Drag celebration was presented at Sydney’s Stonewall Hotel on iconic Oxford Street. Polly’s Follies became a Sydney institution having commenced life at the famous Albury Hotel some 28 years before. Presiding over this hypnotic entertainment was the doyen of Sydney Drag, Polly Petrie; a tough broad with humour as dry as the Sahara, the glamour of Zsa Zsa Gabor and the steely command of Joan Crawford. Polly Petrie is also Drag Mother to a host of novice drag queens taking their first steps into this colourful world of performance. Polly takes a maternal approach to the rookies; mentoring, guiding and passing on her infinite wisdom. Polly Petrie is the creation of Craig Petrie, a ballroom dancer who was initially discovered working behind a bar by choreographer Ross Coleman. He was thrust into  the role of back-up dancer to many celebrated drag queens of the past, who lead the shows at famed Capriccios - a prominent venue on Oxford street with extravagant shows of big casts and glamorous costumes. In this fascinating conversation Polly gives us an insight into the early scene as a performer; one that continues to engage him in the persona of which he is famous around the world. He explains the origin of the follies and the link with the musical The Boyfriend, that gave him his drag name. It is a life rich with fabulous experiences and encounters. We recorded this conversation in his famous ‘caravan’, a haven that accommodates his extensive wardrobe. The STAGES podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify and from where you find your favourite podcasts. Tune in daily for a history of drag in Sydney. Tell your friends, share the podcast, relish the stories and embrace your own sense of Pride.

It’s World Pride 2023 and the queer globe is converging on Sydney Australia to celebrate diversity, inclusion, community and fabulousness! To mark this momentous event the STAGES podcast is saluting the cast of captivating drag divas and personalities who have been featured on the podcast during the past 5 seasons. They are artists who have appeared on national and global stages; thrilling audiences, making a difference, healing community and expressing unique and wondrous talents. We spotlight these episodes so you can savour a second listen - or so you can sample the delights of these entertainers for the very first time. A Diva a day for each day of World Pride! Trevor Ashley follows in a long line of Australian stage larrikins that include Roy Rene (Mo McCackie), Barry Humphries (Dame Edna), Gary McDonald (Norman Gunston) and Reg Livermore (Betty Blokkbuster). These performers have created characters who have celebrated the outrageous, and all that is particular about our culture. Trevor Ashley continues this biting and hysterical piss-take, serving it up in flamboyant and finely realised entertainments such Fat Swan, Little Orphan Trashley, Bodybag and The Lyin’ Queen. Alongside these ‘naughty’ pantos, Ashley has also enjoyed worldwide success with his one-man shows Liza on an E, Liza’s Back! - is Broken, and Diamonds Are For Trevor. He has also proved himself on the musical theatre stage with acclaimed performances in Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Miss Understanding), Jesus Christ Superstar (King Herod), Hairspray (Edna Turnblad) and Les Miserables (Thenadier). Trevor can also be seen conquering television in RFDS on channel 7 and in the new Australian film, Seriously Red. Intent on embracing many roles, Ashley also wears the titles of producer, writer, musician and director. In the role of Director, he returned to Priscilla - the musical, staging it for a season at The Star Gold Coast, in July 2022. That December, he completed a triumphant addition to his pantomime series - Moulin Scrooge - and can be presently found on stage as Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The STAGES podcast is available from Apple podcasts, Spotify and from where you find your favourite podcasts. Tune in daily for a history of drag in Sydney. Tell your friends, share the podcast, relish the stories and embrace your own sense of Pride.