Jugglers Three
Juggler's Three | |
---|---|
Written by | David Williamson |
Date premiered | 17 July 1972 |
Place premiered | Russell St Theatre, Melbourne |
Original language | English |
Subject | Vietnam War |
Juggler's Three is an Australian play by David Williamson. It was based on the breakup of his first marriage, when he left his pregnant wife for a woman who left her husband.[1][2][3]
Background
The play was commissioned by John Sumner of the Melbourne Theatre Company in mid 1971. Williamson submitted a storyline called Return from Vietname about a conscript, Graham, who discovers his wife, Karen, has left him for an economist, Neville. The play was originally titled Third World Blues but the MTC requested this be changed to Juggler's Three. The play underwent many revisions, and at one stage included sequences set in Vietnam.[4][5]
The first production was very well reviewed and later transferred from Russell St Theatre to Harry M. Miller's Melbourne Playbox Theatre, which was rare for Australian plays at the time[6]
Williamson later called the play "a hysterical and unresearched piece of melodramatical nonsense."[5]
Third World Blues
Williamson later reworked the play again in 1996 as Third World Blues.[7] This was done at the behest of Wayne Harrison, the director, who was an admirer of the original play. There had been a well publicised conflict between Harrison and Williamson over the staging of Heretic but they reunited for this play.[5]
Williamson rewrote the play after researching by talking to Vietnam veterans and counsellors saying "I slowly started to realise just how traumatic war and combat is for most participants." He also made key structural changes saying "the original was virtually in farce form - there was something like 39 entrances and exits. It's down to 19 now, which structurally makes it half as farcical as before."[5]
References
- ^ Gemma England, "Biography: David Williamson: Behind the Scenes by Kristin Williamson", MC Reviews 29 June 2009 Archived 2 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine accessed 26 Oct 2012
- ^ Jones, Dave (1 January 1974). "David Williamson". Cinema Papers. No. 1. p. 8.
- ^ Dow, Steve (11 January 2020). "David Williamson on retirement, politics and critics: 'For years I couldn't go to an opening night'". The Guardian.
- ^ Kiernan p 74-78
- ^ a b c d Cochrane, Peter (14 March 1997). "Williamson's World". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 15.
- ^ Kiernan p 108
- ^ "Background to Third World Blues", Performing Arts Collection Archived 2011-03-31 at the Wayback Machine accessed 26 Oct 2012
Notes
- Brian Kiernan, David Williamson: A Writer's Career, Currency Press, 1996
- v
- t
- e
- The Indecent Exposure of Anthony East (1968)
- You've Got to Get on Jack (1970)
- The Coming of Stork (1970)
- The Removalists (1971)
- Don's Party (1971)
- Jugglers Three (1972)
- What If You Died Tomorrow? (1973)
- The Department (1975)
- A Handful of Friends (1976)
- The Club (1977)
- King Lear (1978)
- Travelling North (1979)
- Celluloid Heroes (1980)
- The Perfectionist (1982)
- Sons of Cain (1985)
- Emerald City (1987)
- Top Silk (1989)
- Siren (1990)
- Money and Friends (1991)
- Brilliant Lies (1993)
- Sanctuary (1994)
- Dead White Males (1995)
- Heretic (1996)
- Third World Blues (1997)
- After the Ball (1997)
- Corporate Vibes (1999)
- Face to Face (2000)
- The Great Man (2000)
- Up for Grabs (2001)
- A Conversation (2001)
- Charitable Intent (2001)
- Soulmates (2002)
- Flatfoot (2003)
- Birthrights (2003)
- Amigos (2004)
- Operator (2005)
- Influence (2005)
- Lotte's Gift (2007)
- Scarlett O'Hara at the Crimson Parrot (2008)
- Let the Sunshine (2009)
- Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica (2010)
- Don Parties On (2011)
- At Any Cost? (2011)
- Nothing Personal (2011)
- When Dad Married Fury (2011)
- Managing Carmen (2012)
- Happiness (2013)
- Rupert (2013)
- Cruise Control (2014)
- Dream Home (2015)
- Jack of Hearts (2016)
- Odd Man Out (2017)
- Credentials (2017)
- Sorting Out Rachel (2018)
- Nearer the Gods (2018)
- The Big Time (2019)
- Family Values (2020)
- Crunch Time (2020)
- The Great Divide (2024)
- Aria (2024)
- The Puzzle (2024)
- Stork (1971)
- Libido (1973)
- Petersen (1974)
- The Removalists (1975)
- Eliza Fraser (1975)
- Don's Party (1976)
- The Department (1980) (TV movie)
- The Club (1980)
- Gallipoli (1981)
- Duet for Four (1982)
- The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
- Phar Lap (1983)
- The Last Bastion (1984) (TV series) - also produced
- The Perfectionist (1987) (TV movie)
- Emerald City (1987)
- Travelling North (1987)
- Touch the Sun: Princess Kate (1988) (TV)
- A Dangerous Life (1988) (TV mini-series)
- The Four Minute Mile (1988)
- Sanctuary (1995)
- Brilliant Lies (1996)
- Dog's Head Bay (1999) (TV series)
- On the Beach (2000) (TV series)
- Balibo (2009)
- Face to Face (2011)