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Papers of John Romeril
MSS 054

Collection Title

Papers of John Romeril

Collection Identifier

MSS 054

Inclusive date(s)

1942 to 1993

Extent and Medium

76 boxes, 1 enclosure

Creator(s)

Category

Literature

Subject: Person(s)

Collection Description

This collection comprises manuscript papers and related material by the Australian playwright John Romeril

Administrative / Biographical history

Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Romeril

John Henry Romeril was born 26 October 1945 in Melbourne, and educated at Bentleigh West State, Highett State, Brighton Technical and Brighton High Schools, Melbourne. He graduated with a B.A. Honours from Monash University in 1970, majoring in English Literature and Politics.

Romeril is a playwright, screenwriter, lyricist, adaptor and dramaturge, and is one of Australia's most prolific writers. He wrote his first four plays before graduating from university; was a founding member of the Australian Performing Group (APG) and worked with the group first at Cafe La Mama and later at the Pram Factory, Melbourne, from 1968 until their demise in 1981. He writes for a living and has worked continually in Australian theatre, radio, television and film. From 1974, he has been playwright-in-residence with a number of theatre companies and tertiary institutions throughout Australia and at the National University of Singapore. He was Artist-in-residence at the Victorian Arts Centre and Dramaturge at the Victorian College of the Arts.

Professional and amateur theatre companies have produced Romeril's plays throughout Australia and overseas. His plays are often based on current events, e.g. Australian-American relations, the constitutional events of 1975, elections, social and labour problems, war and social conflicts, and contain a strong social message. His work is a product of theatre, occasion, situation and community, is consciously experimental and often produced in workshop community-based conditions.

Romeril is the recipient of numerous awards, grants and fellowships, including:
Australia Council Grants, Awards and Fellowships, Literature Board Fellowship, 2003
Winner of the Playbox Asialink Playwriting Competition, 2003 for Tokyo Henry
Inaugural winner of the Australian National Playwrights Centre Award, 2003 for Miss Tanaka
Winner of the Australian National Playwrights Centre Award, 2003 for Miss Tanaka
Winner of the New South Wales Premier's Awards, Play Award 2002 for Miss Tanaka
Shortlisted for the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Community Relations Commission Award, 2002 for Miss Tanaka
Winner AWGIE Awards, Television Award, Telemovie Original, 2001 for One night the moon
Inaugural winner of the Canada-Australia Prize, 1976, which recognized his important contribution to the world of literature
Victorian Government Drama Fellowship, 1988
Australian Council for the Arts travel grant, 1972.

Romeril wrote or adapted the following works:
Plays:
A nameless concern, produced Melbourne, 1968
The kitchen table, produced Melbourne, 1968. Included in the publication Two plays, 1971
Scene one, with John Minter, produced Melbourne, 1969
Chicago, Chicago : an art piece in twenty scenes alternative title The man from Chicago, produced Melbourne, 1969. First published in Plays, Penguin, Ringwood, Victoria, 1970
The American independence hour, produced Melbourne, 1969
Mr Big, the big, big pig, produced Melbourne, 1969
In a place somewhere else, produced Melbourne, 1969
I don't know who to feel sorry for, produced Melbourne, 1969. Published by Currency Press, Sydney, 1973 and Eyre Methuen, London, 1975
Chicago Chicago, produced Melbourne, 1970. Published in Plays, Penguin, Melbourne, 1970 and in Plays of the 60s, Currency Press, Sydney, 1998
200 years, produced Melbourne, 1970
Marvellous Melbourne, with Jack Hibberd, produced, Melbourne, 1970. Published in Theatre Australia, August 1977, vol. 2, no. 4, p. 35-44 and September/October 1977, no. 5, p. 29-39
Dr. Karl's kure, produced Melbourne, 1970
The magnetic Martian potato, produced Melbourne, 1970
Whatever happened to realism, produced Melbourne, 1971
Mrs Thally F., produced Melbourne, 1971. Published in Seven one-act plays, edited by Rodney Fisher, Currency Press, Sydney, 1983 and in Plays of the 70s, Currency Press, Sydney, 1998
Two plays, includes The kitchen table and Brudder Humphrey, published by Kosmos, Clayton, Victoria, 1971
Rearguard action, produced Melbourne, 1971
Hackett gets ahead, with Bill and Lorna Hannan, produced Melbourne, 1972
He can swagger sitting down, produced Melbourne, 1972
Bastardy, produced Melbourne, 1982. Published Yackandandah Playscripts, Montmorency, Victoria, 1982
A night in Rio and other bummerz, with Tim Robertson, produced Melbourne, 1973
The earth, air, fire, and water show, produced Melbourne, 1973
Waltzing Matilda : a national pantomime with tomato sauce, with Tim Robertson, produced Melbourne, 1974. Published Yackandandah Playscripts, Montmorency, Victoria, 1984
The floating world, produced Melbourne, 1974. Published Currency Press, Sydney and Eyre Methuen, London, 1975; revised edition published by Currency Press, Sydney, 1982
The golden Holden show, produced Melbourne, 1975
The accidental poke, produced Melbourne, 1975. Published in Popular short plays for the Australian stage, edited by Ron Blair, Currency Press, Sydney, 1985
Dudders, with John Timlin, produced Melbourne, 1976
The radio-active horror show, produced Melbourne, 1977
Mickey's Moomba : a musical, produced Melbourne, 1978
Carboni, produced Melbourne, 1980
700,000, produced Canberra, 1980
Samizdat, produced Adelaide, 1981
Centenary dance, produced Adelaide, 1984
The Kelly dance, produced Adelaide, 1984. Published Yackandandah Playscripts, Montmorency, Victoria, 1986
Definitely not the last : a rock'n'roll fable, produced Adelaide, 1985. Published Yackandandah Playscripts, Montmorency, Victoria, 1989
Jonah, music by Alan John, adaptation of the novel by Louis Stone, produced Sydney, 1985; revised version produced Adelaide, 1991
Legends, with Jennifer Hill and Chris Anastassiades, produced Melbourne, 1986. Published Yackandandah Playscripts, Montmorency, Victoria, 1986
Koori radio, produced Hobart, 1987
The imposter, adaptation of a play by Sha Yexin, produced Melbourne, 1987
History of Australia : the musical, with Tim Robertson and Don Watson, produced Melbourne, 1988
Lost weekend, produced Adelaide, 1989
Black cargo, adaptation of a story by John Morrison, produced, Melbourne, 1991
The reading boy, produced Adelaide, 1991
Working out, produced Melbourne, 1991
Bring down the house, produced Melbourne, 1992
Doing the block, Melbourne, 1993
Hanoi-Melbourne, produced, 1995
Red sun red earth, produced Adelaide and Nago City, 1996
Love suicides, music by Peter Neville, produced Canberra and Melbourne, 1997. Published by Currency Press in Association with Playbox Theatre, Sydney, 1997
Kate'n'shiner, produced Perth, 1998
XPO : the human factor, produced Brisbane, 1998
Miss Tanaka, produced Melbourne, 2001. Published by Currency Press, Sydney, 2001.

Film, television and video scripts and adaptations for the screen:
Nothing like experience, 1969
Bonjour Balwyn, 1969
The best of mates, 1972
Charlie the Chequer Cab kid, 1973
The great McCarthy, from a novel by Barry Oakley, 1975
Six of the best series, 1981-1986
Mr. Steam and dry, 1986
State of defence, 1987
Concept Inc, 1987
The ballad of Lois Ryan, 1988
Everything's a hustle, 1989
The Firm, 1989
Making trax, 1998
One night the moon, 2001

References:
Computer typescript list of 'John Romeril manuscripts and allied literary materials held by the author', 16/10/1993
Contemporary dramatists, 6th edition (1999) p. 599-601
AustLit Australian Literature Gateway database, 2003
Theatre programs
Popular short plays for the Australian stage (1985)
ScreenSound Australia, National Screen and Sound Archives, 2003

Acquisition Details

The collection was acquired by the Library in 1994.

Scope and Content

The collection comprises papers relating to John Romeril's career as a playwright and teacher. The collection includes correspondence, scripts for produced and unproduced plays for theatre, film, radio and television, including stage, musicals, puppet theatre, pantomimes and street theatre; treatments, dramaturgy, rehearsal and production schedules, floor plans, flyers, leaflets, programs and posters; drafts of poetry and songs; drafts of articles, essays, talks, interviews and reviews; and photographs and audio cassette tapes.

Appraisal & Processing Information

Awaiting processing: 20 boxes

Access Restrictions

Other

Access: Check with Curator

This collection contains a variety of copyright material. Copyright is held by the creator of each item. Specific conditions for this collection are listed below. If no conditions are stipulated then the standard terms of the Copyright Act apply for published and unpublished items. Digitised material from manuscript collections is provided to clients by UNSW Canberra in good faith for private study and research only, and may not be published or re-purposed without the express and written permission of the individual legal holder of that copyright. Refer also to the UNSW copyright, disclaimer and takedown policy

Copying: Check with Curator

Existence and Location of Orginals

Special Collections, UNSW Canberra

Related and Separated Materials

Related Material

Papers of the Almost Managing Company, MSS 215 and Papers of Peter Corrigan, MSS 245, Special Collections, UNSW Canberra, Australian Defence Force Academy.

Papers of Bill Garner, MS 12835 and Papers of Jack Hibberd MS 12269, State Library of Victoria.
Hanger Collection of Australian Playscripts, Fryer Library, University of Queensland.

Disclaimer

This collection contains a variety of copyright material. Copyright is held by the creator of each item. Specific conditions for this collection are listed above. If no conditions are stipulated then the standard terms of the Copyright Act apply for published and unpublished items. Digitised material from manuscript collections is provided to clients by UNSW Canberra in good faith for private study and research only, and may not be published or re-purposed without the express and written permission of the individual legal holder of that copyright. Refer also to the UNSW copyright, disclaimer and takedown policy.

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