Andrew Bovell Keynote Address: National Play Festival 2014
Channel: Australian Plays Transform
Date: 2021-03-24

In his Keynote Address to open the National Play Festival 2014 in Sydney, renowned playwright Andrew Bovell celebrates the role of the writer in our theatre and culture. Transcript: http://www.pwa.org.au/npf14-keynote-t...​

He speaks about the iconic moments that have inspired his work, about the people he has met, the mistakes he has made and the lessons he has learned.

In a frank and honest account he talks about moments of triumph and humiliation knowing that in the theatre as in life you can't have one without the other. He argues for a vibrant, ambitious and diverse contemporary theatre that is passionately engaged with the big ideas that drive our society and reveals the tensions and themes within our culture that have inspired his own work.

The Keynote Address was delivered on Thursday 12 June, 6.30pm at Carriageworks as part of the National Play Festival, Playwriting Australia's annual public showcase of new plays.

Andrew Bovell is a screenwriter and playwright. His most recent work for the stage is the acclaimed adaption of the Kate Grenville novel The Secret River, which premiered at the 2013 Sydney Festival before transferring to Canberra and Perth and subsequently won six Helpmann Awards including Best New Australian Work and Best Play as well as Best New Australian Work at the Sydney Theatre Awards. His most recent film is A Most Wanted Man, an adaptation of the John Le Carre' novel for director Anton Corbijn staring Phillip Seymour Hoffman. The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival and is due for release later this year. He is currently completing a joint commission for Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago and the National Theatre in London.


Recorded Thursday 12 June, 6.30pm