Don Parties On

Overview

In the lead up to the last election, I decided to revisit Williamson's classic Don's Party - specifically, the film version that we all remember from childhood election nights. It was a timely reminder that marriages, ladies' haircuts, barbecues and politics just ain't what they used to be. Somehow, a little of that fanatical passion has slipped away.

Frankly, this is not always a bad thing. But given the results of that election, I have to confess that I am a little nostalgic for the clear cut logic of those salad days. Williamson, apparently, was thinking something quite similar. Set the scene for 21 August 2010: another election night, and another party at Don's place. Forty years later, Don Parties On revives the characters and spirit of the original script.

This production will certainly not be the hippest one on the block, but I think that's probably the point. Babyboomers, and Williamson himself, are perhaps a little down and out - and therein lies the fun. And it's just possible that Williamson's signature blend of realism and populism is exactly what we need to make some sense of the current political climate.

Image: photo by Jeff Busby, courtesy of Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre