{{Short description|Australian playwright}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}} {{use Australian English|date=September 2022}} '''John Henry Romeril''' {{post-nominals|country=AUS|AM}} (born 1945) is an Australian playwright and teacher. He has written around 60 plays for theatre, film, radio, and television, and is known for his 1975 play ''The Floating World''.
==Early life and education== John Henry Romeril was born in 1945 and grew up in [[Melbourne]], living in [[Moorabbin]] until 1966. He attended Bentleigh West State School, Brighton Tech., and Brighton High Schools, and then undertook a BA at [[Monash University]], graduating in 1970 with majors in English Literature and Politics.<ref name=austlit>{{cite web | title=John Romeril | website=[[AustLit]] | url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A9248 | access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref>
==Career== Over the course of his career, Romeril wrote plays for theatre, film, radio, and television, including stage, [[musicals]], [[puppet theatre]], [[pantomime]]s, and [[street theatre]].<ref name=mss>{{cite web| url=https://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/special-collections/guide-papers-john-romeril-mss-054| website= [[UNSW]]| title=Guide to the Papers of John Romeril [MSS 054] | access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref>
In 1968 he became involved with [[La Mama Theatre (Melbourne)|La Mama Theatre]], which had been established in that year by [[Betty Burstall]]. In 1969 a group involved with the theatre founded the [[Australian Performing Group]] (APG) in 1970 established the [[Pram Factory]]. The APG went on to perform many of Romeril's plays, which were performed at the Pram Factory. Romeril also worked collaboratively with other APG writers, including [[Jack Hibberd]] and [[Tim Robertson]].<ref name=austlit/>
His first plays, ''I Don't Know Who To Feel Sorry For'' (1969) and ''Chicago, Chicago'' (1970) were written while he was still a student.<ref>[http://www.ozarts.com.au/artists/artists_literature/john_romeril/ John Romeril] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830141443/http://www.ozarts.com.au/artists/artists_literature/john_romeril/ |date=2007-08-30 }} (OzArts Online) Accessed: 26 February 2007.</ref>
{{anchor|bastardy}}<!---"Bastardy (play)" links to this anchor---> In 1972, Romeril co-wrote a one-act play for four actors called ''Bastardy'', based on the life of the main actor in the first production of the play, [[Jack Charles]].<ref name=browning2022>{{cite web | last=Browning | first=Daniel | title='I called him Uncle': Remembering iconic theatre great Uncle Jack Charles | website=ABC News| publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]| date=14 September 2022 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-14/uncle-jack-charles-aboriginal-artist-indigenous-elder-leader/101437098 | access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref><ref name=bastplay>{{cite web| url=https://www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/special-collections/guide-papers-john-romeril-mss-054| website= [[UNSW]]| title=Guide to the Papers of John Romeril [MSS 054] | access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref> Premiering on 23 August 1972, Charles played the main character at the season at the Pram Factory, with [[Peter Cummins]], [[Jude Kuring]], and [[Tim Robertson]] taking the other three parts. Charles plays a [[cat burglar]] who was struggling to get over his drug habit. The production was directed by [[Bruce Spence]].<ref>{{cite web | title=Bastardy | website=[[AusStage]] | url=https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/102722 | access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | website=AustLit | title=Bastardy | date= 19 May 2015 | url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C185640 | access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref><ref name=bastplay/> Charles has taken pains to point out that the word is ''[[bastardy]]'', not ''{{linktext|bastardry}}'', Romeril having chosen the title because Charles "lived a life of [[buggery]] and bastardy in the Box Hill Boys' Home", and also referring to the fact that Charles was fatherless.<ref>{{cite interview | interviewer-last=Behrendt | interviewer-first=Larissa | title=NAIDOC Male Elder Of The Year: Uncle Jack Charles | website=ABC | date=24 July 2022 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/speakingout/speaking-out/13976980| format=Audio, recorded 2019, around 3 minutes in.}}</ref> The script of the play was published in 1982 by Yackandandah Playscripts,<ref name=bastplay/> and a [[Bastardy (film)|documentary film of the same title]] observing seven years of Charles' life, made by [[Amiel Courtin-Wilson]], was released in 2008.<ref name=imdbbastardy>{{imdb title|1310363|Bastardy}}</ref><ref name=browning2022/>
''The Floating World'' (1975) is his most admired play,<ref name=austlit/> described by one critic as "a pioneering drama in the context of the predominantly Anglo-Celtic orientation of the APG's theatrical output".<ref name=varney>{{cite book | last=Varney | first=Denise | title= Radical Visions 1968-2008: The Impact of the Sixties on Australian Drama| chapter=John Romeril – The Asian Australian Journey | publisher=Brill | date= 2011 | chapter-url=https://brill.com/view/book/9789401200530/B9789401200530-s009.xml| doi=10.1163/9789401200530_009|isbn= 9789401200530 | access-date=16 September 2022 | pages=127–128}}</ref>
His later work is placed firmly in the context of Australia being part of the [[Asia Pacific]] region, including Japan.<ref name=varney/>
He co-wrote the film script for ''[[One Night the Moon]]'' with [[Rachel Perkins]], released in 2001.<ref name=austlit/>
==Themes and style== Romeril is known for collaborating when creating his works, in a way that allows many others to contribute to the work.<ref name=austlit/>
His plays have examined many influences on Australian society, such as war,<ref>Griffiths, Gareth. [https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2445&context=kunapipi "John Romeril's Wars: The Dissenting View"]. ''[[Kunapipi (journal)|Kunapipi]]'', 18(2), 1996.</ref> [[American cultural imperialism]] and [[Australian politics|national politics]].<ref name=austlit/>
His style has been described as [[improvisation]]al and musical, and is influenced by [[Brecht]]. His works frequently require [[audience participation]], as is seen in the improvisational work ''Kelly Dance'', where members of the audience members are invited to dance on the stage with the actors.<ref name=austlit/>
== Awards and recognition == Romeril has been a [[writer in residence]] with [[Jigsaw Theatre Company]] in [[Canberra]], and [[Troupe Theatre]] in [[Adelaide]].<ref name=austlit/>
Other awards and honours include: * 1976: Winner of the inaugural [[Australia–Canada relations#Pacific partners%3A 1968–present|Canada-Australia Literary Award]]<ref name=austlit/> * 1988: [[Victorian Government]] Drama Fellowship * 1993: [[Kenneth Myer Medallion for the Performing Arts]]<ref name=austlit/> * 2003: [[State Library Victoria]] Fellowship<ref name=austlit/> * 2003: [[Australia Council]] Literature Board Fellowship<ref name=austlit/> * 2003: Inaugural Australian National Playwrights Centre (later merged with Playworks to form PlayWriting Australia<ref>{{cite web | title=Australian National Playwrights' Centre Award | website=[[AustLit]] | url=https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v1140 | access-date=16 September 2022}}</ref>) Award<ref name=austlit/> * 2006–2007: [[University of New South Wales]] Literary Scholarship<ref>{{cite web |title=Playwright awarded UNSW Literary Fellowship |publisher=[[University of New South Wales]] |date=2006-05-02 |url=http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/culturediversity/writersprize/2007prize/Shortlist/index.cfm |accessdate=2007-05-16 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070330185359/http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/culturediversity/writersprize/2007prize/Shortlist/index.cfm |archivedate=2007-03-30 |url-status=dead }}</ref> * 2008: [[Patrick White Award]]<ref name=austlit/> * 2013: Lifetime Achievement award by the [[Sydney Theatre Awards]]<ref name=austlit/> * 2014: [[Australia Council]] grants and awards<ref name=austlit/> * 2016: [[AWGIE Award]], [[Dorothy Crawford Award]] for Outstanding Contribution to the Profession<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=AWGIE Special Awards 1973-2018|url=https://awg.com.au/files/documents/AWGIE%20SPECIAL%20AWARDS%201973-2018.pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-24|website=Australian Writers' Guild}}</ref><ref name=austlit/> *2017: [[Order of Australia|Member of the Order of Australia]] (AM) in the [[2017 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia)|2017 Queen's Birthday Honours]] for "significant service to the performing arts as a playwright and screenwriter, and to theatre companies and education"<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia|url=http://old.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/honours/qb/qb2017/mnxi3_8skq/Media%20Notes%20-%20AM%20(M%20-%20Z).pdf|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-24|website=Governor-General of Australia}}</ref><ref name=austlit/>
Some of his works have also been awarded, including ''Tokyo Henry'' ([[Playbox Theatre Company, Melbourne|Playbox]] Asialink Playwrighting Competition, 2003) and ''Miss Tanaka'' ([[Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting]] at the [[NSW Premier's Literary Awards]], 2002).<ref name=austlit/>
== Selected works == {{div col}} *''A Nameless Concern'' (1968) *''Kitchen Table'' (1968) *''The Man from Chicago'' (1969) *''Marvellous Melbourne'' (1970) *''Mrs Thally F'' (1971) * ''I Don't Know Who to Feel Sorry For'' (1973) * ''The Floating World'' (1975) * ''Bastardy'', with [[Uncle Jack Charles]] (first performed 1972; published 1982) * ''[[Jonah (Romeril musical)|Jonah]]'' (1985) * ''Kelly Dance'' (1986) * ''Legends'' (1986) * ''Definitely Not the Last: A rock'n'roll fable'' (1989) * ''Lost Weekend'' (1989) * ''Black Cargo'' (1991) * ''Love Suicides'' (1997) * ''Kate 'N' Shiner'' (1998) * ''Miss Tanaka'' (2001) * ''[[One Night the Moon]]'', with [[Rachel Perkins]] (2001) {{end div col}}
== References == {{reflist}}
==Further reading== * ''John Romeril'' edited by Gareth Griffiths ([[Rodopi Publishers|Rodopi]], 1993)
== External links == * [https://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/462 John Romeril] on [[AusStage]] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20071001001153/http://esvc001106.wic016u.server-web.com/contents/01/17/moon_interview.html One Night The Moon: Interview with John Romeril] at ''[[Senses of Cinema]]''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Romeril, John}} [[Category:1945 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:APRA Award winners]] [[Category:Australian screenwriters]] [[Category:Writers from Melbourne]] [[Category:Members of the Order of Australia]] [[Category:Patrick White Award winners]] [[Category:Australian male dramatists and playwrights]] [[Category:Australian musical theatre lyricists]] [[Category:20th-century Australian dramatists and playwrights]]