David Williamson's ARIA

A symphony of discord unfolds at Monique’s annual family gathering, celebrating her three beloved sons’ birthdays. While Monique’s adoration for her boys knows no bounds, disdain for their wives is palpable.

Festivities crescendo and Monique takes the spotlight with a performance of a renowned opera aria, a poignant reminder of the dreams she sacrificed to raise her brood. In her mind, she was destined for the illustrious stages of La Scala, the Met and Covent Garden.

But beneath the facade of familial harmony, dissonance brews. Have the long-suffering wives reached their boiling point? David Williamson’s ARIA is a darkly comedic exploration of the intricate dynamics and rivalry inherent within every family.

Copublished with Ensemble Theatre.

Author Biography

DAVID WILLIAMSON is Australia’s best known and most widely performed playwright. His first full-length play The Coming of Stork was presented at La Mama Theatre in 1970 and was followed by The Removalists, Don’s Party, The Department, The Club, Travelling North, The Perfectionist, Sons of Cain, Emerald City, Top Silk, Money and Friends, Brilliant Lies, Sanctuary, Dead White Males, After the Ball, Corporate Vibes, Face to Face, Rupert, Nearer the Gods, and Sorting out Rachel. He has had over fifty plays produced. His plays have been translated into many languages and performed internationally, including major productions in London, Los Angeles, New York and Washington. As a screenwriter, Williamson has brought to the screen his own plays including The Removalists, Don’s Party, The Club, Travelling North and Emerald City along with his original screenplays for feature films including Libido, Petersen, Gallipoli, Phar Lap, The Year of Living Dangerously and Balibo. The adaptation of his play Face to Face, directed by Michael Rymer, won the Panavision Spirit Award for Independent Film at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Williamson was the first person outside Britain to receive the George Devine Award (for The Removalists). His many awards include twelve Australian Writers’ Guild AWGIE Awards, five Australian Film Institutes’ Awards for Best Screenplay and, in 1996 the United Nations Association of Australia Media Peace Award. In 2005 he was awarded the Richard Lane Award for services to the Australian Writers’ Guild. David has received four honorary doctorates and been made an Officer of the Order of Australia. Williamson has been named one of Australia’s Living National Treasures.