Platform Papers 17: What is an Australian Play? Have We Failed Our Ethnic Writers?: Have we failed our ethnic writers?

Australia has a dynamic collection of stories and cultures-yet how many make it to our nation’s stages? Is today’s new work really reflecting our cultural diversity? Do we wait too long for writers to walk through our doors? Have we as an industry failed our playwrights and our audiences? How have other countries responded to the challenge of reflecting diversity?

Dramaturg and director Chris Mead examines the way the UK handles the issue, reviews the national scene, asks some tough questions about institutional racism, colonial, national and community theatre, and proposes some exciting new ways to develop a more dynamic theatre culture.