At the opening of the 2014 National Play Festival, playwright Andrew Bovell delivered a stirring keynote address. Renowned as one of Australia's finest writers for both stage and screen, Andrew here takes a page out of Harold Pinter's book and asks: "What has happened to our nation's conscience? Did we ever have one?"

In doing so, he touches on his plays The Secret River, which premiered at STC in 2013 and returns in 2016, and After Dinner, a much earlier work staged in Wharf 1 in 2015. A full transcript of the speech is available at the Playwriting Australia website, but the best way to experience Andrew's passion for his subject matter is to watch or listen to him deliver it.

 

WATCH

 

LISTEN

 

 

The Secret River, 1 Feb – 20 Feb 2016, Roslyn Packer Theatre