After the Ball (play)

After the Ball

Author	David Williamson
Cover artist	Cover photograph shows Penny Everingham as Kate (older) and Billie Brown as Stephen (older) in the 1997 Queensland Theatre Company production. Photo: Rob MacColl.
Language	English
Genre	Play
Publisher	Currency Press
Publication date	1997
Publication place	Australia
Media type	Print (Paperback)
ISBN	978-0-86819-537-7

After the Ball is a play by Australian playwright David Williamson, published by Currency Press in 1997.^[1] Williamson wrote the play in response to his mother's death.^[2]

Plot

The play is about Stephen, who has, with ill grace, returned home to his mother's deathbed. As he and his sister rake through the family photographs and childhood memories, they find conflicting versions of their parents’ unhappy marriage.

Background

The play was partly inspired by the death of Williamson's mother in 1995.^[3]

First Production

After the Ball was first produced by Queensland Theatre Company at the Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane, on 3 July 1997 with the following cast:

• Kate Macrae (older): Penny Everingham
• Judy Macrae (older): Jennifer Flowers
• Stephen Macrae (older): Bille Brown
• Ron Macrae: Max Gillies
• Kate Macrae (younger): Carol Burns
• Judy Macrae (younger) / nurse: Melissa McMahon
• Stephen Macrae (younger): Anthony Weigh
• Claire Cummins: Gael Ballantyne
• Maureen Donahue: Sally McKenzie
• Director, Robyn Nevin
• Designer, Bill Haycock
• Lighting Designer, David Walters
• Music, Max Lambert

References

1. Williamson, David. "After the Ball". Currency Press. Archived from the original on 2013-04-25. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
2. Bryce Hallett, "Elegy for two generations gets clear, forceful staging at last", Sydney Morning Herald, 25 March 2002 accessed 29 November 2012
3. Cochrane, Peter (14 March 1997). "Williamson's World". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 15.

External links

• After the Ball at AusStage