One of Australia's most prolific dramatists, having written more than 80 plays, Chris Dickins is also a theatre director and teacher who has been working in the performing arts since 1973. His works have been produced across Australia and Internationally; studied for VCE Drama courses; and used as teaching resources at universities and NIDA. Several have been published. He has also been a commissioned playwright for several universities and art centres and regularly conducts writing workshops across the country.
After graduating from Rusden College in 1977 he spent much of his early in his career working in theatre-in-education. This involved residencies working with disadvantaged students, socially based programs and touring regional districts with plays and workshops. In 1993 he represented Australia at the Five Writers From Five Nations ASSITEJ International Congress (the children’s theatre branch of UNESCO) in Frankfurt Germany where his theories on theatre were adopted into ASSITEJ archives.
As a theatre director Dickins has overseen many works at the Victorian Arts Centre, St. Martin’s Youth Arts Centre; the Athenaeum; the Adelaide Festival Centre and the Famous Speigeltent. He was also involved in the Ballarat based Barnstorm Theatre for 12 years writing, directing and performing plays especially written for young people on topics ranging from drug abuse, ageing, violence, women’s issues, health and bullying. During this time Barnstorm toured various socially based workshop and improvisation projects to focus on community issues such as sex education, peer pressure, responsible driving and relationships. Other projects have included Theatre Susso, a company which produced a wide variety of works and engaged actors from the community from the age of 7 to 75; and Narooma Youth Theatre, for whom he directed productions for several years.
In addition to his theatrical career Dickins has taught at University level as well as several high schools and also works in theatre design, graphics and musical composition. In 2012 he co-founded Tribes, a business dedicated to providing professional services in theatre and education.
After returning to Ballarat in 2005, Dickins formed Alchemy Theatre which originally consisted of a men’s theatre group, women’s group, youth theatre (Junior, Intermediate and Senior) as well as a performing arts ensemble of professional actors. Alchemy performed Chris’ play Sanctuary which dealt with issues surrounding the ‘Forgotten Australians.’ The play was first performed at the time of the Australian National Apology. Alchemy’s plays tend to be a mix of social and personal themes with an emphasis on humour, emotional engagement and humanitarianism.
Among his best known plays are: Sunrise, Sunset; The Men; Absent Without Leave; and Foreigners From Home.
