Cirrus@Austlit

'Arthur Gbeme has moved back into his Western Sydney childhood home. As he tells it, he has “put his life on hold” to care for his mum, Maggie, but the truth is, there isn’t much to put on hold. A former nurse, Maggie used to be a firebrand – a renegade. But since the death of her husband, Maggie has been… a little off. A bold re-imagining of the Australian classic, ‘Mother & Son’ is a show about ageing, migrant upbringing, changing family roles, and caring for someone you love even when they’re driving you up the wall. It’s an unapologetically hilarious comedy about a “helpless old woman” who runs rings around her adult son.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

'Inspired by the true story of legendary First Nations cricketer Johnny Mullagh and Australia’s first ever international sporting team, this is not just about cricket. This is a story of strength, resistance, hope and possibility.'

Source: Ensemble Theatre.

'Mullagh was a star of the all-Indigenous cricket team that travelled to England in 1868. But his story is about more than just sporting prowess'

(Source : Abstract)

'100 years from Gallipoli and what does it all mean now?

'To commemorate the centenary, Ensemble Theatre has commissioned two one-act plays, but this is not some dry lesson in Australian history. The past is made new in these two original productions.

In DEAR MUM AND DAD Holly discovers a long forgotten letter and her great-granddad’s secret is finally uncovered.

'The lyrical LIGHT BEGINS TO FADE follows a roomful of TV writers as they try to adapt the Gallipoli story for today’s audience. Meanwhile, the bloody past starts to haunt the present…..' (Publication summary)

'Everyone’s favourite forgetful mum is back! From the creator of the hit TV series comes a brand new stage comedy featuring Maggie, Arthur and Robert in delicious form.

'This fresh, up-to-the-moment version of the beloved Logie Award-winning show finds longsuffering second son Arthur Beare hoping for the chance, at long last, to take a few weeks away and pursue a little fling with his new flame, Anita. However, his philandering brother, Robert, and manipulative mother, Maggie, have other plans.

'Mother & Son reinvigorates a treasured Australian comedy icon with Atherden’s distinctive brand of acerbic wit, mixing together the sweet, the sharp, the savage and the sad in Maggie and Arthur’s complex, dysfunctional relationship.

'It’s an achingly funny play for anyone who’s part of a family but has caught themselves, even for a second, wishing that they weren’t. Noeline Brown and Darren Gilshenan take on the roles made famous by Ruth Cracknell and Garry McDonald in this nostalgic trip down loss-of-memory lane from the series’ original writer.' (Production summary)

'Orlagh O'Connor has never considered herself a threat to national security. So why is she under surveillance and being interrogated? Is it a case of mistaken identity? Or does the odd young man interviewing her actually have a case?

'LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY' explores the fine line between our impulse to share information with the world and our right for that information to remain private.' (Source: Ensemble Theatre 2013 program)

'When Barry Smith was a much younger man, he was more of a show-off than the enfant terrible of Australian art. A member of the Sydney Push and the Libertarian movement, his biggest claim to fame and his proudest moment was having an exhibition raided by the Vice Squad and shut down. Barry was on the front page of the Sunday Mirror for two weeks in a row when art and censorship were in the news. He regarded his lifestyle as uncompromising. Now years later, he is visited by two remarkable women. One is the daughter he hasn't seen for more than twenty years. The other is a complete surprise.'

Source: Ensemble Theatre website, http://ensemble.com.au/
Sighted: 31/10/2011

'A comedy about a modern wedding, where the bride plans an extravagant celebration, the groom can't believe his luck, the parents and ex-husbands and current wives squabble over who is going to pay for it all, and standing on the side, waiting for disaster to strike is the groom's best friend.'

Source: Screen Australia. (Sighted: 27/10/2014)

Set in the fictional township of Arcadia Waters, Grass Roots follows the ups and downs of the mayor, Col Dunkley.

An adaptation of Atherden's Mother and Son for the British market. Some minor alterations were made to the characters' names, but the general structure of the program remains unchanged.

Atherden wrote all sixteen episodes for the two series that were produced.

For episode-by-episode synopses, see Film Details.