Geoffrey Atherden Geoffrey Atherden i(A28592 works by)
Gender: Male
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1 3 form y separately published work icon Mother and Son Matt Okine , Sarah Walker , Tristram Baumber , Geoffrey Atherden , Australia : Wooden Horse Australian Broadcasting Corporation , 2023 25573170 2023 series - publisher film/TV

'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.

1 5 y separately published work icon Black Cockatoo Geoffrey Atherden , 2020 Brisbane : Playlab , 2020 17085548 2020 single work drama

'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.

1 Johnny Mullagh Was One of Australia's First Cricketing Heroes. His Story Deserves Wider Recognition Geoffrey Atherden , 2019 single work column
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 27 December 2019;

'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)

1 2 The Anzac Project Geoffrey Atherden , Vanessa Bates , 2015 selected work drama war literature

'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)

1 5 Mother & Son Geoffrey Atherden , 2015 single work drama humour

'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)

1 2 Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Geoffrey Atherden , 2013 single work drama

'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)

1 1 Warning : Explicit Material Geoffrey Atherden , 2011 single work drama

'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

1 Tutor Story Geoffrey Atherden , 2009 single work column
— Appears in: Newswrite : The NSW Writers' Centre Magazine , December 2009 / January 2010 no. 188 2009; (p. 28)
1 Give Us Creative Accounting Geoffrey Atherden , 2009 single work column
— Appears in: The Age , 28 February 2009; (p. 9)
1 2 form y separately published work icon Stepfather of the Bride Geoffrey Atherden , ( dir. Roger Hodgman ) Australia : Essential Viewing Australian Broadcasting Corporation , 2006 Z1329618 2006 single work film/TV humour

'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)

1 2 y separately published work icon Grass Roots : Col Dunkley's Guide to Local Government Geoffrey Atherden , Sydney : ABC Books , 2003 Z1008465 2003 single work prose satire
1 form y separately published work icon By-election Geoffrey Atherden , ( dir. Peter Andrikidis ) Australia : ABC Television , 2003 6036947 2003 single work film/TV
1 3 y separately published work icon Grass Roots : Series One Geoffrey Atherden , Katherine Thomson , Michael Brindley , Strawberry Hills : Currency Press , 2002 Z1008462 2002 selected work drama
1 form y separately published work icon Grass Roots Geoffrey Atherden , Michael Brindley , ( dir. Peter Andrikidis ) Australia : ABC Television , 2000 Z1730563 2000 series - publisher film/TV

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

1 form y separately published work icon The Whole Year Geoffrey Atherden , ( dir. Peter Andrikidis ) Australia : ABC Television , 2000 6036698 2000 single work film/TV
1 Writers Defend Film Craft Geoffrey Atherden , 1997 single work column
— Appears in: The West Australian , 24 March 1997; (p. 4)
The role of the screenwriter in cinema and television is being overshadowed by the high profile of the writer/director.
1 Do Seagulls Feel the Heat Geoffrey Atherden , 1997 single work short story humour
— Appears in: Hot Sand : An Anthology 1997; (p. 309-321)
1 form y separately published work icon Keeping Mum Geoffrey Atherden , ( dir. Sylvie Boden ) United Kingdom (UK) : British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) , 1997-1998 7983246 1997 series - publisher film/TV humour

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.

1 8 Hotspur Geoffrey Atherden , 1994 single work drama humour
1 6 y separately published work icon Mother and Son : Five Award-Winning Scripts from the ABC TV Series Geoffrey Atherden , Crows Nest : Australian Broadcasting Corporation , 1992 Z368389 1992 selected work drama criticism humour (taught in 1 units)
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