Cirrus@Austlit

Epigraph: I believed that my most important function was to establish an atmosphere in which the grace of creativity might fall on any member of the group, giving him or her the right to lead the work. Rex Cramphorn.

This is an edited text of the annual Rex Cramphorn Memorial Lecture, delivered by Marion Potts at Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, on 28 September 2010. Rex Cramphorn was one of the key practitioners to emerge from the renaissance of Australian theatre in the 1960s and 1970s. His work ranged from the experimental to the classical, and was especially marked by his total commitment to the idea of artists working together, sharing and developing skills. Each year, a leading theatre practitioner is invited to deliver a lecture to celebrate Cramphorn’s memory.