Writer wins play award

Press, 30 August 1989, Page 48

Writer wins play award

PA Wellington A Wellington playwright, Alan Williamson, has won the $lOOO New Zealand Theatre Federation’s Shell Play Award. He won it for his one-act play, “Elephant.” “Elephant” and another Williamson work, “Doll,” were entered in the federation’s Festival of Community Drama and he directed both plays. “Doll” was selected for the festival’s national finals in Hamilton. Williamson has also written widely for radio and television in New Zealand and Britain. He first became involved in theatre with Theatre Corporate in Auckland, and received Arts Council writing grants in 1973 and 1974. In 1975, he travelled to Britain, where he worked with a London community theatre group, Soapbox Theatre.

Williamson had work accepted by 8.8. C. Radio and wrote comedy material for the 8.8. C. and London Weekend Television. Some of his work was performed by Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker in “The Two Ronnies,” and he also wrote storylines for “The Professionals” series. Williamson recently sold series ideas to the American Taffner Organisation (which produced the Archie Bunker series), and is now working on a musical with a fellow Wellingtonian, Andrew Thomas.