BOVELL, Andrew John
(1999) BOVELL, Andrew John, in Contemporary Dramatists, 6th edn., pages pp. 70-71. St. James Press.
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Abstract
Andrew Bovell emerged from what is sometimes called the 'Second Wave' of Australian drama, a period beginning in the early 1980s and characterized by a more cosmopolitan world view than that associated with the insular parochialism of the preceding 'New Wave'. Whilst contemporaries such as David Williamson and Louis Nowra are better known, Bovell is nonetheless amongst the front rank of Australian playwrights. An acute observer and recorder of 'ordinary people', he is one of this country's most technically skilled dramatists, his plays consistently lauded for their precision of structure and tightly-woven, sharply naturalistic dialogue. Frequently, his characters speak across one another, intercutting, overlaying and repeating, weaving intricate patterns in dialogue. Common too in Bovell's work are sudden shifts in time, flashbacks, and other narrative manipulations; in particular, his reliance on coincidence and chance meetings is a trademark. Rather than straining credibility, this technique points up how accidental events can often precipitate crises. Bovell's dramas have strongly musical qualities: structurally complex and emotionally rich, they are embellished with codas and harmonies, echoes and dissonances.
| Item Type: | Book Chapter |
|---|---|
| Status: | Published |
| Place of Publication: | Detroit |
| Keywords: | Australian theatre and drama, Australian playwrights, Melbourne Workers' Theatre |
| Subjects: | 410000 The Arts > 410100 Performing Arts > 410102 Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies |
| ID Code: | 7899 |
| Deposited By: | Makeham, Paul |
| Deposited On: | 29 May 2007 |
| Alternative Locations: | http://www.gale.com/stjames/ |
| Copyright Owner: | Copyright (1999)St. James Press |
| Additional Information: | For more information, please contact the author: p.makeham@qut.edu.au |