Second Wave Australian Theatre Overview

It is my pleasure, my privilege, NAY! My honor to present to you the final stage of Australian theatre… The Second Wave.

When veering at the end of the 1970s the New Wave theatre seemed to be exhausting out and an innovative group of writers such as Stephen Sewell and Louis Nowra arose.

Called at the time the new 'internationalists', the two ceased to be interested in the idea of an Australian National Identity.

Nowra and Sewell were still interested in exploring aspects of Australian history and culture but thought of doing so in a broader international context in which the idea of local 'distinctiveness' seemed less important.

What connected Australia to the world was now seen to be as important as what made it different.

Along with the internationalists, women’s theatre rose t

hroughout the decade, and the new interest in identity politics, laid the groundwork for an upsurge in the late 70s and throughout the 80s.

From the disarray of Louis Nowra’s ‘Cosi’, to the angry protestant remarks of Stephen Sewell’s ‘Dreams in an city’ and the sense and serentity of Hannie Rayson’s ‘Life after George’, have poked the luminous fire of our Australian theatre identity. Culturally speaking we have grown into a mature and well-constructed theatre archetype, and can only get stronger from our writers, performers and society.

Cosí, Nowra's most acclaimed play, cannibalizes aristocratic culture, and is perversely set in a 1970s Melbourne madhouse.

Some topics in this essay:
Louis Nowra, Nowra Sewell, Hotel Sorrento, , Hannie Rayson’s, Front Vietnam, SEWELL Sewell, Ironic Celtic, Empty City, Cosí Nowra's, australian theatre, louis nowra, stephen sewell, hannie rayson, plays include,