19.03.26
Kia ora, Warami, Hey,
It’s delightful to be writing to you all as the Associate Artistic Director at Griffin. I’m thrilled to be taking over this role from Andrea James, who has moved to Naarm as the new Artistic Director of ILBIJERRI Theatre Company. Prior to Andrea, the role was held by Tessa Leong, who is the Artistic Director of CAAP (Contemporary Asian Australian Performance). Two powerhouse women—clearly, I have some big shoes to fill. I’m so grateful to the Griffin Women’s Initiative, which supports the role—an initiative set up by Lee Lewis in 2019. Thanks, Lee.
I can’t quite believe I’ve already been with the company for two months, though General Manager Khym Scott tells me I’m only masquerading as a “new” Griff, having already directed Eloise Snape’s Pony and Omar Musa’sSince Ali Died for the company over the last few years. And it’s true—Griffin holds a huge place in my heart. I love new writing—how can a community develop if it’s not communicating with itself, pointing out inequalities, and holding up a mirror? New work is my passion.
It’s been a busy time. On Monday, I directed the readings for the 2025 Griffin Studio cohort. The plays included Adrian Russell Wills’s Queenie One, about a 17-year-old Aboriginal man moving to the Cross in the 90s, in the middle of the AIDS crisis, and falling in love; Joanna Erskine’s heartfelt play Illumination, about the death of her father from asbestos disease, and his great love of geology spanning more than 60 years; and finally, Christopher Bryant’s wild and surprisingly hilarious work Parallel Play, about the traumatic brain injury he acquired as the result of being hit by a car a decade ago. Sheridan Harbridge not only played a German neurologist and Chris’s mother in the same scene, but the characters interrupted each other—ridiculously delightful.
We also announced the incoming Griffin Studio artists for 2026: Erica Brennan, Michael Louis Kennedy and Grace Malouf. They are all remarkable talents. Each year, our Studio artists develop a new work with support from Griffin’s Artistic team, while undertaking workshops on many aspects of theatre-making. Plays that have come out of Griffin Studio include Meyne Wyatt’s extraordinary City of Gold, Dylan Van Den Berg’s Whitefella Yella Tree—which had its most recent season as part of the Adelaide Festival last week—and Jorjia Gillis’s Mum Club, which is coming up later this year.
I’ve spent my last two Saturdays with Griffin’s Ambassadors. The Ambassadors are Year 10, 11, and 12 students from across New South Wales who come to see Griffin shows and take part in workshops all year as part of this free program. Last week, they came to The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin by steve j. spears and we discussed the play and how Simon Burke approached the role as part of a Q&A with Simon and vocal coach Linda Nicholls-Gidley afterwards. The week before, Griffin alum Joseph Althouse and Eloise Snape ran workshops with the Ambassadors, before Katrina Douglas, Lenore Robertson AM, Khym Scott and I held a two-hour panel discussion with the group—we just couldn’t get to the end of their insightful questions! We covered everything from why we love theatre to education pathways, community and youth arts, and how to build a sustainable career. The Griffin Ambassadors program is generously supported by the Robertson Foundation.
Well, that’s enough from me for now. I’ve a new play to sit down and read… more soon.
Anthea
Anthea Williams
Associate Artistic Director
