After the pram: an overview of independent theatre in Melbourne

Submission note: A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by creative work to the School of Humanities, College of Theatre and Drama, La Trobe University, Bundoora.

This thesis presents a study of the main companies in the Melbourne theatre community 1980 to 2010. It is offered in two parts, a conventional scholarly thesis and a complete creative work (a play text and its production by a major theatre company). The doctoral thesis provides three research foci: a historical account, a systemic overview, and a creative artwork. The author approaches independent theatre in Melbourne in the period through his own practice-led involvement in the making of theatre. The thesis presents a chronological narrative of independent and mainstream theatre in Melbourne over three decades. Chapters one to four identify important companies, artists and productions in those years and place them within the context of infrastructure and institutional change. It draws on primary and secondary sources to compile this history, and includes extensive interviews with key practitioners. The research material is original and, by combining a range of theoretical perspectives, provides a comprehensive overview of its subject matter. Chapters five to eight identify structural homologies, emerging taxonomies and recurring patterns relating to the development of select independent companies in the period. The thesis models the structural relationships between these companies and the networks formed by these relationships. This historical and theoretical analysis is accompanied by the final production copy of my play script, The Joy of Text, as commissioned, developed and produced by Melbourne Theatre Company 2009 to 2011.