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Katharine Brisbane | |
|---|---|
| Born | Katharine Elizabeth Brisbane (1932-01-07)7 January 1932 (age 93) |
| Education | University of Western Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Journalist, publisher |
| Known for | Founder ofCurrency Press |
| Awards | Helpmann Award |
Katharine Elizabeth Brisbane[1]AM (born 7 January 1932) is a Singaporean-born Australian journalist and publisher, well known for her writings as atheatre critic and founding firmCurrency Press.
Katharine Brisbane was born inSingapore on 7 January 1932, to David Williams, a civil engineer, and Myra Glady Brisbane. She spent her early years growing up inWestern Australia, living inPeppermint Grove.[2][better source needed]
Brisbane graduated from theUniversity of Western Australia with aBachelor of Arts, during her time at UWA she participated in student theatre, firstly designing costumes and then moving onto directing productions.
Brisbane upon graduating university became a cadet at newspaperThe West Australian, and spent 18 months inLondon. She took up the position of theatre critic forThe West Australian from 1959 to 1961, and again from 1962 to 1965. This work provided her the platform she needed to become the national theatre critic forThe Australian from 1967 to 1974. In this role, she was a part of the changing Australian drama of the new wave at the time and saw many new emerging Australian plays and playwrights. She documents these productions in her 2005 bookNot Wrong: Just Different. She also wrote as the national theatre writer forThe National Times from 1981 to 1982.[citation needed]
Brisbane foundedCurrency Press with her husband Philip Edward Parsons in 1971 and it became the largest independent publishing company in Australia.[citation needed] The first play that Currency published wasMacquarie, a 1972 play byAlex Buzo. In 1995, with Brisbane's continual backing, Currency publishedThe Concise Companion to Australian Theatre (ed. Philip Parsons).[citation needed]
Brisbane's writings include contributions toThe Literature of Australia,World Drama,Contemporary Australian Drama: Perspectives Since 1955, as well asNew Currents in Australian Writing, which she co-edited. She has also written introductions for many plays published by Currency Press.[citation needed]
In 1967, Brisbane wrote a scathing review of the Sydney production ofOthello in whichPeter O'Shaughnessy both directed and played the part of Othello. Brisbane wrote, in part, "Stupidity and lack of talent are forgivable; brave failures are deserving of praise – these are every day human failings. But the waste and dishonesty of this production ... made me very angry indeed".[3]
O'Shaughnessy sued Brisbane forlibel – the first libel case against a critic in Australia. The case was argued before theHigh Court of Australia, where O'Shaughnessy won with a unanimous judgment. In a joint statement,Garfield Barwick, McTiernan, Menzies and Owen wrote: "This is one of those cases where the critic, in making her evaluation that the production was a disaster... did not plainly confine herself to commenting upon facts truly stated; she wrote what could, we think, have been regarded as amounting to a defamatory statement of fact...".[4] In a separate judgment,Windeyer went further, "the matter published by the respondent in its newspaper was a vigorous, and in parts abusive criticism of a public performance of 'Othello'."[5] The newspaper ultimately settled with O'Shaughnessy. However, it had a lasting impact on O'Shaughnessy's career, for he left for London shortly afterwards, effectively ending his career on the Australian stage. As for Brisbane, she saw it as the making of her career: "So they settled... which was a bit sad. But after that my columns were read".[6]
In 1993, Brisbane was made a Member of theOrder of Australia, "In recognition of service to Australian drama, particularly as co-founder of Currency Press".[1]
TheHelpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry groupLive Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001.[7] In 2012, Brisbane received theJC Williamson Award, the LPA's highest honour, for their life's work in live performance.[8][9]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Herself | JC Williamson Award | awarded |
