Burke's Company

‘… the Theatre of the Absurd and the Theatre of Cruelty are even more pervasively embodied in the plays of Alexander Buzo, Thomas Keneally and Bill Reed. In Buzo’s case it is Absurdism which is especially apparent; in Keneally and Reed, Artaudian ‘myth’ and language-in-space…‘It was Reed in Burke’s Company who pioneered Artaudian techniques in a play of stature. If the play is given imaginative production, it powerfully exemplifies one of Artaud’s most famous metaphors. The figures on stage will suggest universal human victims burning at the stake, signaling through the flames.’Professor Dennis CarrollContemporary Australian Theatre, Currency Press-----------------This is a reprint of one of the most successful award-winning plays of Bill Reed. Over the years it has been performed both on the professional and amateur stages around Australia and overseas, and published by Heinemann Educational and also in Currency Press's ‘Plays of the 60s’. Bill Reed has been involved in drama and publishing most of his existence in Australia, Britain, Canada and the Subcontinent. He has written nine professionally-produced plays and thirteen novels, including ‘1001 Lankan Nights, book 1 and 2’. He has won national awards for drama, short stories and novels. He now lives mostly in Sri Lanka.

Bill Reed is a novelist, playwright and short-story writer. He was born in Perth, Australia. His nine professionally-produced plays include Burke's Company, Mr Siggie Morrison with his Comb and Paper, Truganinni, Cass Butcher Bunting. His twelve novels have included Dogod, The 1001 Lankan Nights books 1 and 2, Me the Old Man, and the novel tetralogy Throw Her Back, Are Your Human?, Awash and Tasker Tusker Tasker. Burke's Company was his first play and has been performed widely on the Australian stage, as well as in London. He has worked as editor and journalist both in Australia and overseas. In 1980 his novel Stigmata won the Fellowship of Australian Writers'ANA award. Since then he has won national competitions in all three categories of drama, novels and short stories. He now lives in Sri Lanka.