PAUL BROWN

Dr. Paul Brown is a man of diverse talents: not only is he a playwright, screenwriter, documentarian and songwriter, he's also a lecturer in History and Philosophy of Science and coordinator of an Environmental Studies program at the University of New South Wales. Paul also founded Death Defying Theatre (now Urban Theatre Projects), one of Australia's foremost community theatre companies; established in 1981.

In 1990, Paul and a team of researchers interviewed 32 people who experienced the destruction of the Newcastle Workers Club during the 1989 Newcastle earthquake. Earthquakes being a rare phenomenon in Australia, the true stories of the people involved contributed to a compelling drama, which was later adapted for the screen and released by Ronin Films.

Paul continues to work on documentaries and theatre pieces involving social and ecological issues, while researching community activism in the Botany Bay region of Sydney, and the international toxic waste trade. His latest film is Sixty Thousand Barrels, a television documentary about citizens fighting to protect themselves from toxic waste. He is currently a member of the International Landmines Theatre project, which aims to write and produce a cross-cultural play with writers from seven Southeast Asian countries.

His latest play, Maralinga, tells the true story of soldiers who were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation during British nuclear testing in South Australia between 1956 and 1967

AFTERSHOCKS

Written with the Workers Cultural Action Committee.

The Newcastle earthquake has destroyed the Workers Club. Staff and friends of the Club gather to give their first hand accounts, speaking directly to us. Tales of bravery, danger, loss of life, fear, anger, surprise and humour. Stories of those not in Newcastle desperate to get home - imagining the worst. There's no romantic conclusion about community spirit conquering all. The play's realistic ending is about coping with life's on-going chaos rather than trying to defeat it altogether.