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The Removalists
The Removalists, David Williamson's multiple prize-winning black comedy, captured audiences first in 1971 with its passionate recognition of the bottled-up aggression inside Australian society. The basic authoritarianism, the confrontation between the sexes which so often passes for human relationships—these were the discoveries which audiences applauded in the young playwright. This was the first in a remarkable series of plays—Don's Party, The Department, The Club, Travelling North—which have since established David Williamson as one of Australia's most important writers.
How deeply the violence he describes in The Removalists is rooted in the Australian character is discussed in the first section of the book, where the eminent criminal lawyer Frank Galbally writes about the police, that acute observer of Australian mores, the late Ian Turner, writes on football and our social habits—and there is a glimpse of the convict history that made us what we are.
How deeply the violence he describes in The Removalists is rooted in the Australian character is discussed in the first section of the book, where the eminent criminal lawyer Frank Galbally writes about the police, that acute observer of Australian mores, the late Ian Turner, writes on football and our social habits—and there is a glimpse of the convict history that made us what we are.
128 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1972
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David Williamson
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 22, 2020
The Removalists was first presented at Melbourne's La Mama Theatre in July 1971 and was directed by New Zealand-Australian actor Bruce Spence, who was also part of the cast: That's the guy who wore those big goggles in Mad Max with Mel Gibson. Williamson's play I'd put into the category of black comedy, and deals primarily with issues that arose in Australian society back then.
I found it similar in style to the plays of Dario Fo and British playwright Joe Orton, although this was less farcical. Really good.
I found it similar in style to the plays of Dario Fo and British playwright Joe Orton, although this was less farcical. Really good.
December 9, 2007
Williamson is probably still our national playwright here in Australia. I'm probably showing my State allegiances as much as anything else in saying he hasn't written a play that matches anything he wrote over twenty years ago. But he did move to Sydney at that time, and what can one expect? In the immortal words of Barry Humphries - I'm not just an Australian, I'm a Victorian.
This play is like no other by Williamson before or since. I think it is easily his best play, and that is really saying something as he has an impressive body of work. Some of his plays have been made into quite good films - Travelling North with Leo McKern was a wonderful film and perhaps Williamson's last truly great play. He was at his best when he wrote plays based on character, rather than theme in my view.
The Removalist was also made into a television drama that was an excellent production and kept well to the book. I've seen this once and would love to see it again.
The Removalist is not the only play by Williamson to deal with class distinctions in Australia, and definitely not the only play to deal with the differences between the sexes - we are a nation that spends far too much time trying to deny that class distinctions exist. It is our great egalitarian myth. Williamson, at his best, shows these class distinctions in all their naturalism. His grasp of the rhythms of the Australian voice in its various class accents is pretty much without peer.
Plays like The Department and The Club also have themes of class distinction - plays like A Handful of Friends or Juggler's Three are quite realistic and sometimes quite shocking. The Return of Stork and Don's Party (perhaps his most famous plays in Australia and two of his earliest) are subversively at their funniest mostly when they deal with sex. But none of his other plays are as stark or as confrontational as The Removalist.
The story revolves around two policemen who have been called to a house where a middleclass woman is encouraging her more workingclass sister to move out of what she considers to be an abusive relationship with her husband. The police clearly see this as an opportunity to have sex with the two women and there is some flirting between them in their first encounter.
When the police return with a removalist to shift the younger sister out of the house, the husband comes home from the pub and the subsequent confrontation is, well, confronting.
Williamson has always denied that this is an 'anti-police' story - and I tend to agree with him. This is a story of sexual politics as much as it is about police brutality - but the brutality is clearly there and not held back in anyway. We are shown a very ugly side of a power inbalance born of sexual frustration as much as anything else and that lingers with the reader for quite sometime.
There are some very funny moments in the play - the removalist himself is the definition of comic relief - but as a play about sexual politics it is a very disturbing view.
In the words of Bob Dylan, "There ain't no limit to the amount of trouble women bring".
This play is possibly most disturbing because we don't come away really hating any of the characters - it would be much less confronting if we could dislike the police more, for example. Unlike some of his later plays it is not nearly as didactic as it could have been, and this is its greatest virtue. Every action in the play has a terrible logic and a sense of inevitability. And that is probably as good a definition of a great play as I can think of.
So, yes, I would probably recommend it.
This play is like no other by Williamson before or since. I think it is easily his best play, and that is really saying something as he has an impressive body of work. Some of his plays have been made into quite good films - Travelling North with Leo McKern was a wonderful film and perhaps Williamson's last truly great play. He was at his best when he wrote plays based on character, rather than theme in my view.
The Removalist was also made into a television drama that was an excellent production and kept well to the book. I've seen this once and would love to see it again.
The Removalist is not the only play by Williamson to deal with class distinctions in Australia, and definitely not the only play to deal with the differences between the sexes - we are a nation that spends far too much time trying to deny that class distinctions exist. It is our great egalitarian myth. Williamson, at his best, shows these class distinctions in all their naturalism. His grasp of the rhythms of the Australian voice in its various class accents is pretty much without peer.
Plays like The Department and The Club also have themes of class distinction - plays like A Handful of Friends or Juggler's Three are quite realistic and sometimes quite shocking. The Return of Stork and Don's Party (perhaps his most famous plays in Australia and two of his earliest) are subversively at their funniest mostly when they deal with sex. But none of his other plays are as stark or as confrontational as The Removalist.
The story revolves around two policemen who have been called to a house where a middleclass woman is encouraging her more workingclass sister to move out of what she considers to be an abusive relationship with her husband. The police clearly see this as an opportunity to have sex with the two women and there is some flirting between them in their first encounter.
When the police return with a removalist to shift the younger sister out of the house, the husband comes home from the pub and the subsequent confrontation is, well, confronting.
Williamson has always denied that this is an 'anti-police' story - and I tend to agree with him. This is a story of sexual politics as much as it is about police brutality - but the brutality is clearly there and not held back in anyway. We are shown a very ugly side of a power inbalance born of sexual frustration as much as anything else and that lingers with the reader for quite sometime.
There are some very funny moments in the play - the removalist himself is the definition of comic relief - but as a play about sexual politics it is a very disturbing view.
In the words of Bob Dylan, "There ain't no limit to the amount of trouble women bring".
This play is possibly most disturbing because we don't come away really hating any of the characters - it would be much less confronting if we could dislike the police more, for example. Unlike some of his later plays it is not nearly as didactic as it could have been, and this is its greatest virtue. Every action in the play has a terrible logic and a sense of inevitability. And that is probably as good a definition of a great play as I can think of.
So, yes, I would probably recommend it.
December 16, 2012
It's probably un-Australian, but I'm going to admit to not being a huge fan of The Removalists. The overt and covert violence in domestic and social relationships and in the very specific relationships between police and civilian is presented pretty starkly, there is exploration of issues of masculinity, dominance and control, but to my mind the power of these observations is undermined by a large element of psychological implausibility in the play, and the evacuation of any possible moral grounding for any of the characters.
The story centres around two police officers, Ross and Simmonds, using a complaint about domestic violence being brought by sisters Fiona and Kate against Fiona's husband Kenny in the hope that this will result in an opportunity for the police officers to have sex with the women. The complaint is distastefully presented itself as part of a scheme by the two sisters to gain access to some treasured furniture (hence the involvement of the removalists of the play's title) which makes a reader or viewer wonder whether we are being asked to question the sexist assumptions, or to go along with them as they key narrative driver of the play. And with the flirtation in the police station – itself I think psychologically implausible – it becomes clear that Williamson is prepared to have us see the sexist complaints about women that pervade the play are all – at least potentially – justifiable. I also didn't find the descent into uncontrollable violence which ends with Kenny's death plausible either. The action is just too compressed for that.
So, there's a dire energy in the aggressive and violent action and language, but the play just doesn't work for me as drama.
The story centres around two police officers, Ross and Simmonds, using a complaint about domestic violence being brought by sisters Fiona and Kate against Fiona's husband Kenny in the hope that this will result in an opportunity for the police officers to have sex with the women. The complaint is distastefully presented itself as part of a scheme by the two sisters to gain access to some treasured furniture (hence the involvement of the removalists of the play's title) which makes a reader or viewer wonder whether we are being asked to question the sexist assumptions, or to go along with them as they key narrative driver of the play. And with the flirtation in the police station – itself I think psychologically implausible – it becomes clear that Williamson is prepared to have us see the sexist complaints about women that pervade the play are all – at least potentially – justifiable. I also didn't find the descent into uncontrollable violence which ends with Kenny's death plausible either. The action is just too compressed for that.
So, there's a dire energy in the aggressive and violent action and language, but the play just doesn't work for me as drama.
July 7, 2019
It's an interesting short story but not my kind of book, I found myself just trying to get it over with quick
February 8, 2020
Really creepy and a gross representation of Aussie s. Hard to read cause kinda graphic really
December 21, 2021
It might be accurate (?), but it was a horrible, terrifying book.
December 17, 2022
My teacher had to tell our class what “thread the eye of the old golden doughnut” meant. She didn’t get paid enough for that
December 30, 2024
This was a journeym at times funny and at times downright depressing. I am glad I listened to it though
September 15, 2024
It's been a while since I read a few plays but I've just read the removalists by David Williamson and I'm really impressed by his craftsmanship. Incredible dialogue ....great characterisation and some rather deep and layered social commentary underpinning it. A very Australian play with an underlying theme of police corruption and inefficiency. The almost inevitable corruption of the young, enthusiastic cop just fresh out of the training school. Casual domestic violence. Deliberate police violence and intimidation. A straightforward abuse of power in a situation where nobody (except the young cop, Ross) seems to be "clean". The introductions were equally interesting ....especially the one by Frank Galbally (a Lawyer)........well known for defending criminals. though, as he points out. Frequently the police were guilty of crimes and abuse that never was redressed. I think a major change came about from the Fitzgerald report on corruption in the Queensland police....going right to the Minister and maybe, even, to the Premier. My impression was that this started something of a reform of the police forces...not just in Qld but elsewhere in Australia. NSW police were notoriously corrupt and there were very strong links with the Premier at that time. There are also the sexual tensions underlying most of the action saying something about lax moral standards at all levels among the cast.....the implication being that these reflected the morals of the society at large (which I think is probably not true).
As a piece of theatre, I think it works really well. Williamson's dialogue captures the vernacular perfectly. His characters are well defined and very believable. Though the ending is a bit too shocking and sudden. Seems to me that wrapping it up was a bit of a problem and so Ross goes crazy and kills Kenny....end of story. I found that vaguely unsatisfactory ....thought it was going to be hard to wrap up anyway. Still five stars from me. I liked it.
As a piece of theatre, I think it works really well. Williamson's dialogue captures the vernacular perfectly. His characters are well defined and very believable. Though the ending is a bit too shocking and sudden. Seems to me that wrapping it up was a bit of a problem and so Ross goes crazy and kills Kenny....end of story. I found that vaguely unsatisfactory ....thought it was going to be hard to wrap up anyway. Still five stars from me. I liked it.
October 25, 2020
A microcosm of Australian society, David Williamson’s play is a chilling yet tremendous look into the domestic violence that seems to overrule humankind, and mostly through an underbelly society where domestic violence is never really talked about. Highly eye opening and worth the read.
May 17, 2022
Fantastic! Such as engaging text! I really didn’t want to put it down! A really engaging look at domestic violence and abuse of power. I cannot believe it took me this long to read an Australian Classic.
March 23, 2018
This play is absolutely appalling on so many levels, but it did leave me thinking... REALLY thinking, and that’s something I hugely appreciate from any work of literature.
Read
July 18, 2020This was so well-written it was painful to read.
October 2, 2021
Terrifying, shocking, and amazing. I watched it at a theatre too and its even more impactful when brought to life. Still a good read though.
June 20, 2022
Classic Australian
September 28, 2022
what nesa makes us read for drama…
October 26, 2022
luv australia's toxic culture
April 11, 2023
I loved it! While it had dark themes like domestic violence and toxic masculinity, it was comedic and had me laughing in parts. Would love to see this play one day!
October 7, 2023
Year 12 Drama looking fucking awful
November 28, 2023
well...
Read
January 16, 2024A difficult read - Issues of class, police violence, power and misogyny set in 1970s Australia.
October 23, 2024
Very fun playing Simmonds in drama
November 21, 2024
had to read this for a play study for school drama :)
December 23, 2025
I get the theme of Abuse of Power that the author must've been trying to showcase, but I don't know how I would've sat through the drama if I couldn't handle toxic characters on paper.
September 13, 2021
It is a quick read! I had to drop it in between for some days as I was busy.
The play gives you an insight into the colloquial tongue of Australian suburbs. It talks about social evils like domestic violence, corruption, violence, adultery, and alcoholism. Williamson reflects upon the idea of how the people in authority use it to exploit the ones below them. The book is also filled with sarcastic remarks and hints of humor amidst all the sexism. In a nutshell, it presents the brutal reality of the world that we live in.
The play gives you an insight into the colloquial tongue of Australian suburbs. It talks about social evils like domestic violence, corruption, violence, adultery, and alcoholism. Williamson reflects upon the idea of how the people in authority use it to exploit the ones below them. The book is also filled with sarcastic remarks and hints of humor amidst all the sexism. In a nutshell, it presents the brutal reality of the world that we live in.
March 15, 2015
I liked the genuine dramatic tension. especially from the end of the first act onwards, and the focused activeness of the play. Also that is was very Australian without being *about* being Australian. On the other hand the dialogue is pretty quotidian, though definitely adequate, and I'm not sure about the pop-psychology-ish aspects of the way the violence is treated, i.e. all the 'snapping'. It's interesting to see how David Williamson started out, with something genuinely interesting and alive.
March 8, 2013
I've seen this play performed as a 20 minute piece, edited down from the original script and I found it to be more enjoyable than to read the play in its entirety.
There's such an inexplainable shift in The Sergeant's character and ideas towards women between Act One and Act Two that I was left a bit confused.
I also found that the second act dragged on and scandals were addressed for the sake of lengthening the plot.
Overall, Act One is great. Leave halfway through Act Two.
There's such an inexplainable shift in The Sergeant's character and ideas towards women between Act One and Act Two that I was left a bit confused.
I also found that the second act dragged on and scandals were addressed for the sake of lengthening the plot.
Overall, Act One is great. Leave halfway through Act Two.
June 25, 2012
Powerful play but damn, there were waaaay too many asshole characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews