Mr Whitlam Goes To Washington (excerpt)

Synopsis:

It is 1973.

Prime Minister Gough Whitlam – an idealistic, liberal internationalist – is about to meet with President Richard Nixon – a wily, paranoid Republican.

Nixon is trying to extricate his nation from Vietnam.  Whitlam is trying to extricate his nation from its relationship with the US.  Each man, though wary of the other, holds him in some degree of contempt.

The ANZUS Alliance is teetering, US military bases in Australia are in the balance, invective is flying, threats are being made.

For the first time in its brief, European history, Australia is seeking to unhitch its wagon from the imperialist star.

The scene is set for an ugly confrontation, but there is too much at stake for either side to ignore the weight of history, much less the rules of diplomacy.

With two men of such divergent ideas and differing temperaments, anything could happen.

What does in fact happen is the history you’ll never read – the history that takes place on the other side of the gender divide.

Character Breakdown:

The play is a 6-hander: 4 males, 2 females.

GOUGH WHITLAM

RICHARD NIXON 

HENRY KISSINGER              

MARGARET WHITLAM

PAT NIXON / TYPIST / GERMAINE GREER / INTERN – one actor.

LANCE BARNARD / ROY FERNANDEZ / CLYDE CAMERON / FRANK PACKER / VALET / JAMES PLIMSOLL – one actor.

Running-time: 110 minutes.

Production History: Not yet produced.

Excerpt available for download for free.