"Don’t Give Up Your Day Job"
by playwright Judith Prior

 

Ten years ago, on completing the premiere season of my first script "Wink at the Sphinx" I was brought back to
earth by my dad. Although justifiably proud of my artistic efforts, he laughingly gave me this fatherly advice.
"Don’t give up your day job, love." The advice was taken in the spirit in which it was given. At the time, I had no
intention of giving up my day job. Since winning a childrens writing competition run by the Melbourne Age
newspaper at the tender age of eleven, writing has always been a hobby, an escape for me. The thought that
writing might become a full time profession had never occurred to me, and I’m still not quite sure how it all
happened.

"Wink at the Sphinx" was quickly snapped up by a publisher, and I blithely set about penning my next effort "Jest
at the West". On completion of a most successful season of "Jest", I fully expected this play to be published and
had already enthusiastically launched into my next masterpiece, "Jungle Juice"; when I received my first
rejection slip. The publishers didn’t like "Jest at the West", couldn’t see any future market in Australia for a
musical play based on the American wild west. The play had been extremely well received in it’s premiere
season and I could see no reason why it should not be as successful as the first one.

While nursing my bruised ego, and debating the wisdom of even finishing "Jungle Juice" a royalty statement
arrived in the mail; along with a very small cheque. Great news! In twelve months, five amateur companies had
actually performed my first play and listed here were the names of these groups. With my usual optimistic
attitude I decided to write to each of them and advise of my new work, and see what would develop. All five of
those original companies went on to perform "Jest at the West". 

Inspired by this success I placed several small advertisements in theatrical magazines; since then there have
been over one hundred and seventy performances by more than forty companies of "Jest at the West", all over
Australia. Possibly about to be overtaken by "Phantom of the Music Hall", "Jest at the West" so far remains my
most popular work. Both of these scripts and all of my subsequent plays have since been published by Players
Press in USA, Canada, New Zealand and the UK. and are now available world wide.

1998 saw Little Theatre groups at Yarrawonga, Kyabram, Myrtleford, Penrith, Berrigan, Eltham,
Tomaree, Dampier, Kwinana, Great Lakes Amateur Drama Society. All staging successful performances
of "Phantom of the Music Hall" much to the enjoyment of audiences and casts. Banyo High School Qld
also successfully performed "Phantom of the Music Hall" as the School Musical for 1998

Through my contact with many amateur groups who are performing my work, I’m often sent scripts to read, by
aspiring playwrights. Among these there are two writers whose work I have chosen to include for distribution
with my own. Rod Clark is a Western Australian writer of pantomime. His brilliantly Australian flavoured works
are very modern, extremely funny and sure to appeal to children and adults alike. I’m sure "Snow White’s Pizza
Palace" "Aladdin meets Howbazaar" or "Wally Matilda" will be showing at an amateur theatre near you in the
not too distant future. 

Another uniquely Australian comedy "Flight 069" by new writer, Kim Johnson of NSW, is sure to be popular. Set
in the 70's on board an aeroplane, with the audience included in the action as economy class passengers, the
main characters, Davo and Stammers, Pearl, Herbert and hostess June Moon, will have audiences in stitches
with their antics and Ocker attitudes. Watch out for this play, don’t miss it, if it plays in a theatre near you. 

If I’m starting to sound more like a publisher than a playwright, that’s because I now spend most of my day at my
desktop publishing business, answering faxes and phone calls, E-Mail and orders, printing, binding and
despatching scripts. I really enjoy the daily contact with secretaries, school teachers, actors and directors . The
thrill of making contact with a new Company or Group is every bit as exciting as writing......

Except I don’t get much time for writing anymore, and, guess what?

I’ve had to give up my day job!

Judith Prior
6 Ryan Street Bundaberg Qld 4670
Phone or Fax 41-527003

E-Mail jprior@interworx.com.au