12:00a.m. 29th August 2008

Two of the characters in Frank Wilkie's upcoming play Newsroom.

Who wouldn’t benefit from having leading Australian playwright David Williamson as dramaturge on their first full-length play?

For Noosa journalist/editor and local actor Frank Wilkie, it’s happened with his work Newsroom, a wicked snapshot of the characters and issues sexing-up and stripping down a post 9/11 newspaper.

Wilkie said Williamson’s expert dramaturgy was manna from heaven and typical of the top playwright’s practice of “putting back” into the community he has embraced as his home.

David and Kristin Williamson were key co-founders of the Noosa Longweekend, a 10-day cultural festival which has brought such luminaries as Clive James, Peter Carey, John Pilger, Michael Leunig and Bill Leak to the seaside resort town on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

Wilkie was among many who met and developed friendships with the couple at the inaugural event in 2002. He shared the stage with the accomplished duo as conflict mediator Jack Manning in Williamson’s Charitable Intent in the first Noosa Longweekend.

In 2005, Wilkie played Alex Carmides alongside their son Rory Williamson in Operator, again as part of the Noosa Longweekend.

The Williamsons were also regular readers of Wilkie’s outspoken columns, written as editor for the local newspaper, which lampooned the divisive, fear-driven politics warping the Australian psyche in recent years.

The high-profile author of over 30 plays is also the Noosa Arts Theatre patron and forwarded Wilkie notes on character development and structure after two readings of Newsroom.

"Playwriting is a change of genre for me and to have such high-quality advice in this creative leap of faith has been miraculous,’’ Wilkie said.

"David’s challenging questions and advice inspired subsequent drafts which were infinitely more dramatically satisfying.’’

"It’s been a constant process of writing and rewriting which may end only after the full production in September, and maybe not even then.’’

"I’m only one of many in this community who value the Williamsons as much for their generosity of spirit as their outstanding literary achievements.’’

Newsroom, which premieres on September 11 at Noosa Arts Theatre, has also attracted top talent in director Louise Bergin, a former Royal Shakespeare Company actor and London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama honours graduate.

Noosa Arts Theatre president Chris Warren said community theatre had a vital role in encouraging new writers to stage their work.

“Staging a new full length play like Newsroom has been a terrific opportunity for actors and the theatre to be involved in the creative process,’’ Warren said.

“The theatre will be using all its resources and skills to convey the wit, insights, humour and creative vitality of this play to audiences.’’

Newsroom’s action is set in the Heartland Herald, a conservative newspaper recently taken over by a global media firm.

Long-term editor Geoff Browning and his depleted staff battle a new management team hell-bent on improving profits and shareholder returns by sexing up and stripping down the newsroom and courting favour with big business and a government in the throes of post-9/11 passions.

WHAT: Newsroom

WHERE: Noosa Arts Theatre

WHEN: Opens September 11

INFO: www.noosaartstheatre.org.au