Playwright speaks out over ‘derogatory treatment’

Lachlan Philpott’s ‘heartbreaking’ decision to distance himself from his play has led to the cancellation of its Sydney season.

Lachlan Philpott’s ‘heartbreaking’ decision to distance himself from his own play has led to the cancellation of its Sydney season.

As reported last week, Perth Theatre Company’s world premiere of Philpott’s AlieNation – an exploration of faith from the perspective of people who believe they have been abducted by aliens, based on detailed interviews with real-life abductees – was notable for the playwright’s absence on opening night. Nor was his name anywhere to be seen on the program.

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Richard Watts is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM, and serves as the Chair of La Mama Theatre's volunteer Committee of Management. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, and was awarded the status of Melbourne Fringe Living Legend in 2017. In 2020 he was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize. Most recently, Richard was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Green Room Awards Association in June 2021. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts