Dialogue in Society

David Williamson’s

The Club

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© Pamela Cohen Page 2

In studying David Williamson’s play The Club you will be developing your

ideas in relation to dialogue. You will explore what this play says about

Australian identity and its relationship to sport. Williamson’s clever language

choices provide us with the opportunity to explore themes, issue, ideas and

contexts relating to sport, in this case Australian Rules, particularly as a

representation of the political landscape of Australia during the 1970s.

You will study the explicit and implicit meaning that is shaped for the

responder by examining stage directions and dialogue. You will explore the

various language forms, features and structure of the play to ascertain the

composer’s purpose and the reactions that could be expected of an audience.

The Club was first performed in 1977 and focuses on the interpersonal politics

of the administrators and players in a fictional Australian Rules football club.

The play explores conflict within the club. Using the strategies of analysing

context ( social, cultural, political, historical, religious, gender, intellectual and

physical) you will be able to identify the conflict set up in the play between

traditionalists and those who, in the 1970s, were looking at the economic and

commercialisation of the ‘Great Australian Game’. The play is a satire – we

will also explore what a satire is and why satire is used and created by

composers.

© Pamela Cohen Page 3

Board of Studies Syllabus Content

Module A: Experience Through Language

This module requires students to explore the uses of a particular aspect of language. It develops

students’ awareness of language and helps them to understand how our perceptions of and

relationships with others and the world are shaped in written, spoken and visual language.

Each elective in this module requires study of a prescribed text through a key aspect of language.

This provides the basis for the study and use of this aspect of language in other texts, including

texts drawn from students’ own experience.

Students examine particular language structures and features used in the prescribed text and in a

range of situations that they encounter in their daily lives. They explore, examine and analyse

how the conventions of textual forms, language modes and media shape meaning. Composition

focuses on experimentation with variations of purpose, audience and form to achieve different

effects. These compositions may be realised in a variety of forms and media.

Elective 2: Dialogue

In their responding and composing, students explore the nature of speech and how it is

represented in a range of texts. Students will examine one prescribed text, in addition to the

examples of spoken language in their lives, to explore the uses and conventions of dialogue and

its interpersonal nature; students will analyse who controls the conversation and whether certain

voices are silenced. In their exploration of Dialogue, students develop an understanding of the

differences between spoken and written language.

Students will choose one of the following texts as the basis for their further exploration of the

elective, Dialogue.

Drama

• Williamson, David, The Club, Currency Press, 1978, ISBN 0868190136

The 1986 edition is in ‘Collected Plays: Vol 1’ Williamson, David, Currency Press, ISBN

0868191108 and 0868191108 (pbk)

© Pamela Cohen Page 4

Exercise One

Read the introductions to The Club by Lou Richards and Ian Turner. Who are these men

and how are they qualified to comment on this play? What type of language do they use and

how does that language identify the personal context of the speakers?

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Richards makes the statement: ‘David Williamson must have pinched half his lines for The

Club from a fly on the committee room wall. His mastery of ocker footy lingo is so word perfect

you’d swear he was given Ron Barassi’s old athletic support for his first birthday and had

board and lodging at Jack Dyer’s place.’

Explain what Richards means in this opening statement and identity how and why the

introduction engages readers in the 21st century. What would you have to do to develop a

real understanding of what he is saying? Do the research into the names and concepts he

refers to and then rewrite your initial understanding with the contextual understanding you

have gained.

Initial understanding

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Informed understanding (based on research)

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What does Turner mean by ‘playing the game’? What language feature is

being used here?

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Exercise Two:

Examine the ‘images’ of the play provided in your text. Are your initial

reactions meeting your expectations of the content of the play? How or how

not? Why or why not?

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Select two film stills from the film text. Explain what each conveys to you as a

responder without referring to their context in the play. Questions to consider

are:

What can you ‘see’? ( explore the images in detail using the ETA visual

literacy analysis sheet)

What are the characters doing?

How are they doing it?

What tone do the images create?

How effective is the setting?

Does the setting or the costuming used date the play? How? Why might

this be important for you as a responder?

Williamson provides a brief description of the setting he envisages the play

being performed in. What tone does this description establish?

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© Pamela Cohen Page 7

Exercise Three

Theme

What is the central precept explored in The Club? Are there sub-themes?

Provide an outline of the themes in the play using the worksheets and suggest the purpose

of the composer in presenting them as a play rather than in a novel, poem or other text

type.

Theme: Power

Thematic discussion

What is the theme?

How do you know it is

a theme?

Composer’s purpose

Textual References

Language features

used explicitly to

convey the theme?

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Theme: Conflict

Thematic discussion

What is the theme?

How do you know it is

a theme?

Composer’s purpose

Textual References

Language features

used explicitly to

convey the theme?

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Is this theme still relevant in 2014 within the codes of Australian Rules, and

indeed, other codes of football?

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How has the dialogue conveyed this theme? Select at least four quotes from the

text and deconstruct for the language features present.

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Exercise Four

Structure

A play has to engage the audience – it is live theatre and the director has to

provide opportunities for the audience to empathise with the characters as

well as recognise the settings. He has to provide background context visually

and through dialogue. He must establish a beginning, rising action, a climax,

falling action and a denouement before the conclusion of the play where

hopefully, the audience applauds the experience and performance of the

characters.

Develop a visual image or graph and map out the play:

It must contain the following elements:

Beginning

Exposition

Rising action – including complications or suspense/tensions. Are there

doubts or expectations the audience will gain from this action?

Climax

Falling action – has the composer addressed the rising action?

Denouement

Conclusion

You should create the image in Word or Publisher.

You should provide a quote or brief summary of the plot that is

occurring at each stage of the structure you provide.

You must use colour.

You may use images appropriate to the play.

You must present your image to the class in a three minute

presentation.

© Pamela Cohen Page 11

Exercise Five

Characters and Dialogue

Playwrights use a range of strategies to provide the responder with

information about characters in the play and in turn, provide the audience

with opportunities to empathise with, laugh at, hate or otherwise engage with

the characters.

Strategies include:

1. Direct descriptions: explicit instructions provided by the playwright in

the stage directions of the play. The playwright states how they

characters should look, ‘act’ (gestures, tone etc), dress and behave. As

the audience does not get to ‘read’ the stage directions these instructions

are provided for the director to ensure the themes, issues ideas and

contexts of the composer are being addressed in a performance. These

descriptions are explicit – they are usually provided in italics and

parentheses throughout the script.

2. Dialogue (a) – what the character says about him/herself – these may

include physical descriptions, psychological descriptions, intellectual

descriptions. These are direct and implicit descriptions provided within

the dialogue of the play – search for nouns, adjectives, adverbs,

metaphors and similes that are used by individual characters to describe

themselves.

3. Dialogue (b) – what other characters day about each other – how they

describe other characters in their interactions with other characters.

These are direct and implicit descriptions designed to provide insight

into the various personal qualities of the character – and may well vary

from the characters perception of self.

4. Reactions – how other characters react to other characters in the play.

This is an indirect and implicit way of providing insight into a character.

It may provide the audience to explore the possibility of multiple

personalities for any one character.

© Pamela Cohen Page 12

Select four examples of dialogue that explores an individual character (at least

150 words) and provide a close analysis of each including:

Character being described

A summary of the language techniques used

Tone of the scene

Contextual framework of the dialogue

Implicit and explicit, direct and indirect nature of the dialogue

Example One: Act: Page:

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Example Two: Act: Page:

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Example Three: Act: Page:

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Example Four: Act: Page:

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Exercise Six

Language devices and dramatic techniques

Williamson’s play uses a wide range of language and dramatic devices and

techniques that provide the responder with insight into the themes and

contexts explored in the play. These include:

Formal language

Colloquial language

Irony

Euphemisms

Clichés

Metaphors

Similes

Repetition

Puns

Slang

Idiom

Jargon

Pace

Inflection

Pitch

True dialogue

Dualogue

Antithesis

Baiting

Double entendre

Dramatic irony

Irony

Paradox

Mock ignorance

Juxtaposition

Sardonic tone

Sarcasm

Stage directions

Poetic justice

Modality

Contradiction

Bathos

Monologue

© Pamela Cohen Page 15

You are to identify at least one examples of each technique and then explain

the contextual meaning behind the use of the language and how it used to

shape meaning for the responder( what it means in terms of developing the

narrative, the context and themes of the text).

This meaning might include:

insight into characters or time and setting

the satirical meaning behind Williamson’s composition of the work

language as an indicator of social class

the language of sport

regional influences and idioms

politicized nature of sport

role of sport in society

sport as a reflection of social angst

power conflict and hierarchies in sport

power conflict and hierarchies in society

Use the worksheets provided at the back of the study guide. Provide a full

sentence quote (using appropriate punctuation) for each example provided

and identify the Act and page number you have taken the quote from.

© Pamela Cohen Page 16

Exercise Seven

Vocabulary

Williamson’s vocabulary has been carefully chosen to have an impact on the audience.

Examine the vocabulary in the table below and provide your understanding (using research

if necessary) to understand the terms/phrases and how they are meant to shape meaning for

the responder. Some of the language provided has specific purpose - a euphemism, a double

entendre, metaphor etc. You should identify the language technique used in your column on

meaning.

Vocabulary/phrase Technique and Interpretation

‘the olive branch’ ‘flu impartial ‘through a slump’ absolve conciliation autocratic pussyfooting ‘a hundred percent behind

Laurie’

‘roll up’ ‘gives Laurie the boot’ Industrial anarchy ‘sticking your nose in’ ‘as welcome as a blowfly at

a butcher’s picnic’

‘give him a big kiss’ ‘platform of reform’ ‘bear fruit’ ‘strangled’ (p14) recruits marketplace ‘boom or bust’ p 14 diehards had’ve ratshit p 15 clown cobber p 15 bottle up

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cronies puppets p. 16 forward line ‘money to burn’ ‘kicked in’ ‘cunning little rodent’ p.

17

‘There’s a storm coming

up…’

‘…weather it’ dynamite Placate p. 18 ‘clinched it’ ‘Blind Freddy’ ‘getting the axe’ ‘pampers them like

babies’

‘tough bloody hand’ ‘dead duck’ ‘thrashed it out’ p. 19 Despicable p. 20 ‘Club colours’ ‘looking for a scrap’ bandied p. 21 ‘you fat turd’ p. 24 ‘…getting uppoty’ p. 26 calibre ‘Strike while the iron’s

hot’ p. 27

‘ have a bit of a yarn’ cahoots p. 30 ‘fossicked around’ p. 35 plummet p. 37 antagonism p. 39 devil’s advocate p. 42 Achilles p. 43 ‘hacks’ p. 53 conservatism p. 59 pragmatism p. 60 Denuded p. 73

© Pamela Cohen Page 18

Exercise Eight

Reflecting on the study of David Williamson’s The Club

As a result of your study of dialogue in The Club, what are your conclusions as

to the composer’s purpose in writing this play? (Use the language of purpose:

to inform; to persuade; to argue; to define; to expose etc)

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Is this play relevant to the use of language of sport used in society today? How,

Why? Provide examples both from the play and contemporary new reports on

sport.

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Describe and evaluate the linguistic structure Williamson has used created the

text? (Use language such as forceful, grateful, delicate, intense, realistic,

impressionistic, simple, grandiose, lively, verbose, flowery, humourous,

satirical, etc)

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What dialogue takes place related to sport that reflects wider concerns about

conversation, argument and discussion in society? Provide examples.

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What metaphorical images of sport does the dialogue in the text provide?

Provide examples.

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How effective is The Club as a text to be studied under the context of Dialogue

in English? Justify your response with references to the text.

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Explain the impact of The Club on the audience in terms of the impact of the

language used as dialogue in the play? Compare the idea of reading the play as

opposed to viewing the play as an audience? How does the dialogue change in

impact when the written word becomes spoken language? Refer to at least

three scenes from the play.

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Go through the past paper questions on the following pages.

For each question:

Identify the key verbs

Identify the terms of reference the examiners are asking you to

engage with

Develop a thesis that would be suitable for the question

Suggest a related text that might be appropriate to use with the

question

Develop an introduction that states the titles of your texts

appropriately formatted and presents three arguments you will

develop for your response.

Construct paragraph plans: what argument you will focus on,

the evidence you would use and explain how this language

responds to the question and links to your thesis

Write a conclusion that sums up your arguments and uses

evaluative language to demonstrate the significant lessons we

can learn from the use of dialogue and what it suggests about

society

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