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Using What I Wrote:Louis Nowrain the classroomTeachers may select from the followingactivities to support students’ viewingand close analysis of What I Wrote:Louis Nowra.The writer’s context‘I’m a working-class boy who camefrom a housing commission estate.’– Louis Nowra• In What I Wrote: Louis Nowra, Nowrarecalls his first experience of thetheatre. When did you first visit thetheatre to see what Nowra labels a‘straight play’?• Nowra has not hesitated to use hisown life as source material for hisplays. Research the life and times ofNowra.• Drawing on one of Nowra’s plays,determine how Nowra’s experienceof and attitudes to the world inwhich he lives have influenced theconstruction of the text. Work in asmall group to complete the analysis.Develop a PowerPoint presentationto communicate this information tothe class.The worlds of the plays‘I don’t want to see worlds that similarto my own. I want a different world.’– Louis Nowra‘I didn’t want to be an Australianplaywright. I wanted to be a worldplaywright.’– Louis Nowra• Nowra’s plays offer locations fromthe exotic through to the suburban.Working in small groups, investigatethe use of location in one of Nowra’splays. Present the results of yourinvestigation to the class.• ‘There’s not much naturalism in hisworld.’– Dr Tess BradyNaturalism is the re-creation of reallife or life as it is onstage. It seeks toreproduce realistic characters, situationsor conflicts and usually occurs inreal time with sets, props and costumesthat are representative of thesituation, place or period. Drawing onone of Nowra’s plays, find evidence tocontribute to a discussion of Nowra’srejection of naturalism in favour ofmore non-naturalistic theatre.• Nowra expresses his disapproval of‘cardigan dramas’ in What I Wrote:Louis Nowra. He believes thattheatre should not be commonplacebut rather unusual andsurprising.Nowra dresses his ideas carefully.Drawing on a Nowra play that youknow well, discuss Nowra’s decisionto offer his audiences the spectacular,the quirky, the odd and theunexpected.• What type of people do you meet inNowra’s plays?Views and Values‘His overarching theme is the end ofempire and he’s fascinated with whathappens to people when it all startscrumbling away.’– Dr Tess Brady‘He asks who are we when everythingis stripped away.’– Dr Tess Brady‘Does art have to be relevant to thetimes?’– Louis Nowra• Drawing on What I Wrote: Louis Nowraand your knowledge of Nowra’splays, make a list of the ideas thatNowra has brought to audiences’ attention.• Use the internet, critical essays andcommentaries to compile a detailedsummary of the contexts that shapeNowra’s work as a playwright. Discussyour findings with others in theclass.• What I Wrote: Louis Nowra claimsthatNowra writes about the fall ofempires. Is this true of the play thatyou are studying?• Why do you think Nowra uses war asa platform to explore complex ideasand issues?