Pioneer players

Pioneer Players tells the story of two lives. Louis Esson (1878-1943) has come to be known as the 'Father of Australian drama'. A passionate advocate of Australian theatre and literature, he won early acclaim as a playwright, and founded the determinedly nationalist Pioneer Players. Hilda Bull (1886-1953) married him in 1913, and is now perhaps best known as Louis Esson's wife. Yet she had her own distinguished career, both in the radical theatre and as a doctor in the field of public health. This fascinating biography tells the story of their private and public lives, together and apart. They acted out in their lives many of the dramatic conflicts found in the plays they created and performed. Most of their pioneering was done against formidable odds, and their story had more than its share of profound ironies, and elements of romance, melodrama and tragedy. But Peter Fitzpatrick's book is more than a good read. As a critical appraisal of Louis Esson's plays and an exploration of the relationships the Essons had with well-known literary and theatrical figures in Australia and overseas, it is an examination of a developing Australian culture and identity. As dual biography it is particularly innovative in its treatment of the creative and emotional tensions between the couple. The ways in which Louis and Hilda negotiated their married roles and professional responsibilities within a society that had rigid expectations of them, have strong resonances today.