Harbour

On the Wednesday before Easter, 1998, a few hundred metres away from the site of the new Sydney Theatre, one of the most dramatic events in recent Australian history took place. It was the culmination of a tightly planned scheme between the Federal Government and a stevedoring company to smash the Maritime Union of Australia -- the wharfies. Katherine Thomson's gripping new drama is set against the backdrop of this explosive industrial dispute. Sandy, a retired wharfie, comes home after six years absence to find his family divided. His kids have moved on and up. They're on opposite sides of the political divide. His wife doesn't want to be in the same room as him. The world has changed, and it seems he no longer has a place in it. But he's a battler, with a burning desire to unite his family and set the past to rights. 'Harbour' was the winner of the 2005 NSW Premier's Literary Award award. (2 acts, 6 male, 4 female).