As theatre constantly shifts, many plays have laid the groundwork for and encouraged change.

This essay will explore how the play's The Removalists and Sweat changed the world. David
Williamson, the author of the removalists, writes about and for a vocal minority yet influencing
so many. Moreover, Lynn Nottage redefines gritty, realistic work in her Pulitzer Prize-winning
Sweat. These two authors' representations of violence and betrayal transformed their dramatic
landscapes.

The Removalist was written in 1971 by David Williamson. It was a staple of his earlier work and
followed two police officers on call to a middle-class Australian home. It explores themes of
domestic violence, corruption, masculinity, and authority, outlining Australian society's broad,
aggressive nature. The Removalists raise an abundance of questions regarding societal violence.
In his address, Ian Turner outlines political complications about 'law and order' and its reliance
on violence. This correlates with Australia's systematically violent nature and the remanence of a
convict's past. "An inbuilt dislike of or distrust of our authority" is justifiable in the world of The
Removalist, which is purposefully identical to an Australian reality. In a similar vein, Sweat
explores society's pitfalls and the hardships of working-class America. The play examines the
fragility of friendships as well as racism and class. Lynn Nottage's Sweat was produced off-
Broadway in 2016, and throughout its run in 2017, Nottage outlined her intentions surrounding
the play's thematic elements. She aims to highlight white America's complacency and
willingness to return to a less diverse America. As well as this, she explores racism and
deindustrialisation at the hands of corporate America. The implications of these themes are built
upon throughout the piece and facilitate conversation.

The two plays respectively tackle issues faced predominantly by blue-collar, working-class
citizens. The Removalists provoked discussion of controversial topics in the Australian culture at
the time. Violence and police brutality were and continue to be increasingly prominent in
working-class Australia. David Williamson's objective was to share the harsh reality of this in
the form of a play. The play changed the Australian theatre landscape by presenting this reality
and confronting political and social issues yet to be covered by Australian work. The
Removalists immediately comment on authority and abuse of power in the police force. Sergeant
Simmons embodies these characteristics and utilises fear to bend justice to his will. The culture
built around police immunity and unpunishable authority is explored and critiqued heavily
throughout the play. This allows audiences to deliberate and often empathise with victims of
violence in their society. An audience member leaving the theatre and 'connecting the dots'
regarding how they might have been affected by social issues is vital to a play's ability to change
a landscape. The Removalists facilitate this by presenting the gruelling nature of police brutality
without a filter. This was rare in the early 70s, especially on stage, and due to its innovation, it
inspired many play writes to do the same. Williamson's utilisation of realistic dialogue to portray
grounded characters changed Australian theatre.

Similarly, Sweat tackles race and how racism in modern America impacts the working class.
Like The Removalists, a governing power or authority dictates a minority group's actions and
consequences. Tracy, Cynthia, and Jessie are victims of deindustrialisation at the hands of an
ever-evolving economy. "Nostalgia is a disease" is a quote from the play that Nottage believes
represents racism's part in these circumstances. As audiences view the critically acclaimed piece,
they are positioned to reflect. This allows for constructive dialogue surrounding the issues laid
out by Nottage throughout the play.

Nottage and Williamson's plays changed their respective theatrical worlds in many ways. Some
of these are similar, and some are vastly different; this can be attributed to the different worlds
both plays writes come from. However, as outlined in the introduction, the common denominator
is an exploration of exploitation. In the case of The Removalists, it is the exploitation of the
justice system and, in Sweat, the exploitation of the working class. Both are equally impactful in
their respective environments. Exploitation had been explored in many works before these two
pieces, but the focus on predominantly institutional oppression is what sparks change. Both The
Removalist and Sweat focus on corporations and government bodies exploiting the working
class. This is an essential factor in changing the world, primarily through theatre. Both
playwrights met the innovation required to transcend theatrical norms as they transformed stories
of mistreated civilians into exceptionally informative works. Although both portray oppression,
the key difference is the context surrounding both. David Williamson writes from the perspective
of a white man in the 70s, whereas Nottage, a woman of colour, undertakes writing in 2011. As
well as, America and Australia are very different places socio-politically, especially considering
the time difference. In her writing, Nottage singles in on the oppression of a racial minority in
relation to deindustrialisation, whereas Williamson focuses on police brutality, namely towards
middle-class white Australians. Both are powerful and relevant, yet Nottage presents her work in
a more turbulent environment being a woman of colour combating these pressing issues.
American and Australian realities are vastly different; therefore, Nottage and Williamson
approached innovation through different lenses.

To start a conversation and promote experimentation is what changing the world with theatre
means. Both Nottage and Williamson created plays that embody this ethos. David Williamson
forever altering the Australian theatre landscape with comments on police violence, injustice and
authority, changed the way theatre makers approach realism and taboo. Moreover, Lynn Nottage
challenges modern America's classism and racism within its turbulent political climate. Both of
these plays changed their worlds and opened audiences' eyes to the problems they face every
day.