Top Silk Explained

Top Silk
Characters:	5M, 4F
Premiere:	11 January 1989
Place:	Seymour Centre, Sydney
Orig Lang:	English

Top Silk is a play by David Williamson concerning two lawyers.^[1] It is not regarded as one of his strongest plays but was very successful commercially.^[2]

Plot

A legal aid solicitor and a prominent barrister battle over their individual careers and the future of their teenage son.

Original cast

• Helmut Bakaitis
• Tina Bursill
• John Clayton
• John Howard
• Simon Kay
• Barbara Lowing
• Vince Martin
• Geoff Morrell
• Leo Wockner

Reception

The play was better received in Melbourne than Sydney.^[3]

Despite relatively poor reviews, including a negative critic from HG Kippax of the Sydney Morning Herald, the 1989 production still earned over $2 million.^[4]

External links

• Top Silk at AustLit

Notes and References

1. http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/work/2683 Top Silk
2. News: The Sydney Morning Herald. Peter. Cochrane. 14 March 1997. 15. Williamson's World.
3. News: WILLIAMSON'S LATEST PLAY . . 63 . 19,622 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 29 June 1989 . 17 October 2019 . 1 (GOOD TIMES) . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Sydney Morning Herald. 10 March 1990. 38 (Good Weekend). A Tall Poppy Among the Critics.