Fleming, Justin 1953-

views updated

FLEMING, Justin 1953-

PERSONAL:

Born March 1, 1953, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; son of Justin (a surgeon) and Gwen (a physician; maiden name, Lusby) Fleming; married Fay Brauer (an academic and writer), April 7, 1998; children: Marcus, Lara. Ethnicity: "Australian."Education: University of Sydney, diploma in law, 1978; University College, London, LL.M., 1991. Hobbies and other interests: Music, walking, reading.

ADDRESSES:

Home and Office—110 High St., North Sydney, New South Wales 2060, Australia. Agent—Barbara Hogenson, Barbara Hogenson Agency, 165 West End Ave., Suite 19C, New York, NY 10023.

CAREER:

Office of the Attorney General, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, judge's associate, 1974-79; Office of the Commonwealth Crown Solicitor, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, legal officer, 1979-80; barrister at law in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1980-92, and in Dublin Ireland, 1992. Called to the Bar at King's Inns, Ireland, 1992. Australian National Playwrights' Conference, board member.

MEMBER:

Australian Writers' Guild (New South Wales vice president), Irish Bar Association, University College London Alumni Association.

AWARDS, HONORS:

New York Play Award, New Dramatists, and New South Wales Premier's Literary Award, both 2000, for Burnt Piano; resident, Banff Playwrights Colony, Banff, Alberta, Canada, 2000.

WRITINGS:

Hammer (play), produced in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, at Phillip Street Theater, 1981.

Indian Summer (play), produced in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, at Phillip Street Theater, 1982.

(Lyricist, with Stephen Edwards and Jonathan Alver) Crystal Balls (opera), performed in England, at Sadler's Wells, 1995.

Burnt Piano (play; produced in New York, NY, at Belvoir/Manhattan Theater Club/HB Playwrights Foundation Theater, in Hobart, Australia, at Main-stage Theater, and in Paris, France) Esson Press, 1998.

Harold in Italy (play; produced by Sydney Theater Company), Esson Press, 1998.

The Cobra (play; produced by Sydney Theater Company), Esson Press, 1998.

(Lyricist) Tess of the d'Urbervilles (musical play), composed by Stephen Edwards, produced in London, England, at Savoy Theater, 1999-2000.

Coup d'Etat (play), produced in Banff, Alberta, Canada, at Banff Arts Centre, 2002.

Barbarism to Verdict (documentary television series; produced by Southern Star Productions, beginning 1994), HarperCollins, 2002.

Also author of The Nonsense Boy, published by Esson Press; a history of the Old Ignatians' Union; a history of the law firm of Carroll & O'Dea; a history of Waverley College; and a television history of cinema.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

The Devil's Tango, with Stewart D'Arrietta; Babel, with Martin Charnin and Thomas Hodgson; Shooting the Moon, a television series; adapting Emile Zola's Au bonnheur des dames for the stage.

SIDELIGHTS:

Justin Fleming told CA: "I write, therefore I am. My work is influenced by my parents, Joe Castley, Hayes Gordon, Richard Wherrett, Tom Stoppard, John Mortimer, Iris Murdoch, David Malouf, Peter Shaffer, Robert Hughes, Samuel Beckett, and Dorothy Hewitt. My inspiration is usually an event, real or imaginary, that triggers an idea. Originally my work was driven by character and idea; now it's that but also more story-driven."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Back Stage, October 27, 2000, Michael Lazan, "Getting Personal at New Dramatists," p. 49.

Independent (London, England), November 16, 1999, review of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, p. 16.

News of the World (London, England), November 14, 1999, Bill Hagerty, review of Tess of the d'Urbervilles, p. 60.

More From encyclopedia.com