Writer Q&A with David King, Composer of THE GOOD FIGHT
Name: David King
What is your involvement with the NMA November workshop season?
Composer of ‘The Good Fight’
Tell us about the show you’ve written/composed, what can we expect to see?
It is an accurate account of the life of Les Darcy interwoven with a created story of the first World War (with lots of music).
What excites you about the show?
The chance to look at it again with a new creative team with a new perspective.
What were you doing before the workshop and what are you doing after?
Head of music theatre at WAAPA
What is your favourite song or book?
Book – The Heart is a Lonely Hunter (Carson McCullers)
If you had unlimited resources what would you do?
Give generously to support the development of the arts in Australia.
Who are your creative influences?
Nick Enright, American musicals and every serious composer between 1850 and 1980
What upcoming performances/movies/exhibitions/books are you excited about?
Seeing Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher.
New Musicals Australia Announces its 2nd Workshop Season!
Finally we are able to announce our next workshop season! This time around we will be creating eight workshop opportunities which will be presented in November and December later this year.
Workshop Presentations
Truth, beauty and a picture of you
By Tim Freedman & Alex Broun
Based on the life, characters and songs of one of Australia's greatest singer-songwriters, Tim Freedman.
Transport
By Larry Kirwan &Thomas Keneally
Transport tells a universal story of immigration, loss, hope and redemption and the Irish Diaspora to the Australian penal colony.
The Good Fight
Music by David King, book and lyrics by Nick Enright, with further material by James Millar
Set against the background of the 1stWorld War, The Good Fight concerns the life of legendary boxer Les Darcy and his meteoric rise and fall.
Carnival Joe
By Mark Jones & Anthony Crowley
An exuberant and tragically comical tale about the spring racing carnival of 1933
Snapshot Presentations
Sugartown
By Katie Weston, Dean Gourley& Katy Roose
The dealer, the drug lord, the undercover cop and the rest of Sugartown all lead sweet but sour lives.
Soul Music
By Marcus Cowora, Stephen Lloyd Helper and Leeroy Bilney
The story of Jim, an indigenous man who tries to climb the corporate ladder
Do Good and You Will Be Happy
By Phillip Johnston & Hilary Bell
Drawing on our heritage of Australian vaudeville and music hall, enter the fanciful world of Edward William Cole.
Artemisia
By Paul Keelan& Gary Young
A story of the passion and power of a woman’s fight against the odds to be recognized and respected as an artist.
Musical Workshops Touted
MUSICALS by singer-songwriter Tim Freedman and novelist Thomas Keneally could soon undergo American-style workshops under a development program by New Musicals Australia. "One reason we don't have a great track record of successful Australian musicals," says NMA director Kris Stewart, "is because there has never been a support system in place." The NMA program,which held its first batch of workshops in March,was set up to help writers perfect material. One part of the program is modelled on the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers workshops held by Stephen Schwartz, in which writers present their works to a panel of industry heavyweights for feedback. Twelve works are being considered for the next round of NMA development, including Truth, Beauty and a Picture of You, a musical written by Freedman and playwright Alex Broun, and Keneally's new musical Transport, based on his book The Great Shame and co-written by Larry Kirwan.
Workshop Shortlist Announced
We're excited to announce the shortlisted shows from our second submission round. Competition was fierce with almost 50 new Australian musicals coming in from across the nation. The applications ranged in subject matter and style and we're proud to announce the diverse selection of 12 shortlisted for workshopping.
“The Bridge”
(by Boyd Wilson & Louise Helfgott)
This musical traces the life of a 15 year old girl who runs away from her middle class home to seek refuge on the streets.
Artemisia
(by Paul Keelan & Gary Young)
A story of the passion and power of a woman’s fight against the odds to be recognized and respected as an artist.
Crack Hardy
(by Keith Potger & Stephen Dando-Collins)
A musical based on true stories of war from the letters and diaries of family members.
Der Mensch Als Instrument
(by Chris Beasley & Jayde Kirchert)
A musical about surgery, individuality and trying to change the world.
Do Good and You Will Be Happy
(by Phillip Johnston & Hilary Bell)
Drawing on our heritage of Australian vaudeville and music hall, enter the fanciful world of Edward William Cole.
NED
(by Adam Lyon & Marc McIntyre)
A new Australian folk-rock musical based on Australia’s anti-hero Ned Kelly.
Soul Music
(by Marcus Cowora, Stephen Lloyd Helper and Leeroy Bilney)
The story of an indigenous man who tries to climb the corporate ladder.
Sugartown
(by Katie Weston, Dean Gourley & Katy Roose)
The dealer, the drug lord, the undercover cop and the rest of Sugartown all lead sweet but sour lives.
The Good Fight
(by David King & Nick Enright)
Set against the background of the 1st World War, “The Good Fight” concerns the life of legendary boxer Les Darcy and his meteoric rise and fall.
The Singer
(by Paul Suter, Michael Alexander, Karen M. Cohen, Calvin Miller & Lynn Suter)
“The Singer” is an adaptation for the stage from a poetic narrative by Calvin Miller.
Transport
(by Larry Kirwan & Thomas Keneally)
"Transport” tells a universal story of immigration, loss, hope and redemption and the Irish Diaspora to the Australian penal colony.
Truth, beauty and a picture of you
(by Tim Freedman & Alex Broun)
Based on the life, characters and songs of one of Australia's greatest singer-songwriters, Tim Freedman.
with the assistance of the Australian Government though the Australia Council its arts founding and advisory body. 
