AustLit

Dramatist, screenwriter, novelist.

A professional writer for stage, television, film and radio for over 30 years, Rob George studied for a degree in psychology at the Adelaide University but turned instead to the theatre. He collaborated on a number of student productions during the early 1970s (with his co-writers including Steve J. Spears), before writing Prompt (1973), a play that has since enjoyed popularity with many amateur companies. That same year he, Maureen Sherlock and Malcolm Blaylock, co-founded Adelaide's Circle Theatre Company. He later helped to establish the Stage Company and was associated with it as a writer between 1977 and 1986. During this time two of his most successful works were produced - Sandy Lee Live at Nui Dat (1981), a play with music, and Percy and Rose (1982), about Australian composer Percy Grainger and his mother. His play A Humbled Doctor was produced at the Space Theatre (Adelaide) in 1986).

From around 1986 George began to concentrate on writing for film and television., and since then has written for both film and television. His earliest script was for the children's television adaptation of Chase Through the Night (1983), which he followed with the script for Fair Game, in which a woman running an isolated wildlife sanctuary is attacked by three kangaroo hunters. This film was George's first collaboration with director Mario Andreacchio, which he followed by scripting Captain Johnno (also directed by Andreacchio) for the Australian Children Television Foundation's 1988 anthology series Touch the Sun and contributing to the script for Andreacchio's 1988 horror film The Dreaming (co-written with Andreacchio and Stephanie McCarthy, with story credits to Craig Lahiff, Terry Jennings, and Wayne Groom, and the uncredited involvement of Josephine Emery).

In the 1990s George scripted the historical mini-series The River Kings (1991), based on the novels by Max Fatchen and directed by Donald Crombie, the film You, Me, and Uncle Bob (1993), directed by Alister Smart, and the film 3-4 Ever (1997), directed by Franco di Chiera. In 1999, George's Percy & Rose was adapted for film by George Goldsworthy, Peter Goldsworthy, and Don Watson, as Passion.

In 2000 George wrote the scripts for the film Selkie (also directed by Crombie), before returning heavily to television, working initially as script editor on the ABC's drama series Something in the Air (2001-2002), while also contributing at least four episodes as writer. He later worked on Blue Heelers (2002-2003), Silversun (2004), MDA (2005), and the animated series The Woodlies (2012). He has also written several documentaries and educational films, including the two 2007 documentaries Fearless (about playwright Julia Britton and director Robert Chuter, co-written with director Mark Poole) and Constructing Australia: A Wire Through the Heart (about Charles Todd's construction of an overland telegraph land through the heart of Australia, made possible by the explorations of John McDouall Stuart, co-written with director Darcy Yuille). Among his other credits to date have been the French animated series The Odd Family (as story editor) and the stage play Lovers and Haters (Adelaide Festival of Arts).

George won AWGIE awards for television documentaries in 1981 and 1987 and shared one for Chase Through the Night with John Emery in 1984. In addition to his career as a dramatist and screenwriter George has written for radio, produced several novels for children and been a major figure behind the Fringe of the Adelaide Festival for many years. George and his wife and long time collaborator Maureen Sherlock are also principals in Prospect Productions Pty Ltd, a company which produces and develops film, television and theatre.