Purely Academic!

Please join us for a staged reading of the play "Purely Academic" by Professor David Abramson, University of Queensland, Australia.

5 pm for canapés, 5:30 for reading, followed by (optional) discussion with pizza

About Purely Academic

A doctoral researcher sets out to pursue a successful academic career. He knows exactly where he wants to be, and he aims to get there as quickly as possible. He gets a PhD and rises rapidly through the academic ranks, walking over anyone and anything that stands in his way. Invincible, he reaches the pinnacle of his career and a bright future awaits, only for his past to return and challenge him.

Purely Academic is a both a realistic and comedic dramatisation of the darker side of academia, including both personal and professional clashes in technical collaborations. It invites an honest discussion about professional ethics and practices today. What “persona” is cultivated by today’s academic regime? With what impact? What does it mean to be an academic today? What does one need to learn to become one?

Cast:

Prof. James Holywell – Prof. Fred D’Agostino

Charles Mittleman – Dr Nick Hamilton

Prof. Martin Godson – Prof. John Drennan

Prof. Mary Long – Dr Sue O’Brien

Dr Joanne Cook – Dr Amberyn Thomas

Anna White – Helen Morgan

Dr Mark Collins – Raj Chabra

Prof. Max Williams – Prof. Paul Alewood

Newsreader – Prof. Alan Lawson

Director: Dr Sarah Thomasson