John Romeril has been one of the most prolific contributors to Australian theatre in the last twenty years. But since until recently few of his plays have been published, he has had inadequate recognition. As a founding member of the APG he was 'in at the start' of the revival of the so-called New Wave in Australian drama in the sixties. Romeril continues to be a leading influence in contemporary theatre. His work ranges from the well-known The Floating World (1974) to such recent successes as the community based play The Kelly Dance (1984), the mainstream drama Lost Weekend (1989) and the political play Black Cargo (1991). John Romeril is truly the great survivor of modern Australian theatre.