This is jack’s first play and was produced at the University of Melbourne in 1967 (directed by David Kendall), enjoying a huge success. It had productions around Australia in the following two years, all professional. W4 sparked a surge in fresh Australian drama, especially within Melbourne.
The is a satire on male herd behaviour. The thee male characters are obsessed with cars, beer, their careers, and in a fashion, women.. Early on the relationships with their girlfriends break up, and the men don’t come out of these ruptures at all well. A fourth woman, sets them up, and exposes their paper-thin masculinity. The four women must be played by the same actress, giving the audience a sense of womanhood on stage.
Below the satire on male conduct, White With Wire Wheels is a female revenge play, and has been described by some critics as a ‘proto-feminist’ play.
| MAL: | Root my boot and shag my shoe. What a night |
| …………. | |
| MAL: | You give up? |
| SUE: | I give up. |
| …………. | |
| MAL: | The big event for 1967. (pause) Tomorrow I pick up my new Valiant! |
| …………. | |
| MAL: | It’s white |
| SUE: | White! |
| MAL: | White with wire wheels. |
| …………. | |
| ROD: | She’s arranged to go out with all of us tonight. |
| HELEN: | I’ve come to say goodbye. |
| MAL, SIMON & ROD (together): |
What! |
| HELEN: | I thought you’d understand. |
| MAL, SIMON & ROD (together): |
But we don’t. |
“This is a pungent and rollicking social satire of male conduct, of larrikin obsessions, and concludes with a vicious sting in its tail.”
- Patrick McCaughey (The Age, 1967)
