Jo Dyer

Jo Dyer was unexpectedly thrust into the national spotlight when she became an advocate for her deceased friend Kate - after Kate's accusations of rape against then attorney general Christian Porter were posthumously made public ... The theatre, film, television and festival producer is On The Couch 

Dyer is a literary curator and producer of films and theatre - including The Gospel According to Paul and The Wharf Revue ... Her films have been screened worldwide, including at the Berlin International Film Festival ... She has held leadership roles at the Sydney Writers Festival, Sydney Theatre Company and the Bangarra Dance Theatre ... She is also the current Director of Adelaide Writers Week 

Jo Dyer: Get your tickets now

Describe yourself in three words.

Curiouser and curiouser.

What are you currently reading? 

Richard Powers' "Bewilderment", which I've been eagerly awaiting since his magnificent "The Overstory", and Rachel Yoder's "Nightbitch", which is a mindtrip of a novel about the animalistic nature of early motherhood.

What's your favourite film? 

Can I answer with theatre instead? Robert Wilson's "Black Rider" was unforgettably exhilarating, elevated by Tom Waits' music; Ivo van Hove's "The Roman Tragedies" was a breathtaking distillation of Shakespeare's Roman plays in which the audience became part of the action; Barrie Kosky's "The Lost Echo" was a masterful retelling of Ovid's "Metamorphoses" (adapted by Tom Wright) and was the finest outing of Robyn Nevin's triumphant experiment, the Actors Company. 

Special mention is also due to the Royal Court's "Jerusalem" with Mark Rylance's career-defining performance as Johnny "Rooster" Byron, and Melbourne Theatre Company's 1993 production of "Angels in America", which was almost overwhelming for the teenager I then was. 

What is your favourite piece of music?

I don't really have a favourite piece of music but anything from Depeche Mode's "Violater" takes me back to an enjoyably decadent time in my life.

Who has been the most influential person in your life, and why? 

Gough Whitlam, who showed if you think big you can change the world, and Stephen Page, who showed the arts can be as powerful as politics.

Why did you want to be a theatre producer?

I fell into it by hanging around wayward artists and being able to decipher Excel.

What's in store for your last year as director of Adelaide Writers Week?

Insights from our best writers on how to build a better post-pandemic world.

What has been your most important piece of work to date? 

"Lucky Miles" - a wry comedy about refugees that was my first feature film ... It's become known as an underrated gem, which is as useful to a film producer as being described as a city's best kept secret is to a restaurateur.

What is your next theatre project?

"The Wharf Revue" - opening at the Canberra Theatre on November 8 and the Seymour Centre on November 23. Get your tickets now!

Who do you admire professionally? 

Steven Soderbergh is an incredibly versatile writer/producer/director who gets shit done on budgets large and small. Joan Didion is a brilliant essayist who can write not just to a word count, but a character count.

What is your favourite website?

I became a fan of "The Atlantic" during the American election campaign and more than a little addicted to Twitter during Lockdown. IMDB is also a faithful jogger of a fading memory.

What words or phrases do you overuse? 

Alas, alas.

What is your greatest weakness?

Procrastination. And gin.

If you were on death row, what would be your request for your last meal? 

Can it be liquid? 

If you were a foodstuff, what would you be?

Something with bite.

What human quality do you most distrust?

Religiosity.

What would you change about Australia?

Right now - our government. Generally - our origins.

Who, or what, do you consider overrated?

Sleep.

What would your epitaph say?

She came, she saw, she mixed a good martini.

What comes to mind when you shut your eyes and think of the word "law"? 

Sliding doors. But for a casual job as a receptionist at the State Theatre Company of South Australia in my final year at Law School, I might have joined the ranks of your fine profession. Legions of potential future clients can sleep easier at night that the door slid the other way.