AustLit logo
NLA image of person
Alison Croggon Alison Croggon i(A11768 works by)
Born: Established: 1962 Transvaal,
c
South Africa,
c
Southern Africa, Africa,
;
Gender: Female
Heritage: South African
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

Works By

Preview all
1 Artistic Director Ruth Mackenzie Covers All Bases at the Adelaide Festival Alison Croggon , 2024 single work column
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 11 March 2024;
'In this first full program under new director Ruth Mackenzie, the Adelaide Festival delivers the range and depth of works to thrill its audiences, and its newest offerings are clear highlights. By Alison Croggon.' (Introduction)
1 Perth Festival 2024 Alison Croggon , 2024 single work column
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 26 February 2024;
'Marrugeku and the West Australian Opera are the undeniable stars of this last Perth Festival under Iain Grandage’s stewardship.'
1 Ant Music Alison Croggon , 2023 single work essay
— Appears in: The Monthly , October 2023; (p. 10-12)
'I HAVE LONG BEEN SUSPICIOUS of Aesop’s fable in which a hungry grasshopper comes across a bunch of ants drying out their grain in the winter sunshine and asks for something to eat. In an early version, translated from Ancient Greek by Olivia and Robert Temple, the grasshopper is a cicada. The ants ask why she didn’t store up food for the winter. “I didn’t have time for that,” says the cicada. “I was singing melodiously.”'
1 Ubud Writers & Readers Festival Alison Croggon , 2023 single work column
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 28 October - 3 November 2023;

'South-East Asia’s most significant literary event, the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, is a chance to not only nurture local writers but also to reflect on global issues. By Alison Croggon.'

1 Strength to Strength Alison Croggon , 2022 single work essay
— Appears in: The Monthly , October 2022; (p. 20-26)
'With a strong claim to be Australia’s biggest cultural export, Back to Back Theatre’s ensemble, their work and their philosophy have drawn international acclaim, and now theatre’s most prestigious prize. by Alison Croggon '
1 [Review] Anna K Alison Croggon , 2022 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 27 August - 2 September 2022;

— Review of Anna K. Suzie Miller , 2022 single work drama

'As a feminist interrogation of Tolstoy’s classic, Anna K is a disappointingly cosmetic treatment. By Alison Croggon.' 

1 Rising Alison Croggon , 2022 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 11-17 June 2022;

— Review of Jurrungu Ngan-ga 2021 single work musical theatre
1 [Review] Slap. Bang. Kiss Alison Croggon , 2022 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 30 April – 06 May 2022;

— Review of Slap. Bang. Kiss Dan Giovannoni , 2020 single work drama
'The Melbourne Theatre Company’s SLAP. BANG. KISS. is a step behind the radical generation it is speaking to. By Alison Croggon.' 
1 [Review] Moulin Rouge : The Musical Alison Croggon , 2021 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 11-17 December 2021;

— Review of Moulin Rouge! The Musical Baz Luhrmann , John Logan , 2016 single work musical theatre
'Moulin Rouge reinvents the jukebox musical with a mix of sentimentality and grit that eluded Baz Luhrmann’s film. By Alison Croggon.'
1 Food Court Alison Croggon , 2021 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 5-11 June 2021;

— Review of Food Court Back to Back Theatre , 2008 single work drama
1 On the Basis of Sets Alison Croggon , 2021 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 17-23 April 2021;

— Review of Because the Night Kamarra Bell-Wykes , Ra Chapman , Matthew Lutton , 2021 single work drama

'The real star of Because the Night – the immersive theatre show that has taken over Melbourne’s Malthouse – is the production’s mega-installation set. By Alison Croggon.' 

1 5 y separately published work icon Monsters Monsters : A Reckoning Alison Croggon , Melbourne : Scribe , 2021 20519145 2021 single work autobiography essay
1 Flames Alison Croggon , 2020 single work essay
— Appears in: Fire Flood Plague : Australian Writers Respond to 2020 2020;
1 A Different Hope Alison Croggon , 2020 single work column
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 19 December - 22 January 2020;

'The problems that plague Australian arts and culture long predate 2020, but this year's crises have thrown them into vivid relief. By Alison Croggon.'

1 When We Woke on the First Day of 2020, We Knew This Year Was Going to Be Different Alison Croggon , 2020 single work essay
— Appears in: The Guardian Australia , 2 October 2020;

'It seems that every problem that has rumbled beneath our feet for the past 60 years has hit crisis point, all at once.' 

1 [Review] Torch the Place Alison Croggon , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paper , 22-28 February 2020;

— Review of Torch the Place Benjamin Law , 2020 single work drama

'Despite some shaky moments, Benjamin Law’s Torch the Place is filled with humour and heart, and breathes new life into the Australian tradition of naturalism. By Alison Croggon.' 

1 (Review) The Feather in the Web Alison Croggon , 2020 single work review
— Appears in: The Saturday Paeper , 8-14 February 2020;

— Review of The Feather in the Web Nick Coyle , 2018 single work drama

'Though it never quite coheres, The Feather in the Web takes some sharp digs at contemporary society and is bolstered by an excellent cast. By Alison Croggon.' 

1 1 y separately published work icon The Threads of Magic Alison Croggon , Newtown : Walker Books Australia , 2020 17418372 2020 single work children's fiction children's fantasy

'Pip lives on his wits in the city of Clarel. When he pickpockets the wrong man, he finds himself in possession of a strange object – a heart in a silver casket. What’s more, the heart seems to be trying to communicate with Pip, and the royal officials who lost it will stop at nothing to get it back.

'Pip has unwittingly broken an ancient spell, and his theft will have far-reaching consequences for the whole city. As the ancient war between the Spectres and witches of Clarel reignites, the heart prepares to seek revenge for all it has suffered… Alison Croggon conjures a rich, immersive world with brilliant and memorable characters in this captivating story of loyalty, courage and friendship.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

1 Tiresias Alison Croggon , 2019 single work poetry
— Appears in: Love Is Strong as Death 2019;
1 'The Rush Trial : A Backgrounder' : On #MeToo and the Geoffrey Rush Defamation Trial Alison Croggon , 2019 single work essay
— Appears in: #MeToo : Stories from the Australian Movement 2019;
X