Den

Male | 50s | under 3 minutes
Starts on page 18

EXTRACT: Train... journeys. People have their favourites. Some are well-known. I haven't done any.[Remembering]But my grandfather did leave me four one-pound notes to take a trip, across the west coast of Scotland right to the ferry for the Isle of Skye. If I ever got there. Which I haven't. The Kyle Line. [He is surprised by the memory.] Best to sit on the right-hand side. And there isn't a refreshment carriage. [Pause.] He'd tell me about these curlews. No nest, curlews. Lay their eggs on the bare ground.

Barbara

Female | 40s | 3 to 5 minutes
Starts on page 20

EXTRACT: I'm not stupid. I've gone into it. I know my age. You don't go for waitressing or behind the bar, women my age are hostesses. Here's your table, where's your waiter, here's the conference room. Have a nice conference. I know I'm rough around the edges, I'm not stupid, you might think I am...I know you have to look the part. Like you were eating croysants before anyone else had heard of them. You can do anything these days. Well, you have to.

Den

Male | 50s | under 3 minutes
Starts on page 68

EXTRACT: Because I will have my say. Because this will keep happening. Because we're one more thing that gets disposed of - and I keep thinking, what do they think I am? And the point is, there were people who were paid to plan, to win contracts, to stop the rust. If the writing was on the wall, why wasn't it read out loud? Look, I know I'm thick, but this accountancy, all this accountancy - where are the people in their equations? It's all rates of return and - [Brandishing the lighter] Just stand still or I will do this!

LINK: PLAYING THE 20TH CENTURY - EPISODE EIGHT

ABC RADIO NATIONAL, PLAYING THE 20TH CENTURY, 6 FEBRUARY 2011

In the feature about Diving for Pearls Katherine Thomson discusses the origin and development of the play, and reflects on the nature of writing for the stage in Australia.