David Williamson styles himself the storyteller to the tribe, the tribe being the Australian middle class theatre-going public. He originally trained as a mechanical engineer, which profession he followed and taught until the competing success of his writing won out and he concentrated solely on play writing. As a student, first at the University of Melbourne then at Monash University, Williamson wrote sketches for student revues on such subjects as conscription, Indigenous issues, imperialism and sexuality. He then wrote sketches for the Emerald Hill Theatre Company in Melbourne. His first play, The Indecent Exposure of Anthony East, was a three act comedy about a corporate executive who wrote romance fiction. It was produced by the Melbourne University student theatre group, Tin Alley Players, in 1968.
It was his association with La Mama and the Australian Performing Group that opened up opportunities for Williamson. In 1970 Williamson began his involvement with the La Mama Theatre and the resident performing group. In that year three of his short plays and his first full length play The Coming of Stork were produced. This was followed in 1971 by The Removalists at La Mama and Don's Party at the Pram Factory. Due to the success of these productions in 1972 Williamson resigned from his teaching position at Swinburne College of Technology and focused exclusively on his writing. Williamson was at the forefront of the movement of determined Australianness within local theatre work in the 1970s known as the New Wave. After the success at La Mama and the Pram Factory Williamson's work achieved first national and then international profile. Sydney theatres took up The Removalists and Don's Party and both plays were picked up by mainstream companies resulting in commissions for Williamson from major theatre companies. His work was then produced overseas. The Removalists was produced in London and won an award. Williamson's reputation was firmly established when both plays, The Removalists and Don's Party, as well as The Coming of Stork were published and made into feature films. His early style was comic, irreverent and confrontational. His following plays critiquing social and domestic life contributed to the social commentary prevalent in the 1970s. These were Jugglers Three (1972), What if You Died Tomorrow (1973), The Department (1974), A Handful of Friends (1976) and The Club (1977). The ongoing prolific output of Williamson's plays have continued to reflect topical social issues concerning middle class Australians. Williamson is recognised as Australia's most successful playwright; his work has been more widely produced nationally and internationally than any other Australian playwright.