Me and Robert McKee ran at Circa Theatre from 6 November to 4 December, 2010.

Greg McGee's new play Me and Robert McKee sees him at the top of his game with a sharp, funny play about the four 'M's - money, marriage, mate-ship and mortality.

Circa Theatre has scored a coup with the world premier of McGee's new play. The sophisticated black comedy revolves around the world of film.

According to Billy, a writer, "character is destiny". He's facing the certain end of his marriage and the likely end of his career. Reliant on teaching scriptwriting for a living and the bottle for oblivion, his sense of self-worth is teetering on the edge. When Mac, his best friend, a banker and would-be producer, offers him a screenplay to write, the offer is not all it seems. Will the gesture start "our hero's journey from darkness to redemption" - and make them a million - or trigger the final act of Billy's tragic career?

Along with gifting us an entertaining play, McGee, through Billie, lets us in on some hard-earned secrets of writing that he's learnt, both funny and cynical, hammered home during a long career. As Greg says, "writing isn't difficult. Everyone does it. Writing something worth a damn is extraordinarily difficult. And making a decent living from writing something worth a damn is harder again." Billie's take on writing and writers will be of interest to every aspiring writer and creative artist.

While Greg's writing career hit the ground running with one of this country's most successful plays, Foreskin's Lament, he soon moved into film and television. His television credits include Erebus: the Aftermath, Fallout, Marlin Bay, Street Legal, and Doves of War. He has co-written films such as Crooked Earth and Via Satellite.

Like every writer, Greg has a variety of responses to his own work. However he is particularly happy with Me and Robert McKee.

"I really like this play on the page, the way it combines humour and emotion and plays with the realities of the real and the written. And I think it's very theatrical, without being physical theatre, but the leap from the page to the stage is the big test and, as always, it's both exciting and terrifying. I'm very grateful to have director Conrad Newport at the helm and Chris and Paul bringing it to life."

Me and Robert McKee is already an international award-winner - co-winner of Best Stage Play at Moondance Festival 2009 and runner-up in the 2010 Adam Playwriting Awards.

      Biographies of Paul, Christopher and Conrad

Directed by Conrad Newport
Featuring Christopher Brougham and Paul McLaughlin
Set Design Brian King
Lighting Design Jennifer Lal
Stage Manager/Operator Miriam Sobey
Photography Howard Taylor, Stephen A'Court
Print Design Rose Millar, Tool Box
Producer Howard Taylor