Wake in Fright (ATOM Study Guide)

Wake in Fright

‘May you dream of the Devil and wake in fright.’

Wake in Fright (2017) is a two-part television drama that tells the story of John Grant (Sean Keenan) who is returning to Sydney after a year teaching at a one-classroom school in the remote outback town of Tiboonda. Shortly after hitting the road at dusk he collides with a kangaroo and finds himself marooned in the small mining town of Bundanyabba, awaiting repairs on his car. With little to do in the Yabba but drink beer, John is seduced into a raucous, illegal gambling game, and after a short exhilarating winning streak he loses everything. This triggers a dangerous series of events rendering John a broken and desperate man who descends into his own personal nightmare.

Wake in Fright is a contemporary adaptation of Kenneth Cook’s Australian classic novel of the same name which was first published in 1961.

Curriculum Links

This study guide to accompany Wake in Fright has been written for secondary students in Years 10 – 12. It provides information and suggestion for learning activities in English and Media. Teachers are advised to consult the Australian curriculum online at http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ and curriculum outlines relevant to their state or territory.