Face to Face (play)

Face to Face is a play by Australian playwright David Williamson that premiered in 1999. It is part of the Jack Manning Trilogy (Face to Face (1999), A Conversation (2001), Charitable Intent (2001) which take as their subject community conferencing, a new form of restorative justice in Australia, which Wiliamson became interested in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The story concerns Glen, a young construction worker, who rams into the back of his former boss's Mercedes in a fit of anger at being sacked; he is given the opportunity to discuss his actions in a community conference, rather than going straight to court.

The play was inspired by the Maoris’ use of a method of community justice in New Zealand, bringing together the victim and perpetrator for conferencing. The play sees a convener bring together a sacked employee, his boss, family, friends and fellow workers for a community conference. It was based in part on four real conferences.

The play favourably compares community conferencing to the Australian court system, which it portrays as rigid and unfair.