He was Artistic Director of Tantrum Theatre in Newcastle, writer-in-residence at Red Stitch in Melbourne, and the Literary Associate at ATYP.
[2] The Australian Arts review described him as "one of the country’s hottest writers, rocketing into the Sydney theatre landscape in his distinctive language".
[4] His most recent work, The Trouble With Harry, about the criminal trial of an Australian trans man in the 1920s, opened at the 2014 Melbourne Festival.
Philpott removed his name from the production and placed notes of protest on theatre seats on the play's opening night[10] but via a statement through the Australian Writer's Guild stated his retention of intellectual ownership over the original script.
The Perth Theatre Company declined to respond publicly, saying only that they were aware “of statements made by certain stakeholders and partners in our production Alienation.
PTC will continue to operate in a professional manner, and at this stage, does not intend to make any further public comments, preferring to have the relevant matters resolved through agreed resolution processes”[11] Nevertheless, a proposed Penrith season of the production was cancelled, with the Penrith Theatre Company releasing the following statement: Dr Alyson Campbell, Head of Graduate Studies in Performing Arts at the VCA, chose Philpott to speak about HIV as it is represented in Australian theatre for a panel held in Melbourne in 2014, citing Philpott’s need to address the "cultural amnesia about HIV in the gay community”.
The Age newspaper described the Melbourne production of the work as "a collaboration between Australian playwright Lachlan Philpott and Chinese director Wang Chong [that] dives into some of the social implications through heightened, visually striking domestic melodrama" and praised its "brilliant direction, concept and design"[14]