Cirrus@Austlit

A review of the 1942 Brisbane Repertory Society production at Albert Hall (19-20 March).

'This play has as its basis a divorce law in New South Wales and depicts a husband attempting to take advantage of it, hoist with his own petard when he finds that after all he does love his wife.'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Adapted from Waraker's one-act play, set entirely in the waiting room of a fashionable beauty salon. The notes that appeared in contemporary newspapers hint at the re-orientating of the drama for radio:

Even in the Introductory note the description of the characters is Interesting—"a lady who is so grand that even her voice sounds expensive"—"a flippant flapper whose finger nails are so resplendent that listeners may almost see the gleam of them shine through the loud speakers," and so on.

Source:

'Radio Interests: 4BK Notes', Telegraph, 21 March 1934, p.19.

'While serving with the A.I.F. Dick Reynolds and his brother Tom both fall In love with the same girl and Dick is the successful suitor. A fortnight before his son Bobby Is born. Dick is killed in a German trench raid and his wife does not survive him many weeks. Bobby is taken to Australia where he is brought up by his grandmother and his aunt on Wallaroo, a Queensland sheep station, of which Tom is the manager. Molly Reynolds practically devotes her life to Bobby, while Tom also regards him more as a son than a nephew. By 1930 Tom has forgotten any bitterness he may have felt towards the Germans and believes in tolerance, forgiveness and the brotherhood of man.

'Consequently when Carl Eberhardt comes with his sister to Budgeree, the station adjoining Wallaroo, although Carl served in the German army during the war, Tom welcomes him as a neighbour. By a dramatic sequence of events, Tom recognises Carl as the German who killed Dick, but because he has believed in universal brotherhood, and has spoken so much of the need for tolerance and forgiveness, Tom keeps his secret to himself until he sees that Carl and his sister Molly are falling in love. He Is almost too late, however, for in attempting to arrest the affair before it goes too far, Tom tells his secret to the slayer of his brother. Molly has already promised to marry Carl. Molly overhears the conversation Between her brother and Carl, and both lovers are stunned by the cruelty of fate. Carl and Molly agree that in the circumstances they can never marry and Carl decides to leave the district, but before he can do so he loses his own life in saving the life of Bobby, the son of the man he killed.'

Source:

'And Two Shall Meet', Telegraph, 29 May 1933, p.8.

Characters:

Suzanne Richards: a pretty woman of thirty.

Harvey Lawton: her friend.

Nova Richards: her step-daughter.

Alec. Richards: Suzanne's husband.

Mary: a maid.

The play takes place in the living room of the Richards' station homestead, around four o'clock on a summer afternoon.

'Characters:

'GEORGE HAMILTON A Middle-aged Man

'ALICE ... His Wife

'LENORE ... Their Daughter

'BERENIS ... Alice's Sister

'KENNETH ...Their Brother

'JOAN ... His Wife

'MARY ... A Maid

'Scene : The lounge in the home of George and Alice. The time is the present, and about four o'clock on an afternoon in summer.'

Source:

Australian Women's Weekly, 10 March 1934, p.7.

The play takes place in the waiting room of a fashionable beauty salon.

A young man staying in a remote hotel learns that one of his fellow guests has bought a native parrot as a pet for her ill-behaved son.