Cirrus@Austlit

In the 1960s, a group of tourists at a mountain inn in France meet an Englishman who tells them of the capture of an Australian prisoner-of-war in World War II, his escape, his time with the French Resistance, and his execution.

A sixteen-year-old girl considers drastic answers to the turmoil in her family when her mother falls in love with another man.

In the 1960s, a group of tourists at a mountain inn in France meet an Englishman who tells them of the capture of an Australian prisoner-of-war in World War II, his escape, his time with the French Resistance, and his execution.

'Romantic story of a French schoolgirl who falls in love with an older man. They meet four years later. During this time he has married.'

Source: The Age, 17 March 1960, p.26.

An adaptation of the earlier television play.

A doctor who had an affair before his marriage finds himself in the clutches of a blackmailer, who could ruin both the doctor's marriage and his career, unless the doctor can come up with a way of silencing him.

Beyond the airdate, nothing is currently known of this work.

Beyond the airdate, nothing is currently known of this work.

Beyond the airdate, nothing is currently known of this work.

'The author, George F. Kerr, seems, at first, to ridicule the importance of the consequences on teenagers of "the broken home". However, the whole play is based on the results, in a young girl, of the separation of her parents, one an actor, the other a successful popular authoress. The drama of the play lies in the killing of the mother's lover by the girl, who finds it intolerable that her mother should violate the loyalty she, the daughter, has for her itinerant father. The pathos of the affair rests in the loss of the daughter's emotional stability in front of adults who are to a degree blasé and quite self-sufficient. Some reactionaries may see here the results of female emancipation, others, no doubt, will call to book the temperament of professional artists, whilst the detrimental capacities of a vagabond will be made to bear all responsibilities by still other viewers.'

Source: 'At Sydney Theatres', Le Courrier Australien, 23 September 1960, p.5.

'Mr Kerr postulates the murder of an ageing actress by her bitter and untalented son, and then involves a cynical theatre critic who just happens to be the brother of the son's girlfriend, and a journalist who just happens to be known to all of them through a series of very odd coincidences.'

Source:

'Live T.V. Show of Thriller', Sydney Morning Herald, 3 December 1959, p.5.

According to contemporary newspapers, The Multi-coloured Umbrella follows on from The Passionate Pianist:

A.B.C. TV-viewers met the family, bookmaker Kevin Donnelly and his sons Ben and Joe, several weeks ago in 'The Passionate Pianist'–Miss Vernon's latest play.

In the 'Umbrella', Joe has married, his marriage is on the rocks but he won't admit there's anything wrong.

Brother Ben, however, sees the problem as a realist.

The outcome?

Miss Vernon has written two endings–one for Inverell, where she first produced the play with the 2NZ dramatic society, which she founded, and one for Melbourne and Sydney audiences.

Source:

'A Bookie's Ad. Led to a Play', Sydney Morning Herald, 6 November 1957, p.9.

Based on Ibsen's play of the same name, but updated to a contemporary Australian setting. Dr Stockman believes that a local spring is poisoning people.