y separately published work icon Best Australian One-Act Plays anthology   drama  
Issue Details: First known date: 1937... 1937 Best Australian One-Act Plays
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Notes

  • Dedication: To Louis Esson, whose group of one-act plays, produced in Melbourne about 1911, was the first and original and distinctive contribution to our drama.

Contents

* Contents derived from the Sydney, New South Wales,:Angus and Robertson , 1937 version. Please note that other versions/publications may contain different contents. See the Publication Details.
The Development of Australian Drama, William Moore , single work criticism (p. xix-xxvii)
Andeganora, Louis Esson , Frank Brown , single work drama (p. 1-12)
Easter : A Morality Play, Dulcie Deamer , single work drama (p. 13-25)
The Fourposter : A Fantasy in One Act, Dora Wilcox , single work drama
"This is a comedy that most adroitly blends humour and fantasy, as the ghosts associated with a family heirloom (the fourposter) appear before its latest owner, a young wife, who finally mistakes a burglar under her bed as another of her

ancestors. This results in some diverting dialogue."

Source.

(p. 27-49)
The Rustling of Voices, Lloyd Ross , single work drama (p. 51-74)
Garden Fantasia, John Wheeler , single work drama (p. 75-86)
The Pioneers, Katharine Susannah Prichard , single work drama

Set in the interior of a hut in the Gippsland forest, in the 1850s, the play has six characters. Donald Cameron, an honest dour Scot, and Mary, his wife, whom he picked off the boat at the wharf, are pioneers sharing a strange, strong love. Thad McNab, the double-crossing shanty keeper, and McLaughlin, a trooper, pursue two escaped convicts, Dan and Steve. Mary befriends them during Donald's absence. Donald, McNab and McLaughlin return. Mary successfully conceals the fact that the convicts have been at the hut from all but Donald. He cannot understand her charity and humanity, but admires her strength of character. (Abstract adapted from The Campbell Howard Annotated Index of Australian Plays 1920-1955)


Characters

The Pioneers: 

DONALD CAMERON

MARY CAMERON his wife


Escaped Convicts:

DAN FARRELL 

STEVE


Shanty keeper:

THAD M'NAB


The trooper: 

M'LAUGHLIN

(p. 87-115)
Variations on a Printing Press, Charles Porter , single work radio play
A printer suffers a nervous breakdown.
(p. 117-135)
Dampier's Ghost : A Comedy in One Act, Henrietta Drake-Brockman , single work drama humour

This comedic play follows four principal characters as they gather on the veranda of the Bishop's home and inspect his pearls. The conversation turns to ghosts and the Bishop reveals that he suspects he has received visits from the ghost of John Dampier, the buccaneer. As it turns out, "the ghost" in question is one of the four people on the veranda, not a ghost but a thief intent on stealing his pearls. 

Source.

(p. 137-154)
Searchlights, Sydney Tomholt , single work drama
A wartime story about grief and returning to life after WW1. It follows a reincarnated soldier and a young woman dealing with grief, as they help each other come to terms with the violence of war. 
(p. 155-174)
Ancestors, Vance Palmer , single work drama (p. 175-194)
"Gib It Tshillin'", Montague Grover , single work drama (p. 195-210)
Anzac Reunion, Edgar Holt , single work drama (p. 211-239)
Sending Grannie Off : A Radio Play Send-off for Grannie, Morris Hay Simpson , single work radio play

Described in the Maitland Daily Mercury as 'a whimsical comedy of farm life' ('Radio Drama Week,' p.8), Simpson 'introduces a fine character in Grannie, a vigorous old matriarch, ruling a large and sprawling country family with an unbending authority' ('Australian Radio Drama Week,' p.6).

(p. 231-252)
The Trap, Stewart Macky , single work drama (p. 253-273)
Hester Siding, Alexander Turner , single work radio play

Alexander Turner provides a glimpse into the lives of a married English couple who go on the land after arriving in the country.

(p. 275-292)
Note: With title Hester Siding : A Radio Play.
Sub-Editor's Room, Leslie Rees , single work drama (p. 293-309)
Morning, Betty M. Davies , single work drama

Set in a log cabin in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales during the early goldrush era, Burton and Lucy are two runaway convicts who have hewn out a primitive existence in the harsh bushland. The story begins in the morning, shortly after Lucy has given birth to a son. Burton, a quiet, strong and apparently educated man is tending to the house and his 'wife'. As they consider the impact of the child on their already meagre lives, a prospector, lost during the course of a drunken spree, wanders into their lives. They feed him from their limited supply of food while he gloats about the gold he has found, showing them the nuggets. Each has been named after the use he will put them to. As he sobers up the stranger becomes wary and suspicious of the couple and rightly guesses who they are. He leaves, and shortly afterwards is followed by Burton, armed with his rifle.

Writing of the play in the Australian Women's Weekly following its publication in Best Australian One-Act Plays, Leslie Haylen writes: 'It succeeds on its dramatic situation, the texture of its writing and its craftsmanship. In some respects it is not a "nice" play and is probably all the better for that. It has an ugly ending, in the tragic manner, uses the convict theme, and no doubt if produced someone would want to ban it. Still, it is a brilliant play in every way' (18 September 1937, p.30).

(p. 331-333)
Stampede, Bernard Cronin , single work radio play
Set in a selector's kitchen during a drought.
(p. 335-349)
At Dusk, M. S. Armstrong , single work drama
Sisters Lily and Amy return home to the farm at dusk to find Amy's husband Jim out. Upset having seen Bert, a man 'whose unwelcome attentions had been tormenting her for four years', Lily dies of fright when the wind blows the door open. Jim returns home to reveal he had been following buggy tracks that lead him to discover Bert's overturned buggy and that Bert too had died at dusk - from p.8-9, Campbell Howard Index (1993).
(p. 351-366)

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

Works about this Work

Twenty-One Fine Plays Hail Our Artistic Coming Of Age Leslie Haylen , 1937 single work review
— Appears in: Australian Women's Weekly , 18 September 1937;

— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama
New Australian Books Frederick T. Macartney , 1937 single work review
— Appears in: All About Books , 10 November vol. 9 no. 11 1937; (p. 166-169)

— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama ; Wide Horizons : Wanderings in Central Australia R. H. Croll , 1937 single work prose ; Murder in the Silo Edmund Barclay , 1937 single work radio play ; Variations on a Printing Press Charles Porter , 1937 single work radio play ; Beam Ends Errol Flynn , 1937 single work autobiography
Untitled 1937 single work review
— Appears in: The North Queensland Register , 4 September 1937; (p. 33)

— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama
Untitled 1937 single work review
— Appears in: The Central Queensland Herald , 9 September 1937; (p. 12)

— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama
Twelve Australian Books That Should Be in Every Australian Home Mary Gilmore , George Mackaness , Frederick T. Macartney , 1937 single work review
— Appears in: All About Books , 10 November vol. 9 no. 11 1937; (p. 172)

— Review of The Singing Gold Dorothy Cottrell , 1927 single work novel ; Landtakers : The Story of an Epoch Brian Penton , 1934 single work novel ; Confessions of a Beachcomber E. J. Banfield , 1908 extract autobiography ; The Sentimental Bloke : The Play C. J. Dennis , 1914 single work poetry ; Songs of a Campaign Leon Gellert , 1917 selected work poetry ; Heart of Spring John Shaw Neilson , 1919 selected work poetry ; Satyrs and Sunlight : Being the Collected Poetry of Hugh McCrae Hugh McCrae , 1928 selected work poetry ; His Natural Life Marcus Clarke , 1870-1872 single work novel ; The Pearl and the Octopus, and Other Exercises in Prose and Verse Alfred George Stephens , 1911 selected work short story poetry ; Such Is Life : Being Certain Extracts from the Diary of Tom Collins Tom Collins , 1897 single work novel ; Flynn of the Inland Ion L. Idriess , 1932 single work biography ; The Fortunes of Richard Mahony Henry Handel Richardson , 1917 single work novel ; Man-Shy Frank Dalby Davison , 1934 extract novel ; We of the Never-Never Mrs Aeneas Gunn , 1908 single work novel ; Speaking Personally Walter Murdoch , 1930 selected work essay ; Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama ; The Wide Brown Land : A New Anthology of Australian Verse 1934 anthology poetry ; The Magic Pudding Second Slice : Being the Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and His Friends Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff Norman Lindsay , 1971 extract children's fiction ; Separate Lives Vance Palmer , 1931 selected work short story ; Modern Australian Literature, 1900-1923 Nettie Palmer , 1924 single work criticism
Twelve Australian Books That Should Be in Every Australian Home Mary Gilmore , George Mackaness , Frederick T. Macartney , 1937 single work review
— Appears in: All About Books , 10 November vol. 9 no. 11 1937; (p. 172)

— Review of The Singing Gold Dorothy Cottrell , 1927 single work novel ; Landtakers : The Story of an Epoch Brian Penton , 1934 single work novel ; Confessions of a Beachcomber E. J. Banfield , 1908 extract autobiography ; The Sentimental Bloke : The Play C. J. Dennis , 1914 single work poetry ; Songs of a Campaign Leon Gellert , 1917 selected work poetry ; Heart of Spring John Shaw Neilson , 1919 selected work poetry ; Satyrs and Sunlight : Being the Collected Poetry of Hugh McCrae Hugh McCrae , 1928 selected work poetry ; His Natural Life Marcus Clarke , 1870-1872 single work novel ; The Pearl and the Octopus, and Other Exercises in Prose and Verse Alfred George Stephens , 1911 selected work short story poetry ; Such Is Life : Being Certain Extracts from the Diary of Tom Collins Tom Collins , 1897 single work novel ; Flynn of the Inland Ion L. Idriess , 1932 single work biography ; The Fortunes of Richard Mahony Henry Handel Richardson , 1917 single work novel ; Man-Shy Frank Dalby Davison , 1934 extract novel ; We of the Never-Never Mrs Aeneas Gunn , 1908 single work novel ; Speaking Personally Walter Murdoch , 1930 selected work essay ; Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama ; The Wide Brown Land : A New Anthology of Australian Verse 1934 anthology poetry ; The Magic Pudding Second Slice : Being the Adventures of Bunyip Bluegum and His Friends Bill Barnacle and Sam Sawnoff Norman Lindsay , 1971 extract children's fiction ; Separate Lives Vance Palmer , 1931 selected work short story ; Modern Australian Literature, 1900-1923 Nettie Palmer , 1924 single work criticism
Untitled 1937 single work review
— Appears in: The Central Queensland Herald , 9 September 1937; (p. 12)

— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama
Untitled 1937 single work review
— Appears in: The North Queensland Register , 4 September 1937; (p. 33)

— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama
New Australian Books Frederick T. Macartney , 1937 single work review
— Appears in: All About Books , 10 November vol. 9 no. 11 1937; (p. 166-169)

— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama ; Wide Horizons : Wanderings in Central Australia R. H. Croll , 1937 single work prose ; Murder in the Silo Edmund Barclay , 1937 single work radio play ; Variations on a Printing Press Charles Porter , 1937 single work radio play ; Beam Ends Errol Flynn , 1937 single work autobiography
Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 single work review
— Appears in: The Bulletin , 15 September vol. 58 no. 3005 1937; (p. 2)

— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama
Last amended 3 Sep 2018 13:10:31
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