'A party of tourists are being, shown through Edinburgh Castle when a tale told by the guide, coupled with the music of a spinet, recreates in the mind of one of them an episode of the past, in which she fancies herself to be taking part. After the due interval of dimmed lights and rippling music this episode comes on the stage. After an other similar interval the dreamer returns to the present' ('Polygon.' 'Two Local Plays,' p.15).
The fantasy story revolves around Mary Queen of Scotts and her infant son (later King James I of England). The title of the refers to the Queen's four maids-in-waiting who are all named Marie.
In his West Australian review of the 1935 production Paul Hasluck ('Polygon') writes:
Miss Tweedie has a very good stage sense, skill in handling her material., and an ability for neat workmanship In all the arrangements of her little fantasy. Her writing is clear and bright. But after it is all over, all one can say is. 'Charming little thing, wasn't it?' It takes more than a girlish tourist's musings to make a play. If she could feel dramatic emotion she already is capable enough to write quite a good play ('Two Local Plays,' p.15).
1935: Assembly Hall, Perth; 5-6 July
A preview of the forthcoming Perth Repertory season of four one act plays. The programme included two works by local authors - The Queen's Marie (Phyllis Tweedie) and Centurion (Alexander Turner).
'To make excuses for local products or to treat them on a different level from any other products is to insult. So, it is hammer and tongs for the two plays by West Australian writers which were presented by the Repertory Club at a club evening in the Assembly Hall last night. The first play was The Centurion, by Mr. Alexander Turner, of Pingelly. It gained second place in the club's short play competition earlier in the year.... Miss Phyllis Dorrington Tweedie, the author of The Queen's Marie, the second play, is more capable than Mr. Turner in many directions, but emotion is the quality she lacks...'
'To make excuses for local products or to treat them on a different level from any other products is to insult. So, it is hammer and tongs for the two plays by West Australian writers which were presented by the Repertory Club at a club evening in the Assembly Hall last night. The first play was The Centurion, by Mr. Alexander Turner, of Pingelly. It gained second place in the club's short play competition earlier in the year.... Miss Phyllis Dorrington Tweedie, the author of The Queen's Marie, the second play, is more capable than Mr. Turner in many directions, but emotion is the quality she lacks...'
A preview of the forthcoming Perth Repertory season of four one act plays. The programme included two works by local authors - The Queen's Marie (Phyllis Tweedie) and Centurion (Alexander Turner).
'Miss Phyllis Tweedie, a 20-year-old student at the University of Western Australia, received news last week that she had won first prize in a one-act play competition conducted by the Melbourne Dramatic Club...'
