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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).
Notes
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First produced under the auspices of the Melbourne Little Theatre.
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Included in the Playwrights' Advisory Board list of Australian plays. The Playwright's Advisory Board was a Sydney organisation that encouraged the perfomance of and sponsored the publication of Australian plays.
Source: https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-526714238, Page 19
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In an interview in 1995, Roland notes that 'Morning' was intended to be the first act of a full length play, but she submitted it for publication in a collection of one-act plays, and did not complete the full play.
Production Details
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1932: Kiosk Theatre, Fawkner Park, South Yarra, Melbourne; 2 June [World premiere]
- Producer: Melbourne Little Theatre Company
- Cast: Raymond W???? E Lennard Roberts, Thelma Ma??
- Plays on the same program (1-4 June): Traitors by Gilbert R. Hillman, Van Diemen's Land by J. Ormiston Reid, The Mystery of Manfred Moon by Isabel Handley.
Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/147287244
1939: Independent Theatre Clubrooms, 175 Pitt St, Sydney; 17 August
- Producer: New Theatre League
- Performed alongside Leading Lady by Sydney Tomholt (produced by Independent Theatre), Shallow Cups by Dymphna Cusack (produced by Sydney University Dramatic Society), The Woman Tamer by Louis Esson (produced by Bryant's Playhouse), That's Murder by Lionel Shave (produced by Sydney Players' Club).
- Sponsored by the Playwrights' Advisory Board, under the patronage of Lady Halse Rogers, in aid of Playwrights' Advisory Board funds.
Sources: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/247776682
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/231403760
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17612698
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17602644.
1940: Workers' Art Club, 36 Pitt Street, Sydney; 11 and18 February.
- Producer Sydney New Theatre League
- Staged along with Cupid Rampant by Percy Corry and Black 'ell by Miles Malleson.
Sources: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17662911
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/210477013
1940: Maryborough; 17 May
- Producer: Maryborough Amateur Theatre
- Cast: Cecil Ambrose, Dorothy Rex, John Malouf
- Director: Idwal Davies
Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/151355072
1941: Easter Festival of Drama; Careel Head, Whale Beach, NSW; 13 April
- Producer: Castle Crag Community Players
- Plays produced at the same festival included The End of Courage (produced by the Federation Players), Hotel Universe (produced by the Armidale Arts and Crafts Players and Sydney University Drama Society), The Long Christmas Dinner (produced by the Independent Theatre), The Wind and the Rain (produced by the Dajonians), Private Hicks (produced by the New Theatre League), Major Barbara (produced by Bryant's Playhouse), Ma Sampson (produced by Armidale Arts and Crafts Players)
- Performed at a festival over three days organised by the Federation Players' Rosalie Collins and Dympna Cusack, opened by the Director of Education, Mr McKenzie.
Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/17718730
1942: Congregational Hall, Katoomba, NSW; 19 August
- Producer: Mrs. L. C. H. Barbour
- Staged along with Rosalind and Catherine Parr.
Source: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/189907610
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Works about this Work
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y
Contemporary Settler Literature : Resources for Students and Teachers
St Lucia
:
AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource
,
2017
13356230
2017
single work
multimedia
bibliography
'Here you will find an introduction to settler colonial theory and contemporary settler colonial literature. This exhibition is intended to survey the major and minor authors, works, and ideas involved with settler colonial writing in Australia, and, to a lesser extent, the United States, since the 1990s.
'In addition to the overview statements on this page, you can click on other tabs to see timeline of publication dates in historical context, a glossary of common terms, an annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources, brief discussions of themes and motifs useful for student researchers and teachers interested in including settler colonialism in their curricula, and information about comparative settler colonial studies between Australia and the US.'
Source: Abstract.
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Twenty-One Fine Plays Hail Our Artistic Coming Of Age
1937
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Women's Weekly , 18 September 1937;
— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama -
Drama Night
1930
single work
review
— Appears in: All About Books , 18 November vol. 2 no. 11 1930; (p. 299-301)
— Review of Morning 1929 single work drama ; White Feather 1930 single work drama ; The Kitchen Table : A Play in One Act 1930 single work drama -
Four Australian Plays
1930
single work
column
— Appears in: All About Books , 17 October vol. 2 no. 10 1930; (p. 277)
-
Drama Night
1930
single work
review
— Appears in: All About Books , 18 November vol. 2 no. 11 1930; (p. 299-301)
— Review of Morning 1929 single work drama ; White Feather 1930 single work drama ; The Kitchen Table : A Play in One Act 1930 single work drama -
Four Australian Plays
1930
single work
column
— Appears in: All About Books , 17 October vol. 2 no. 10 1930; (p. 277) -
Twenty-One Fine Plays Hail Our Artistic Coming Of Age
1937
single work
review
— Appears in: Australian Women's Weekly , 18 September 1937;
— Review of Best Australian One-Act Plays 1937 anthology drama -
y
Contemporary Settler Literature : Resources for Students and Teachers
St Lucia
:
AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource
,
2017
13356230
2017
single work
multimedia
bibliography
'Here you will find an introduction to settler colonial theory and contemporary settler colonial literature. This exhibition is intended to survey the major and minor authors, works, and ideas involved with settler colonial writing in Australia, and, to a lesser extent, the United States, since the 1990s.
'In addition to the overview statements on this page, you can click on other tabs to see timeline of publication dates in historical context, a glossary of common terms, an annotated bibliography of primary and secondary sources, brief discussions of themes and motifs useful for student researchers and teachers interested in including settler colonialism in their curricula, and information about comparative settler colonial studies between Australia and the US.'
Source: Abstract.
Awards
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cAustralia,c
