A Hard God is a semi-autobiographical play by Peter Kenna.[1]
| A Hard God | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Peter Kenna |
| Characters | Dan Aggie Joe Jack Monica |
| Date premiered | 17 August 1973 |
| Place premiered | Nimrod Theatre, Sydney |
| Original language | English |
| Setting | Sydney 1946 |
The initial production starred Gloria Dawn, a vaudeville star who had been persuaded to appear in a "straight" role in Kenna's The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day.[2]
The play was very popular and has come to be regarded as an Australian classic.[3]
It was published by Currency Press in 1974.[4]
Select Key Productions
edit- May–June 1974 - Melbourne Theatre Company in association with Elizabethan Theatre Trust
1974 Film
edit| A Hard God | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Carl Schultz John Bell |
| Written by | Peter Kenna |
Production company | Nimrod Theatre |
| Distributed by | ABC |
Release dates | |
Running time | 120 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
The Nimrod Theatre version of the play was directed by John Bell. This was filmed by the ABC in 1974.[7][2] Carl Shutlz directed the production, which had been done on stage under the direction of John Bell.[8]
It was one of a number of stage productions the ABC presented in the early 1970s along with Hamlet, The Misanthrope, and Spoiled.
Cast
edit- James Bowles as Paddy
- Gloria Dawn as Aggee
- Gerry Duggan as Martin
- Graham Rouse as Dan
- Kay Elkund
- Tony Sheldon as Joe
- Andrew Sharp
1981 TV adaptation
edit| "A Hard God" | |
|---|---|
| Australian Theatre Festival episode | |
| Directed by | William Fitzwater |
| Written by | Peter Kenna |
| Original air date | 1981 |
| Running time | 80 minutes |
The play was adapted for TV again by the ABC in 1981 for the Australian Theatre Festival.[9][10]
Cast
edit- Patrick Phillips
- Betty Lucas
- Simon Burke
- Dawn Lake
- Martin Vaughan
- Graham Rouse
- Philippa Baker
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Leslie Rees, Australian Drama in the 1970s, Angus & Robertson, 1978 p 192-194
- ^ a b "Gloria Dawn in straight drama role". The Sydney Morning Herald TV Guide. 21 October 1974. p. 1.
- ^ ""A Hard God"". Star Observer, 20 April 2008. 20 April 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "A Hard God by Peter Kenna". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ "TV Guide". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 October 1974. p. 25.
- ^ "Aggie's Rebellion". The Age TV Guide. 31 October 1974. p. 4.
- ^ A Hard God 1974 production at National Film and Sound Archive
- ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 31 October 1974. p. 42.
- ^ Ed Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p78
- ^ "PRODUCTION notes". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 6 August 1980. p. 146 Supplement: FREE Your TV Magazine. Retrieved 7 August 2013.