417:
critic said the production "was at least successful in showing how a handful of characters can be marshalled to produce gripping theatre" but thought "the central issues are somewhat cloudily expressed. It is as if
Seymour, having bunched these characters in a relatively surreal situation, is content
137:
Alrene Sykes, academic, called the play "a slow, highly theatrical revelation of horrors, but there is also, very clearly, a message embedded in its unmistakable symbolism. The play was written when
Australians were still at the beginning of their awareness that science might indeed have got out of
409:
TV critic called it "one of the finest drama efforts I have seen done here. Both from a technical and acting point of view, it couldn't be faulted... it gripped the interest from the first sequence. A scene where the two demented sisters stage a dream party in the near empty house was a brilliant
76:
Two sisters live together in the
Australian bush, the dominant Constance and the frail Amy. Amy's son Christian returns after having disappeared when he was in his teens. For Constance, the swamp is a symbol of life. For Amy it is a nightmare.
88:
The play was written in 1955–56. In 1956 it was the runner-up in a play competition held by the
Journalists' Club and judged by the Playwrights' Advisory Board. In 1957 it was one of the twenty-five finalists in the
438:
333:
In
September 1959 it was announced that the ABC had created a TV Writers Pool, with the aim of teaching local writers the techniques of learning for the screen. There were ten initial members: Alan Seymour,
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373:
Early
Australian TV drama production was dominated by using imported scripts but in 1960 the ABC was undertaking what has been described as "an Australiana drive" of producing local stories.
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The play was intended to be adapted as a feature film by Kevin Powell and
Anthony Buckley Productions but no film resulted.
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to pile shock on shock at the expense of fully developing the main thread: that humanism rather than science is the answer"
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580:
Sykes, Alrene. ‘Alan
Seymour.’ Australian Literary Studies, vol. 6, no. 3, 1974, doi: 10.20314/als.35f543d8cd. p 284
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was one in a series of ten plays made by the ABC in 1960 using local writers, others including
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The play was based on a true story about an old woman who lived near a swamp and disappeared.
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It turns out genetic experiments were made by a driven woman and her handyman, Charlie Fall.
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List of television plays broadcast on
Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1960s)
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68:. He wrote it for radio, stage and TV. It was Seymour's first produced play.
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781:"Forgotten Australian TV Plays – The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day"
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It was first performed by the
Canberra Repertory Society in 1957.
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Floor assistant David Twiby recalled that during the making of
614:. Vol. 35, no. 9, 746. 31 October 1960. p. 11
467:. Vol. 31, no. 9, 310. 26 October 1957. p. 2
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1248:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation television plays
818:"DAVID TWIBY LOOKS BACK ON HIS DAYS IN THE FIFTIES"
426:The play was adapted for radio by the ABC in 1958.
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701:"60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s"
526:"Repertory Does Full Justice To Excellent Play"
297:The play was filmed for TV by the ABC in 1960.
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951:
1228:Television plays directed by Raymond Menmuir
958:
944:
735:– via National Library of Australia.
622:– via National Library of Australia.
570:– via National Library of Australia.
542:– via National Library of Australia.
514:– via National Library of Australia.
475:– via National Library of Australia.
138:hand, and could turn and rend its maker."
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797:
762:"Local Writers "Pool" for More TV Plays"
719:"LIVE DRAMA AND MUSIC ON ABC TELEVISION"
1238:Australian plays adapted for television
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1195:
554:"NEW REP. PLAY WILL BE WORLD PREMIERE"
459:"NEW REP. PLAY WILL BE WORLD PREMIERE"
1100:The Life and Death of King Richard II
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300:The play was repeated on TV in 1962.
141:
798:Marshall, Valda (January 31, 1960).
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772:
698:
91:play competition held by the London
699:Vagg, Stephen (February 18, 2019).
421:
64:is a play by the Australian author
13:
1233:Australian plays adapted for radio
779:Vagg, Stephen (October 19, 2020).
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1243:Television plays filmed in Sydney
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872:Copy of script for BBC TV version
1218:1960 Australian television plays
835:Marshall, Valda (17 July 1960).
768:. 28 September 1959. p. 15.
386:The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day
876:National Film and Sound Archive
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562:. 26 October 1957. p. 2
534:. 2 November 1957. p. 2
506:. 25 October 1957. p. 2
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7:
1020:The Multi-Coloured Umbrella
861:. 14 July 1960. p. 11.
750:. 11 July 1960. p. 13.
637:. 28 July 1960. p. 15.
594:. 13 July 1960. p. 21.
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309:Jacqueline Kott as Caroline
114:Michael Dennis as Christian
103:Cast of original production
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1132:The Sergeant from Burralee
855:"TV play Gripping Theatre"
666:1960 TV production details
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498:"New Repertory Play Soon"
283:19 October 1960
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120:Daphne Curtis as Mrs Fall
108:Joyce Goodes as Constance
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318:Marion Johns as Mrs Fall
315:Graham Hill as Christian
117:Harry Schmidt as Mr Fall
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267:1 August 1960
111:Barbara Shanahan as Amy
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1203:1950s Australian plays
1044:Citizen of Westminster
891:Australian productions
649:"""Brink" Drama on TV"
251:13 July 1960
1223:Works by Alan Seymour
1208:1960 television plays
1068:The Strong Are Lonely
859:Sydney Morning Herald
841:Sydney Morning Herald
804:Sydney Morning Herald
766:Sydney Morning Herald
748:Sydney Morning Herald
592:Sydney Morning herald
486:Alan Seymour obituary
406:Sydney Morning Herald
1172:Thirty-One Backyards
1140:A Sleep of Prisoners
633:"Sinister Sisters".
167:play by Alan Seymour
1036:Sorry, Wrong Number
988:The Shadow of Doubt
837:"TV Merry-go-round"
822:ABC TV at Gore Hill
800:"TV Merry Go Round"
746:"Swamp Creatures".
312:Lynne Murphy as Amy
1164:Ballad for One Gun
1004:The Rose and Crown
966:TV productions of
927:1960 TV adaptation
903:1960 TV adaptation
724:The Canberra Times
611:The Canberra Times
559:The Canberra Times
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503:The Canberra Times
464:The Canberra Times
291:(Melbourne, taped)
227:Production company
142:1960 TV adaptation
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1108:Close to the Roof
590:"Advertisement".
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243:ABV-2 (Melbourne)
206:Original language
198:Country of origin
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42:Place premiered
37:1 November 1957
19:Swamp Creatures
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219:Running time
175:Alan Seymour
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66:Alan Seymour
60:
59:
58:
28:Alan Seymour
1076:Blue Murder
403:The Sunday
364:Peter Kenna
360:Kay Keaveny
180:Directed by
1213:1957 plays
1197:Categories
980:Roundabout
445:References
329:Production
324:as Mr Fall
287:1960-10-19
275:(Brisbane)
271:1960-08-01
255:1960-07-13
214:Production
172:Written by
125:Background
84:Background
24:Written by
399:Reception
352:Ruth Park
201:Australia
133:Reception
895:AusStage
670:AusStage
635:TV Times
433:See also
413:Another
190:Starring
164:Based on
93:Observer
45:Canberra
931:AustLit
919:AustLit
785:Filmink
731:3 April
705:Filmink
686:The Age
653:The Age
566:3 April
538:3 April
510:3 April
285: (
280:Release
269: (
264:Release
253: (
248:Release
240:Network
222:75 mins
209:English
53:English
1183:(1984)
1175:(1965)
1167:(1963)
1159:(1963)
1151:(1962)
1143:(1961)
1135:(1961)
1127:(1960)
1119:(1960)
1111:(1960)
1103:(1960)
1095:(1960)
1087:(1960)
1079:(1959)
1071:(1959)
1063:(1959)
1060:Bodgie
1055:(1959)
1047:(1958)
1039:(1958)
1031:(1958)
1023:(1958)
1015:(1958)
1007:(1957)
999:(1957)
991:(1957)
983:(1957)
471:9 June
415:Herald
618:8 May
159:drama
156:Genre
907:IMDb
733:2015
620:2016
568:2015
540:2015
512:2015
473:2016
383:and
366:and
350:and
304:Cast
72:Plot
929:at
917:at
905:at
893:at
874:at
668:at
230:ABC
1199::
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959:e
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273:)
257:)
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