Independent Theatre, formerly known as The Independent Theatre Ltd., was an Australian dramatic society founded in 1930 by Dame
Doris Fitton
Dame Doris Alice Lucy Walkden Fitton, (3 November 18972 April 1985) was an Australian actress of stage and film and theatrical director and producer who founded and for 35 years headed The Independent Theatre Ltd. in Sydney, New South Wales.
...
in
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
, Australia. It is also the name given to the building it occupied from 1939 (then known as the Coliseum Theatre), now owned by
Wenona School
, motto_translation = That I May Serve
, established =
, type = Independent single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding
, denomination =
, educational_authority = NSW Department of Education
, slogan = Empowering y ...
, in
North Sydney, cited as Sydney's oldest live theatre venue.
History
The society was named for London's
Independent Theatre Society
The Independent Theatre Society was a by-subscription-only organisation in London from 1891 to 1897, founded by Dutch drama critic Jacob Grein to give "special performances of plays which have a literary and artistic rather than a commercial value ...
founded by
J. T. Grein
Jacob Thomas "Jack" Grein (generally referred to as J. T. Grein; 11 October 1862 – 22 June 1935) was a British impresario and drama critic of Dutch origin who helped establish the modern theatre in London.Wearing, J. P"Grein, Jacob Thomas (1862 ...
and was one of several amateur drama groups of high standard which sprang up in Sydney in the 1930s to fill the gap left by the closure of all but two professional theatres (the last spoken-word theatre to close was The
Criterion theatre
The Criterion Theatre is a West End theatre at Piccadilly Circus in the City of Westminster, and is a Grade II* listed building. It has a seating capacity of 588.
Building the theatre
In 1870, the caterers Spiers and Pond began development ...
in 1936, leaving only the Tivoli, which ran
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
, and the
Theatre Royal, which played musicals and ballets). The range of plays essayed was impressive – from classics to avant-garde pieces, from recent
West End and
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
successes (sometimes the Australian premiere) to offerings from local dramatists. The death of Doris Fitton's co-producer Peter Summerton in 1969 put extra strain on her deteriorating health, and with no-one able or willing to fill her shoes, the Independent closed in 1977.
In the 1990s, in serious disrepair, the theatre, Sydney's oldest, was bought by
Rodney Seaborn
The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts is based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, many of Australia's leading actors and directors trained at NIDA, including Cat ...
's Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation, and reopened in 1998.
the Independent Theatre operates in
North Sydney, in the building opened as the Coliseum Theatre in 1939, run by
Wenona School
, motto_translation = That I May Serve
, established =
, type = Independent single-sex primary and secondary day and boarding
, denomination =
, educational_authority = NSW Department of Education
, slogan = Empowering y ...
.
Venues
Initially, Fitton's company rehearsed and played in
St James' Hall
St. James's Hall was a concert hall in London that opened on 25 March 1858, designed by architect and artist Owen Jones (architect), Owen Jones, who had decorated the interior of the Crystal Palace. It was situated between the Quadrant in Regent ...
. From 1931, most performances were given in The Savoy, a small single-floor cinema on Bligh Street, chiefly on Wednesday and Saturday, movies being shown on other nights. For some productions, the much larger
Sydney Conservatorium of Music
The Sydney Conservatorium of Music (formerly the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music and known by the moniker "The Con") is a heritage-listed music school in Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the old ...
was hired. It would have made an ideal home for the club, but was not available for regular hire. In 1937 Doris came to an arrangement with the
Sydney Players' Club that they would share Savoy Saturday nights: five weeks for The Independent and three for the Players. But after the Players' Club had cancelled their lease of
St James' Hall
St. James's Hall was a concert hall in London that opened on 25 March 1858, designed by architect and artist Owen Jones (architect), Owen Jones, who had decorated the interior of the Crystal Palace. It was situated between the Quadrant in Regent ...
, the management of The Savoy evicted them both in order to become purely a cinema.
It had been intended to move to the much larger Palace Theatre, 255(?) Pitt Street, at the end of 1932 (it had been used throughout August 1931 for a particularly popular production), but that never eventuated. (It became a venue for "minnie" golf instead!)
The new clubrooms upstairs at 175 Pitt Street served as an occasional performance space from September 1938 to September 1939.
In 1938 the company took a two-year lease over the old Criterion (which was originally a cable winding station for the
cable trams), at 269 Miller Street, North Sydney (near Ridge Street), which had been made available by the collapse of the Kursaal Theatre Group. For a time they were running two productions in parallel: at Pitt Street and at their new premises, renamed "The Independent"; by September 1939 the move was complete. The building was owned by North Sydney Coliseum Company, who in 1947 made moves to sell the building. Funds were raised for its purchase.
Clubrooms
Clubrooms are used for
read-through
The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted.
In addition to the ca ...
s of plays, training and rehearsals other than full
dress rehearsal
A rehearsal is an activity in the performing arts that occurs as preparation for a performance in music, theatre, dance and related arts, such as opera, musical theatre and film production. It is undertaken as a form of practising, to ens ...
s to save the expense of theatre hire. Often they would be made available to other groups and community organizations. They may also be used for storage, maintenance and sometimes even preparation of programmes, scenery,
props
A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinct ...
and costumes. Doris first rented rooms for this purpose in 1933 at 60
King St
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
then moved to 112 King St in early 1934.
and were still there in 1938 when the building was destroyed by fire. They rented the first floor (US second floor) of "Club Chambers" at 175 Pitt St from July 1938 to mid-1939 when they took over the Coliseum and there was no need for a separate facility.
Performances
Doris was usually producer and director, and frequently leading lady, and in each of these roles won praise from the critics. Dame
Sybil Thorndike
Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969.
Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...
is recorded as saying of The Independent "It is too good to be judged by the standards of the amateur stage." The list below exemplifies the range and standard of plays performed.
In 1942 The Independent embarked on a joint management arrangement with Alec Coppel's Whitehall Productions which entailed nightly professional presentations, alternating seasons with the Minerva Theatre across the other side of the city. The scheme was abandoned after one month due to poor weekday attendances.
In 1944 they played at the newly opened
American Red Cross Club at
Kensington
Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in the West End of London, West of Central London.
The district's commercial heart is Kensington High Street, running on an east–west axis. The north-east is taken up b ...
.
On 19 September 1944, the building narrowly escaped destruction when the adjacent building, previously the De Luxe Theatre but then used by the Army as a store, caught fire. Newspaper reports of hand grenades and bombs being hastily removed were denied by officials.
Initially amateur, "The Indi" started paying award rates to a nucleus of leading players from May 1955. Those selected included Marie Rosenfeld, Ethel Gabriel, Jessica Noad, Molly Brown, Haydee Seldon, Leonard Bullen, John Carlson and Grenville Spencer. Doris's intended six shows a week was soon cut to three in the face of inadequate rehearsal time.
In 1948
John Alden
John Alden (c. 1598 - September 12, 1687) was a crew member on the historic 1620 voyage of the ''Mayflower'' which brought the English settlers commonly known as Pilgrims to Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, US. He was hired in Sou ...
used "The Independent" as home for his fledgling Shakespeare Company. Other groups to use "The Independent" at various times were the Independent Theatre School of Stagecraft,
Heather Gell
Heather Doris Gell (19 May 1896 – 23 October 1988) was an Australian kindergarten teacher and early proponent of Dalcroze eurhythmics to Australia. She also worked as a radio broadcaster, television presenter and theatre producer.
Early li ...
Productions, Lesley Bowker's Reiby Players and the Liberal Youth Club's Dramatic Group.
Selected productions
:Note: This list is incomplete and only dramatic productions by The Independent Theatre are listed. Most are opening nights with no indication of successive performances if any. It includes very few of the many evenings of one-act plays (including finalists of their annual play-writing contests) and matinees. Where no producer is credited, it may be assumed to have been Doris Fitton.
:at
St James' Hall
St. James's Hall was a concert hall in London that opened on 25 March 1858, designed by architect and artist Owen Jones (architect), Owen Jones, who had decorated the interior of the Crystal Palace. It was situated between the Quadrant in Regent ...
, Phillip Street
*6 Aug 1930 ''
By Candlelight
''By Candlelight'' is a 1933 American pre-Code comedy film directed by James Whale. The film is based on the Austrian play ''Candle Light'' by and Karl Farkas, which was adapted to the English-speaking stage by P. G. Wodehouse. The film stars ...
'' dir. Harry Tighe
*8 Oct 1930 ''
The Marquise
''The Marquise'' is a romantic comedy play by Noël Coward, written as a vehicle for Marie Tempest, who starred in the original 1927 production in London. Among later players of the central role have been Lilian Gish, Celia Johnson, Moira Lister, ...
''
*12 Nov 1930 ''
The Queen Was in Her Parlour
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''
:at Savoy Theatre, Bligh Street unless otherwise indicated
*7 Jan 1931 ''Michael and Mary''
*21 Feb 1931 ''
The Silver Cord The Silver Cord may refer to:
* ''The Silver Cord'' (The Classic Crime album), 2008
* ''The Silver Cord'' (King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard album), 2023, or the title song
* ''The Silver Cord'' (film), a 1933 American film directed by John Cromw ...
''
*21 Mar 1931 ''And So To Bed''
*2 May 1931 ''
Hindle Wakes''
*23 May 1931 ''By Candle-light''
*27 Jun 1931 ''
The Constant Nymph'' (from 8 Aug at Palace Theatre)
*12 Sep 1931 ''The Second Man''
*21 Nov 1931 ''
Street Scene''
*5 Dec 1931 ''The Shadow of the Glen'' & ''
A Kiss for Cinderella
''A Kiss for Cinderella'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was first produced in London at Wyndham's Theatre on March 16, 1916, starring Gerald du Maurier and Hilda Trevelyan, enjoying great success over 156 performances, and with several annual Ch ...
''
*6 Feb 1932 ''The Middle Watch'' by
Ian Hay
Major General John Hay Beith, Order of the British Empire, CBE Military Cross, MC (17 April 1876 – 22 September 1952), was a British schoolmaster and soldier, but is best remembered as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and historian who w ...
*16 Apr 1932 ''At Mrs Beam's''
*23 Apr 1932 ''
Othello
''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...
''
*21 May 1932 ''
A Circle of Chalk
''The Chalk Circle'' (sometimes translated ''The Circle of Chalk''), by Li Qianfu, is a Yuan dynasty (1259–1368) China, Chinese classical zaju verse play and gong'an fiction, gong'an Chinese crime fiction, crime drama, in four acts with a prol ...
''
*4 Jun 1932 ''The Constant Nymph''
*2 Jul 1932 ''
The Young Idea
''The Young Idea'', subtitled "A comedy of youth in three acts", is an early play by Noël Coward, written in 1921 and first produced the following year. After a pre-London provincial tour it ran at the Savoy Theatre for 60 performances from 1 ...
''
*6 Aug 1932 ''The Great Broxopp''
*17 Sep 1932 ''Disraeli''
*15 Oct 1932 ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
''
*5 Nov 1932 ''
Mrs. Moonlight''
*10 Dec 1932 ''Take Two from One''
*13 Jan 1933 ''
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a fictional character created by List of Scottish novelists, Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and Puer aeternus, never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending ...
''
*14 Jan 1933 ''
The School for Scandal
''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777.
Plot
Act I
Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...
''
*18 Feb 1933 ''
Caprice
Caprice, from the Italian ''capriccio'', may refer to:
Art and entertainment
* ''Caprice'' (1913 film), a film starring Mary Pickford
* ''Caprices'' (film), a 1942 French comedy film
* ''Caprice'' (1967 film), a film starring Richard Harris ...
''
*18 Mar 1933 ''
Precious Bane
''Precious Bane'' is a historical romance by Mary Webb, first published in 1924. It won the Prix Femina Vie Heureuse Prize in 1926.
Synopsis
The story is set in rural Shropshire during the Napoleonic Wars. It is narrated by the central charac ...
'' by
Mary Webb
Mary Gladys Webb (25 March 1881 – 8 October 1927) was an English Romance (literary fiction), romance novelist and poet of the early 20th century, whose work is set chiefly in the Shropshire countryside and among Shropshire characters and ...
*13 May 1933 ''Petticoat Influence''
*3 Jun 1933 ''London Wall'' by
John Van Druten
John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observation ...
*8 Jul 1933 ''
Once in a Lifetime''
*2 Sep 1933 ''
Musical Chairs
Musical chairs, also known as Trip to Jerusalem, is a game of elimination involving players, chairs, and music. It is a staple of many parties worldwide.
Gameplay
A set of chairs is arranged with one fewer chair than the number of players ...
''
*7 Oct 1933 ''The Ship of Heaven'' by Hugh McCrae and Alfred Hill – Australian premiere
*11 Nov 1933 ''When Half-Gods Go'' by Charles Edgbaston and R. J. Fletcher – winner Independent Theatre play writing contest
*18 Nov 1933 ''
Strange Orchestra
Rodney Ackland (18 May 1908 in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex – 6 December 1991 in Richmond upon Thames, Surrey) was an English playwright, actor, theatre director and screenwriter.
Born as Norman Ackland Bernstein in Southend, Essex, to a Jewish fat ...
''
*''Peter Pan''
*3 Feb 1934 ''
Children in Uniform''
*14 Feb 1934 ''Hoboes All'', ''The Four Poster'', ''The Missing Jewels'', ''The Fatal Year'' winners of The Independent's 1933 one-act playwriting contest
*17 Mar 1934
Springtime for Henry
''Springtime for Henry'' is a 1934 American comedy film directed by Frank Tuttle and starring Otto Kruger, Nancy Carroll and Nigel Bruce. It was based on a play of the same name by the British writer Benn W. Levy which enjoyed an eight-month ru ...
*14 Feb 1934 ''
Dangerous Corner
''Dangerous Corner'' was the first play by the English writer J. B. Priestley. It was premiered in May 1932 by Tyrone Guthrie at the Lyric Theatre, London, and filmed in 1934 by Phil Rosen.
Priestley had recently collaborated with Edward Knoblo ...
''
*26 May 1934 ''
The Marquise
''The Marquise'' is a romantic comedy play by Noël Coward, written as a vehicle for Marie Tempest, who starred in the original 1927 production in London. Among later players of the central role have been Lilian Gish, Celia Johnson, Moira Lister, ...
'' prod. George Blackwood
*7 Jul 1934 ''
The Fugitive''
*5 Aug 1934 ''
The Plough and the Stars
''The Plough and the Stars'' is a four-act Play (theatre), play by the Irish writer Seán O'Casey that was first performed on 8 February 1926 at the Abbey Theatre. It is set in Dublin and addresses the 1916 Easter Rising. The play's title refe ...
''
*31 Aug 1934 ''
The Rose Without a Thorn
''The Rose Without a Thorn'' is a 1933 historical play by the British writer Clifford Bax. It portrays the courtship and marriage of Henry VIII and his fifth wife Catherine Howard.
It ran in the West End for 128 performances, debuting at the Duke ...
''
*18 Sep 1934 ''
Children in Uniform''
*20 Oct 1934 ''
Alice Sit-by-the-Fire''
*24 Nov 1934 ''Counsellor at Law''
*5 Dec 1934 ''Cherrie Acres'' by Sydney writer Dorothea Tobin
*12 Dec 1934 ''
Outward Bound
Outward Bound (OB) is an international network of outdoor education organizations that was founded in the United Kingdom by Lawrence Holt and Kurt Hahn in 1941. Today there are organizations, called schools, in over 35 countries which are att ...
''
*19 Jan 1935 ''
And So To Bed''
*16 Feb 1935 ''
The Witch
A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft.
Witch, WITCH, or variations thereof may also refer to:
Animals
* Witch (lefteye flounder) (''Arnoglossus scapha''), a Pacific flatfish
* Witch (righteye flounder) (''Glyptocephalus cynoglossus''), a Euro ...
'' (prod. Betty Ward)
*16 Mar 1935 ''
Dulcy''
*24 Apr 1935 ''Anniversary'' (by Dymphna Cusack) at the Conservatorium
*27 Apr 1935 ''The Distaff Side''
*25 May 1935 ''False Colours'' (by
Frank Harvey) prod. William Rees
*22 Jun 1935 ''
The Apple Cart
''The Apple Cart: A Political Extravaganza'' is a 1928 play by George Bernard Shaw. It is a satirical comedy about several political philosophies which are expounded by the characters, often in lengthy monologues. The plot follows the fictional ...
''
*20 Jul 1935 ''
Squaring the Circle
Squaring the circle is a problem in geometry first proposed in Greek mathematics. It is the challenge of constructing a square with the area of a circle by using only a finite number of steps with a compass and straightedge. The difficulty ...
''
*10 Aug 1935 ''
Richard of Bordeaux
''Richard of Bordeaux'' (1932) is a play by "Gordon Daviot", a pseudonym for Elizabeth MacKintosh, best known by another of her pen names, Josephine Tey.
The play tells the story of Richard II of England in a romantic fashion, emphasizing the r ...
''
*28 Sep 1935 ''
The Improper Duchess
''The Improper Duchess'' is a 1936 British comedy film directed by Harry Hughes and starring Yvonne Arnaud, Hugh Wakefield and Wilfrid Caithness. The film is based on the 1931 play of the same name by J. B. Fagan in which Arnaud had starred.
...
''
*26 Oct 1935 ''
The Late Christopher Bean
''The Late Christopher Bean'' is a comedy drama adapted from ''Prenez garde à la peinture'' by René Fauchois. It exists in two versions: an American adaptation by Sidney Howard (1932) and an English version by Emlyn Williams (1933). Williams's i ...
''
*11 Jan 1936 ''
Lady Precious Stream
Hsiung Shih-I (; also S. I. Hsiung or Xiong Shiyi; 1902–1991) was a writer, biographer, translator, academic, and playwright in Beijing and London. He was the first Chinese person to direct a West End play, and the founder of Tsing Hua Academy ...
''
*18 Jan 1936 ''
Street Scene''
*29 Feb 1936 ''
Touch Wood
Knocking on wood (also phrased touching wood) is an apotropaic tradition of literally touching, tapping, or knocking on wood, or merely stating that one is doing or intending to do so, in order to avoid "tempting fate" after making a favorable pre ...
''
*4 Apr 1936 ''
The Enchanted Cottage''
*25 Apr 1936 ''
The Dybbuk
''The Dybbuk'', or ''Between Two Worlds'' (russian: Меж двух миров ибук}, trans. ''Mezh dvukh mirov ibuk'; yi, צווישן צוויי וועלטן - דער דִבּוּק, ''Tsvishn Tsvey Veltn – der Dibuk'') is a play by ...
''
*13 May 1936 ''
The Man with a Load of Mischief''
*30 May 1936 ''
Payment Deferred
''Payment Deferred'' is a crime novel by C.S. Forester, first published in 1926.
William Marble is a bank clerk living in south London with a wife, Annie, and two teenage children, Winifred ('Winnie') and John, desperately worried about money an ...
''
*20 Jun 1936 ''
The Black Eye''
*25 Jul 1936 ''
The Importance of Being Earnest
''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
''
*5 Aug 1936 ''
The Witch
A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft.
Witch, WITCH, or variations thereof may also refer to:
Animals
* Witch (lefteye flounder) (''Arnoglossus scapha''), a Pacific flatfish
* Witch (righteye flounder) (''Glyptocephalus cynoglossus''), a Euro ...
''
*28 Aug 1936 ''Companionate Divorce'' by Sydney writer Mrs Peter Bousfield
*5 Sep 1936 ''
The Three Sisters''
*3 Oct 1936 ''
The Royal Family of Broadway
''The Royal Family of Broadway'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by George Cukor and Cyril Gardner and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was adapted by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Gertrude Purcell from the play ''The ...
'' with Jean Innes
*31 Oct 1936 ''
Accent on Youth''
*21 Nov 1936 ''
Awake and Sing
''Awake and Sing!'' is a drama written by American playwright Clifford Odets. The play was initially produced by The Group Theatre in 1935.
Summary and characters
The play is set in The Bronx borough of New York City, New York, in 1933. It con ...
''
*12 Dec 1936 ''Peter Pan'' (matinee)
*23 Jan 1937 ''Indoor Fireworks'' by Arthur McCrae
*13 Mar 1937 ''
Hassan Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to:
People
*Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name
*Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scottis ...
''
:homeless! (various venues)
*1 May 1937 ''Hide-out'' by Sydney writers Rex Rienits and Stewart Howard (prod. John Alden and Lyn Foster) at King Street
*8 May 1937 One-act plays by George Cassidy,
Sumner Locke-Elliott
Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 191724 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist and playwright.
Biography
Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclamp ...
,
John Alden
John Alden (c. 1598 - September 12, 1687) was a crew member on the historic 1620 voyage of the ''Mayflower'' which brought the English settlers commonly known as Pilgrims to Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, US. He was hired in Sou ...
, Trafford Whitelock at clubrooms, King Street
*15 May 1937 ''The Sybarites'' by H. Dennis Bradley at clubrooms, King Street
*11 Jun 1937 ''
Noah
Noah ''Nukh''; am, ኖህ, ''Noḥ''; ar, نُوح '; grc, Νῶε ''Nôe'' () is the tenth and last of the pre-Flood patriarchs in the traditions of Abrahamic religions. His story appears in the Hebrew Bible (Book of Genesis, chapters 5– ...
'' at the Conservatorium of Music
*24 Jul 1937 ''
Pride and Prejudice
''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...
'' adapted by Helen Jerome at the Conservatorium of Music
*14 Aug 1937 ''
Much Ado About Nothing
''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...
'' at clubrooms, King Street
*11 Sep 1937 ''
Candida'' at the Conservatorium of Music
*30 Sep 1937 ''
There's Always Juliet
''There's Always Juliet'' is a 1931 comedy play by the British writer John Van Druten about an American architect who falls in love with an Englishwoman.
It ran for 118 performances at the Apollo Theatre in London West End with a cast of Herber ...
'' (prod. Brian Wright) at clubrooms, King Street
*2 Oct 1937 ''
Le Malade Imaginaire
''The Imaginary Invalid'', ''The Hypochondriac'', or ''The Would-Be Invalid'' ( French title ''Le Malade imaginaire'', ) is a three- act ''comédie-ballet'' by the French playwright Molière with dance sequences and musical interludes (H.495, H. ...
'' at clubrooms, King Street
*30 Oct 1937 ''The Cow Jumped Over the Moon'' (Sumner Locke-Elliott writer and producer) at clubrooms, King Street
*13 Nov 1937 ''
Boy Meets Girl'' at the Conservatorium of Music
*24 Nov 1937 ''No Incense Rising'' & ''Remains to Be Proved'' (winners of Independent play-writing competition) at the Conservatorium of Music
*8 Dec 1937 ''
The Play's the Thing'' at clubrooms, King Street
*1 Jan 1937 ''Peter Pan'' at Majestic Theatre,
Newtown
*8 Jan 1938 ''Mirage'' by Sydney author Kenneth Wilkinson at clubrooms, King Street
*21 Feb 1838 ''
1066 and All That
''1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, Comprising All the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates'' is a tongue-in-cheek reworking of the history of England. Written by W. C. Sellar and R. J ...
'' at the Conservatorium of Music
*12 Mar 1938 ''
Six Characters in Search of an Author
''Six Characters in Search of an Author'' ( it, Sei personaggi in cerca d'autore, link=no ) is an Italian play by Luigi Pirandello, written and first performed in 1921. An absurdist fiction, absurdist metatheatrical, metatheatric play about th ...
'' at clubrooms, King Street
*2 Apr 1938 ''Lovers' Leap'' at clubrooms, King Street
*29 Apr 1938 ''
1066 and All That
''1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, Comprising All the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates'' is a tongue-in-cheek reworking of the history of England. Written by W. C. Sellar and R. J ...
'' at the Conservatorium of Music
*14 May 1938 ''
Judgment Day
The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...
'' (prod. Doris Fitton and John Appleton) at the Conservatorium
*28 May 1938 ''
The Play's the Thing'' at clubrooms, King Street
*11 Jun 1938 ''
Call It a Day
''Call It a Day'' is a 1937 American comedy film directed by Archie Mayo and starring Olivia de Havilland, Ian Hunter, Anita Louise, Alice Brady, Roland Young, and Frieda Inescort. Based on the 1935 play ''Call It a Day'' by Dodie Smith, the fil ...
''
*16 Jul 1938 ''
You Can't Take It with You'' at clubrooms, King Street
:at Independent Theatre Clubrooms, 175 Pitt Street (often called simply Independent Theatre) unless otherwise indicated
*13 Aug 1938 ''
Winterset'' at the Conservatorium of Music
*3 Sep 1938 ''
You Can't Take It with You''
*15 Sep 1938 ''By Candlelight''
*21 Sep 1938 ''
The Playboy of the Western World
''The Playboy of the Western World'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge and first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 26 January 1907. It is set in Michael James Flaherty's public house in County Mayo (o ...
''
*1 Oct 1938 ''Housemaster'' (by
Ian Hay
Major General John Hay Beith, Order of the British Empire, CBE Military Cross, MC (17 April 1876 – 22 September 1952), was a British schoolmaster and soldier, but is best remembered as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and historian who w ...
) at the Conservatorium of Music
*29 Oct 1938 ''
The Guardsman
''The Guardsman'' is a 1931 American pre-Code film based on the play '' Testőr'' by Ferenc Molnár. It stars Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Roland Young and ZaSu Pitts. It opens with a stage re-enactment of the final scene of Maxwell Anderson's '' ...
''
*26 Nov 1938 ''
Time and the Conways
''Time and the Conways'' is a British play written by J. B. Priestley in 1937 illustrating J. W. Dunne's Theory of Time through the experience of a moneyed Yorkshire family, the Conways, over a period of nineteen years from 1919 to 1937. Wide ...
'' at the Conservatorium of Music
*10 Dec 1938 ''Shadows in the High Place'' by Sydney writer Laurel Mills
*17 Dec 1938 ''The Folly of It'' by Sydney writers W. I. Grenville Spencer and Sumner Locke Elliott
*7 Jan 1939 ''
The Shadow of a Gunman
''The Shadow of a Gunman'' is a 1923 tragicomedy play by Seán O'Casey set during the Irish War of Independence. It centres on the mistaken identity of a building tenant who is thought to be an IRA assassin.
It is the first in O'Casey's "Dublin ...
''
*7 Jan 1939 ''
You Can't Take It with You'' at Criterion Theatre
*23 Jan 1939 ''The Guardsman'' at Criterion Theatre
*8 Feb 1939 ''Housemaster'' at Criterion Theatre
*11 Feb 1939 ''Tovarich'' (prod. Betty Ward) at Conservatorium of Music
*8 Mar 1939 ''
French Without Tears
''French Without Tears'' is a comic play written by a 25-year-old Terence Rattigan in 1936.
Setting
It takes place in a cram school for adults needing to acquire French for business reasons. Scattered throughout are Franglais phrases and sch ...
''
*18 Mar 1939 ''The Play's The Thing''
*1 Apr 1939 ''Interval'' by Sumner Locke Elliott
*10 May 1939 ''
Baisers Perdus''
*10 Jun 1939 ''
The Merry Wives of Windsor
''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...
''
*3 Jun 1939 ''1066 and All That'' at Conservatorium of Music
*7 Jun 1939 ''Baisers Perdus''
*8 Jul 1939 ''There Is No Armour'' (by
Lynn Foster
Lynn Foster (1914-1985), was a playwright, radio producer and writer, a script editor and television writer. She was the first woman in Australia both to direct and write a major national radio show, this being the serial " Big Sister".
In ...
of Sydney)
*22 Jul 1939 ''Shall I Go to Tanganyika'' by
A. G. Macdonell
Archibald Gordon Macdonell (3 November 1895 – 16 January 1941) was a Scottish writer, journalist and broadcaster, whose most famous work is the gently satirical novel ''England, Their England'' (1933).
Early life and education
Macdonell was ...
(prod. Eric Scott)
*5 Aug 1939 ''
Dear Octopus
''Dear Octopus'' is a comedy by the playwright and novelist Dodie Smith. It opened at the Queen's Theatre, London on 14 September 1938. On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 the run was halted after 373 performances; after a ...
''
*27 Aug 1939 ''Daybreak'' by Tasmanian writer
Catherine Shepherd
Catherine Shepherd is an English comedic actress, writer and director.
Career
In the early 2000s Shepherd appeared in several BBC Radio 4 comedies, as Daisy in the sitcom ''Think the Unthinkable'' alongside Marcus Brigstocke and David Mitchell, ...
:at Independent Theatre, 269 Miller St, North Sydney
*2 Sep 1939 ''
French Without Tears
''French Without Tears'' is a comic play written by a 25-year-old Terence Rattigan in 1936.
Setting
It takes place in a cram school for adults needing to acquire French for business reasons. Scattered throughout are Franglais phrases and sch ...
'' (opening of new theatre)
*23 Sep 1939
Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...
''
The Imaginary Invalid
''The Imaginary Invalid'', ''The Hypochondriac'', or ''The Would-Be Invalid'' ( French title ''Le Malade imaginaire'', ) is a three- act ''comédie-ballet'' by the French playwright Molière with dance sequences and musical interludes (H.495, H. ...
''
*7 Oct 1939 ''
You Can't Take It with You''
*14 Oct 1939 ''
Once in a Lifetime''
*4 Nov 1939 ''
The Play's the Thing''
*25 Nov 1939 ''
Milestones
A milestone is a marker of distance along roads.
Milestone may also refer to:
Measurements
*Milestone (project management), metaphorically, markers of reaching an identifiable stage in any task or the project
*Software release life cycle state, s ...
''
*16 Dec 1939 ''Alice in Wonderland''
*6 Jan 1940 ''Interval'' (Sumner Locke-Elliott writer and producer)
*20 Jan 1940 ''
Anthony and Anna''
*10 Feb 1940 ''
Our Town
''Our Town'' is a 1938 metatheatrical three-act play by American playwright Thornton Wilder which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play tells the story of the fictional American small town of Grover's Corners between 1901 and 1913 throug ...
'' (Australian premiere)
*23 Mar 1940 ''
Amphitryon 38
''Amphitryon 38'' is a play written in 1929 by the French dramatist Jean Giraudoux, the number in the title being Giraudoux's whimsical approximation of how many times the story had been told on stage previously.
Original productions
''Amphitryon ...
''
*13 Apr 1940 ''
The Corn Is Green
''The Corn Is Green'' is a 1938 semi-autobiographical play by Welsh dramatist and actor Emlyn Williams. The play premiered in London at the Duchess Theatre in September 1938; with Sybil Thorndike as Miss Moffat and Williams himself portraying Mo ...
''
*18 May 1940 ''The Little Sheep Run Fast'' (Sumner Locke Elliott writer and coproducer with Richard Parry)
*15 Jun 1940 ''
Biography
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...
'' (Doris Fitton coproduced with Richard Parry)
*13 Jul 1940 ''
The Tempest''
*27 Jul 1940 ''
The Importance of Being Earnest
''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
''
*24 Aug 1940 ''You Can't Take It With You''
*31 Aug 1940 ''Ask No Questions'' by
Gwen Meredith
Gwenyth Valmai Meredith OBE (18 November 1907 – 3 October 2006), also known by her married name Gwen Harrison, was an Australian writer, dramatist and playwright, and radio writer. She is best known for her radio serials ''The Lawsons'' (194 ...
*28 Sep 1940 ''Penny Wise'' by Leslie Vyner and Mary Stafford Smith (prod. Richard Parry)
*9 Nov 1940 ''
A Man's House''
*14 Dec 1940 ''Lady Precious Stream''
*21 Dec 1940 ''Painted Sparrows'' by Guy Paxton and Edward V. Hoile
*1 Feb 1941 ''
The Life of the Insects''
*26 Feb 1941 ''
The Long Christmas Dinner
''The Long Christmas Dinner'' is a play in one act written by American novelist and playwright Thornton Wilder in 1931. In its first published form, it was included in the volume ''The Long Christmas Dinner and Other Plays in One Act''.
Charact ...
''
*15 Mar 1941 ''
Thunder Rock''
*26 Apr 1941 ''
George and Margaret
''George and Margaret'' is a comedy play by British writer Gerald Savory, which was first staged in 1937. It had a very successful run in the West End, beginning at Wyndham's Theatre before transferring to the Piccadilly Theatre, lasting for ove ...
''
*17 May 1941 ''
The Male Animal
''The Male Animal'' is a 1942 American comedy-drama film produced by Warner Bros., starring Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Leslie.
The film was based on a hit 1940 Broadway play of the same name written by James Thurber and Elliott N ...
''
*28 Jun 1941 ''
Juno and the Paycock
''Juno and the Paycock'' is a play by Seán O'Casey. Highly regarded and often performed in Ireland, it was first staged at the Abbey Theatre in Dublin in 1924. It is set in the working-class tenements of Dublin in the early 1920s, during the Ir ...
''
*2 Aug 1941 ''
The House in the Square
''The House in the Square'' (also titled ''I'll Never Forget You'' in the United States and ''Man of Two Worlds'') is a 1951 fantasy film about an American atomic scientist who is transported to the 18th century, where he falls in love. It star ...
''
*13 Sep 1941 ''
A Little Bit of Fluff'' by Walter W. Ellis (prod. G. F. Hole and O. D. Bisset)
*27 Sep 1941 ''
Saint Joan''
*15 Nov 1941 ''
The Royal Family of Broadway
''The Royal Family of Broadway'' is a 1930 American pre-Code comedy film directed by George Cukor and Cyril Gardner and released by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was adapted by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Gertrude Purcell from the play ''The ...
''
*13 Dec 1941 ''
The Children's Hour''
*3 Jan 1942 ''
A Kiss for Cinderella
''A Kiss for Cinderella'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was first produced in London at Wyndham's Theatre on March 16, 1916, starring Gerald du Maurier and Hilda Trevelyan, enjoying great success over 156 performances, and with several annual Ch ...
''
*17 Jan 1942 ''Shout at the Thunder'' by Gwen Meredith
*14 Feb 1942 ''Penny Wise''
*28 Feb 1942 ''Lady in Danger'' by
Max Afford
Malcolm R. Afford (8 April 1906 – 2 November 1954) known as Max Afford, was an Australian playwright and novelist.
Biography
Early years
Afford was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the youngest son of Robert D. Afford of "Glenleigh", Sta ...
*4 Apr 1942 ''Press Gang'' by New Zealand author
Margaret Pearson
*2 May 1942 ''
Getting Married
''Getting Married'' is a play by George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influenc ...
''
:under joint management with Whitehall Productions:
*6 Jun 1942 ''
Spring Meeting
''Spring Meeting'' is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Walter C. Mycroft and Norman Lee and starring Enid Stamp-Taylor, Michael Wilding, Basil Sydney and Sarah Churchill. It was based on a 1938 play of the same title by M. J. Farrell an ...
'' by
M. J. Farrell and
John Perry (thence to Minerva)
*20 Jun 1942 ''
The Importance of Being Earnest
''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...
'' (from Minerva)
:back to amateur productions:
*6 Jul 1942 ''
Dear Brutus
''Dear Brutus'' is a 1917 fantasy play by J. M. Barrie, depicting alternative realities for its characters and their eventual return to real life. The title is a reference to a line from Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'': "The fault, dear Brutus, is ...
''
*7 Aug 1942 ''Busman's Holiday'' by
Dorothy L. Sayers
Dorothy Leigh Sayers (; 13 June 1893 – 17 December 1957) was an English crime writer and poet. She was also a student of classical and modern languages.
She is best known for her mysteries, a series of novels and short stories set between th ...
*12 Sep 1942 ''Goodbye to the Music''
*7 Oct 1942 ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
'' (season included Monday matinees at Theatre Royal)
*17 Oct 1942 ''
Macbeth
''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
'' (season included Monday matinees at Theatre Royal)
*6 Nov 1942 ''
The Children's Hour''
*12 Dec 1942 ''
Toad of Toad Hall
''Toad of Toad Hall'' is a play written by A. A. Milne – the first of several dramatisations of Kenneth Grahame's 1908 novel ''The Wind in the Willows'' – with incidental music by Harold Fraser-Simson. It was originally produced by Willia ...
''
*15 Jan 1943 ''
The Seagull
''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises t ...
''
*19 Feb 1943 ''
Yellow Sands''
*19 Mar 1943 ''
Glorious Morning
Glorious may refer to:
Music
* Glorious (music group), a French Christian rock and worship band
Albums
* ''Glorious'' (Arty album) or the title song, 2015
* ''Glorious'' (Bonfire album), 2015
* ''Glorious'' (Foxes album) or the title song (see ...
'' by
Norman Macowan
*16 Apr 1943 ''The Marquise'' by
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
*21 May 1943 ''
The Time of Your Life
''The Time of Your Life'' is a 1939 five-act play by American playwright William Saroyan. The play is the first drama to win both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. The play opened on Broadway theatre, Broa ...
''
*18 Jun 1943 ''Sleep No More'' by
Max Afford
Malcolm R. Afford (8 April 1906 – 2 November 1954) known as Max Afford, was an Australian playwright and novelist.
Biography
Early years
Afford was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the youngest son of Robert D. Afford of "Glenleigh", Sta ...
*16 Jul 1943 ''And So to Bed'' by
J. B. Fagan
James Bernard Fagan (18 May 1873 – 17 February 1933) was an Irish-born actor, theatre manager, producer and playwright active in England. After turning from the law to the stage, Fagan began his acting career, including four years from 1895 t ...
*3 Sep 1943 ''
Stage Door
''Stage Door'' is a 1937 RKO film directed by Gregory La Cava. Adapted from the play of the same name, it tells the story of several would-be actresses who live together in a boarding house at 158 West 58th Street in New York City. The film s ...
'' by
George S. Kaufman
George Simon Kaufman (November 16, 1889June 2, 1961) was an American playwright, theater director and producer, humorist, and drama critic. In addition to comedies and political satire, he wrote several musicals for the Marx Brothers and others. ...
*23 Oct 1943 ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
''
*10 Nov 1943 ''
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road may refer to:
Prose
* ''Tobacco Road'' (novel) (1932), by Erskine Caldwell
** ''Tobacco Road'' (play) (1933), by Jack Kirkland
** ''Tobacco Road'' (film) (1941), directed by John Ford
Music
* "Tobacco Road" (song) (1960s), by John D. ...
'' (in December this production continued at Minerva for Whitehall Productions)
*4 Dec 1943 ''
Your Obedient Servant'' by Sumner Locke-Elliott
*7 Jan 1944 ''Caprice'' by
Sil-Vara Gustav A. "Geza" Silberer (1 December 1876 – 5? 8? April 1938) was an Austrian journalist and author of Jewish extraction born in Werschetz who wrote in German language, German under the pseudonym Sil-Vara.
Biography
Gustav Silberer (aka G. Sil-V ...
''
*4 Feb 1944 ''
Tobacco Road
Tobacco Road may refer to:
Prose
* ''Tobacco Road'' (novel) (1932), by Erskine Caldwell
** ''Tobacco Road'' (play) (1933), by Jack Kirkland
** ''Tobacco Road'' (film) (1941), directed by John Ford
Music
* "Tobacco Road" (song) (1960s), by John D. ...
''
*10 Mar 1944 ''
Dandy Dick ''Dandy Dick'' may refer to:
* ''Dandy Dick'' (play), an 1887 stage farce by Arthur W. Pinero
* ''Dandy Dick'' (film), a 1935 film adaptation of the original play
{{Disambiguation ...
''
*14 Apr 1944 '' in Uniform'' by
Christa Winsloe
Christa Winsloe (23 December 1888 – 10 June 1944), formerly Baroness Christa von Hatvany-Deutsch, was a German-Hungarian novelist, playwright and sculptor, best known for her play ''Gestern und heute'' (known under several titles, see below), ...
*12 May 1944 ''
Death Takes a Holiday
''Death Takes a Holiday'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic drama starring Fredric March, Evelyn Venable and Guy Standing. It is based on the 1924 Italian play ''La morte in vacanza'' by Alberto Casella (1891–1957), as adapted in English ...
''
*14 Jul 1944 ''
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is ...
'' by
Leslie
Leslie may refer to:
* Leslie (name), a name and list of people with the given name or surname, including fictional characters
Families
* Clan Leslie, a Scottish clan with the motto "grip fast"
* Leslie (Russian nobility), a Russian noble family ...
and
Sewell Stokes
Francis Martin Sewell Stokes (16 November 1902, London – 2 November 1979, London) was an English novelist, biographer, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and prison visitor. He collaborated on a number of occasions with his brother, Leslie ...
*8 Aug 1944 ''
Hay Fever
Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. Signs and symptoms include a runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, red, i ...
(performed concurrently by Independent students)
*28 Sep 1944 ''
The Play's the Thing''
*26 Oct 1944 ''
Old Acquaintance
''Old Acquaintance'' is a 1943 American drama film released by Warner Bros. It was directed by Vincent Sherman and produced by Henry Blanke with Jack L. Warner as executive producer. The film was adapted from a screenplay by John Van Druten, Len ...
'' by
John Van Druten
John William Van Druten (1 June 190119 December 1957) was an English playwright and theatre director. He began his career in London, and later moved to America, becoming a U.S. citizen. He was known for his plays of witty and urbane observation ...
*30 Nov 1944 ''
Young Woodley'' by John Van Druten
*21 Dec 1944 ''
Tonight at 8.30
''Tonight at 8.30'' is a cycle of ten one-act plays by Noël Coward, presented in London in 1936 and in New York in 1936–1937, with the author and Gertrude Lawrence in the leading roles. The plays are mostly comedies, but three, '' The Astoni ...
'' (three one-act plays by Noël Coward)
*28 Dec 1944 ''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...
''
*8 Mar 1945 ''Timeless Moment'' by Sydney writer
Noel Rubie
Alfred Noel Joseph Rubie (25 December 1901 – 13 July 1975) was an Australian modernist painter, portrait and commercial photographer, playwright and pharmacy proprietor who worked in Sydney during the 1920s and into the 1960s. In addition to his ...
*22 Mar 1945 ''
Death Takes a Holiday
''Death Takes a Holiday'' is a 1934 American pre-Code romantic drama starring Fredric March, Evelyn Venable and Guy Standing. It is based on the 1924 Italian play ''La morte in vacanza'' by Alberto Casella (1891–1957), as adapted in English ...
''
*10 Apr 1945 ''Little Ladyship'' by
Ian Hay
Major General John Hay Beith, Order of the British Empire, CBE Military Cross, MC (17 April 1876 – 22 September 1952), was a British schoolmaster and soldier, but is best remembered as a novelist, playwright, essayist, and historian who w ...
*10 May 1945 ''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...
''
*22 May 1945 ''
The Doctor's Dilemma'' (first production of Independent Theatre Professional Repertory Company)
*12 Jun 1945 ''End of Summer'' by
S. N. Behrman
Samuel Nathaniel Behrman (; June 9, 1893 – September 9, 1973) was an American playwright, screenwriter, biographer, and longtime writer for ''The New Yorker''. His son is the composer David Behrman.
Biography
Early years
Behrman's parents, Z ...
*3 Jul 1945 ''These Positions Vacant'' by Gwen Meredith (prod. John Alden)
*25 Jul 1945 ''
Romeo and Juliet
''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...
''
*15 Aug 1945 ''
The Long Mirror
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in En ...
'' by
J. B. Priestley
John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator.
His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...
*4 Sep 1945 ''Noah'' by
André Obey
André Obey (; 8 May 1892 at Douai, France – 11 April 1975 at Montsoreau, near the river Loire) was a prominent French playwright during the inter-war years, and into the 1950s.
He began as a novelist and produced an autobiographical novel abou ...
*16 Oct 1945 ''
Macbeth
''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...
''
*27 Dec 1945 ''
Mourning Becomes Electra
''Mourning Becomes Electra'' is a play cycle written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill. The play premiered on Broadway at the Guild Theatre on 26 October 1931 where it ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932, starring Lee Baker ...
'' prod. Robert Quentin
*23 Mar 1946 ''Whiteoaks'' prod. John Alden
*30 May 1946 ''
The Invisible Circus'' by Sumner Locke-Elliott, prod. John Carlson
*8 Jul 1946 ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' prod. Doris Fitton
*23 Oct 1946 ''
A Doll's House
''A Doll's House'' (Danish and nb, Et dukkehjem; also translated as ''A Doll House'') is a three-act play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. It premiered at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 21 December 1879, having bee ...
'' by Henrik Ibsen, prod. John Carlson
*1 Dec 1946 ''
Maria Stuart'' prod. Raoul Cardamatis
*14 Feb 1947 ''
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone ( ; Ancient Greek: Ἀντιγόνη) is the daughter of Oedipus and either his mother Jocasta or, in another variation of the myth, Euryganeia. She is a sister of Polynices, Eteocles, and Ismene.Roman, L., & Roma ...
'' prod. William Rees
*3 Apr 1947 ''
Volpone
''Volpone'' (, Italian for "sly fox") is a comedy play by English playwright Ben Jonson first produced in 1605–1606, drawing on elements of city comedy and beast fable. A merciless satire of greed and lust, it remains Jonson's most-perform ...
'' adaptation of Ben Jonson's play by
Alphons Silbermann Alphons Silbermann (August 11, 1909 – March 4, 2000) was a German Jewish sociologist, musicologist, entrepreneur and publicist.
Born in Cologne, he studied musicology, sociology and law at the Universities of Cologne, Freiburg i. Br. and Gre ...
, prod. Doris Fitton
*5 Sep 1947 ''Awake My Love'' by Max Afford
*20 Oct 1947 ''
The Little Foxes
''The Little Foxes'' is a 1939 play by Lillian Hellman, considered a classic of 20th century drama. Its title comes from Chapter 2, Verse 15 of the Song of Solomon in the King James version of the Bible, which reads, "Take us the foxes, the litt ...
'' by
Lillian Hellman
Lillian Florence Hellman (June 20, 1905 – June 30, 1984) was an American playwright, prose writer, memoirist and screenwriter known for her success on Broadway, as well as her communist sympathies and political activism. She was blacklisted aft ...
prod. Robert Quentin
*6 Feb 1948 ''
I Have Been Here Before
''I Have Been Here Before'' is a play by J. B. Priestley, first produced by Lewis Casson at the Royalty Theatre, London, on 22 September 1937.
Plot introduction
At a rural inn on a Yorkshire moor, three people become involved in a strange confr ...
'' prod. Laurence H Cecil
*3 July 1948 ''Jane Clegg''
*9 Oct 1948 ''La Marquise'' prod. Doris Fitton
*6 Oct 1948 ''
The Duchess of Malfi
''The Duchess of Malfi'' (originally published as ''The Tragedy of the Dutchesse of Malfy'') is a Jacobean revenge tragedy written by English dramatist John Webster in 1612–1613. It was first performed privately at the Blackfriars Theatre, ...
''
*14 Oct 1948 ''
Rusty Bugles
''Rusty Bugles'' was a controversial Australian play written by Sumner Locke Elliott in 1948. It toured extensively throughout Australia between 1948–1949 and was threatened with closure by the New South Wales Chief Secretary's Office for obscen ...
'' (Sumner Locke-Elliott writer and producer)
:(Doris Fitton overseas May 1949 to March 1950; spent much time attempting London production of ''Rusty Bugles'')
*12 May 1949 ''Father Malachy's Miracle'' prod. James Pratt
*19 Mar 1949 ''
Merry Wives of Windsor
''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...
'' prod. John Alden
*23 Jun 1949 ''The Male Animal'' prod. John Cameron
*''The Residuary Legatee''
*''Amphitryon 38''
*2 Sep 1949 ''Mandragola'' prod. Adrian Henry Borzell
*28 Oct 1949 ''Salome'' prod. Dr. Raoul Cardamatis
*9 Nov 1949 ''A Marriage of Convenience'' prod. William Rees
*14 Jun 1950 ''
Dark of the Moon''
*Feb 1950?''The Sunken Bell'' prod. Dr. Raoul Cardamatis
*6 Apr 1950 ''The Glencairn Plays: Bound East for Cardiff, In the Zone, The Long Voyage Home, Moon of the Carribees'' by Eugene O'Neill prod. Lawrence H. Cecil
*6 Sep 1950 ''Orney Boy''
*7 Oct 1950 ''
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...
'' prod. Lawrence H. Cecil
*18 Oct 1950 ''Home of the Brave''
*27 Dec 1950 ''Just For Fun''
*7 Mar 1951 ''Anna Lucasta''
*7 Feb 1952 ''Ardel''
*23 Apr 1952 ''
Black Chiffon
''Black Chiffon'' is a play in two acts written by Lesley Storm. Starring Flora Robson, the play premiered at the Westminster Theatre in London's West End on 3 May 1949, running for over 400 performances. The play debuted on Broadway on 27 Septem ...
''
*15 May 1952 ''It All Takes Time'' prod.
John Appleton
John Appleton (February 11, 1815 – August 22, 1864) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat who served as the United States' first '' chargé d'affaires'' to Bolivia, and later as special envoy to Great Britain and Russia. Born i ...
* ''
Captain Carvallo
''Captain Carvallo'' is a traditional comedy play in three acts by Denis Cannan, telling the story of a philandering young army officer, Captain Carvallo.
The comedy was an immediate success when it opened at the St. James Theatre on 9 August 1 ...
''
* ''
Henry V Henry V may refer to:
People
* Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026)
* Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125)
* Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161)
* Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227)
* Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (121 ...
''
*26 May 1954 ''
The Cradle Song
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...
''
Founding members
The first players included Garry Byrne, Marguerite Cullen-Ward, Doris Fitton, Philip Lewis, Dorothy Lowe, Frieda McGhee, Richard Parry, Alathea Siddons and Harry Tighe.
Alumni
Among those associated with Independent Theatre were:
*
Max Afford
Malcolm R. Afford (8 April 1906 – 2 November 1954) known as Max Afford, was an Australian playwright and novelist.
Biography
Early years
Afford was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the youngest son of Robert D. Afford of "Glenleigh", Sta ...
*
John Alden
John Alden (c. 1598 - September 12, 1687) was a crew member on the historic 1620 voyage of the ''Mayflower'' which brought the English settlers commonly known as Pilgrims to Plymouth Colony in present-day Massachusetts, US. He was hired in Sou ...
*
John "Jack" Appleton
*
Franklyn Bennett
*
Aileen Britton
Aileen Britton (18 February 1916 in Sydney – 19 April 1986) credited also as Aileen Britain, was an Australian character actress of theatre, radio, television, and film (TV movie and theatrical), with a career in the industry spanning nearly 5 ...
*
Barbara Brunton
Barbara Joan Brunton Gibb (13 October 1927 – 29 June 2014), from around 1949 professionally known as Barbara Brunton, was an Australian actress of stage and radio, active between 1940 and 1952.
History
Brunton was born in 1927, the daughter of ...
*
Leonard Bullen
*
Albert Collins
Albert Gene Drewery, known as Albert Collins and the Ice Man (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993),Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. ...
"
Argonauts Club
''The Argonauts Club'' was an Australian children's radio program, first broadcast in 1933 on ABC Radio Melbourne. Its format was devised by Nina Murdoch who had run the station's Children's Hour as "Pat". The show was discontinued in 1934 when Ni ...
" co-host
*
John Dease
Conly John Paget Dease (26 May 1906 – 1 February 1979) was a prominent Australian radio presenter and quiz show host at 2GB, Sydney, and through it, the Macquarie Radio Network from 1935 until at least 1969.
He was born in Bhamo, Upper Burma, ...
"Quiz Kids" compere
*
Doris Fitton
Dame Doris Alice Lucy Walkden Fitton, (3 November 18972 April 1985) was an Australian actress of stage and film and theatrical director and producer who founded and for 35 years headed The Independent Theatre Ltd. in Sydney, New South Wales.
...
*
William Gates
*
Hayes Gordon
Hayes Gordon OBE, AO (February 25, 1920October 19, 1999) was an American actor, stage producer and director and acting teacher with a considerable career in Australia.
Early life
Gordon was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He was mentored by O ...
*
Patricia Hill
Patricia Hill is a New Zealand Paralympian who competed in athletics. At the 1980 Summer Paralympics, she won a gold medal in the Slalom 2; a silver medal in the 200m 2; and a bronze medal in the 400m 2. At the 1984 Summer Paralympics, she won a ...
*
Mary Hosking
*
James Kemsley
James Lawrence Kemsley OAM (15 November 1948 – 3 December 2007) was an Australian cartoonist who was notable for producing the comic strip ''Ginger Meggs'' (originally created by Jimmy Bancks) between 1984 and 2007.
Early life
James Kemsl ...
*
Nellie Lamport
*
Sumner Locke-Elliott
Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 191724 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist and playwright.
Biography
Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclamp ...
*
Hugh McCrae
Hugh Raymond McCrae OBE (4 October 1876 – 17 February 1958) was an Australian writer, noted for his poetry.
Life and career
McCrae was born in Melbourne, the son of the Australian author George Gordon McCrae and grandson of the painter and d ...
*
Gwen Meredith
Gwenyth Valmai Meredith OBE (18 November 1907 – 3 October 2006), also known by her married name Gwen Harrison, was an Australian writer, dramatist and playwright, and radio writer. She is best known for her radio serials ''The Lawsons'' (194 ...
*
David Nettheim
David Cosman Nettheim (10 July 1925 – 11 March 2008) was an Australian actor and stage writer, he acted on stage and film, but was best known for his roles in numerous television series.
Early life
Born in Sydney, New South Wales, and broug ...
*
Frank O'Donnell
*
Max Osbiston
Maxwell Hamilton Osbiston (7 August 1914 – 12 March 1981) was an Australian actor, active in radio, stage, film and television.
Biography
Osbiston was born in Sydney, the son of Frank and Iolanthe Osbiston (née Margoliouth) of Cremorne, New So ...
*
Richard Parry
*
Redmond Phillips
Redmond Bernard Phillips (5 June 1912 – 3 November 1993) was a New Zealand actor and writer, particularly of theatre and television, who worked in his native country, as well also worked in England and Australia.
Biography
Phillips was born i ...
*
Marie Rosenfeld
*
Thelma Afford
Thelma May Afford (née Thomas) (1 December 1907 – 21 August 1996) was an Australian costume designer, theatre performer, and fashion journalist who worked in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney.
Biography
Early years
Afford was born Thelm ...
*
Charles "Bud" Tingwell
*
John Wyndham (actor)
Pickwick Theatre Group
Among foundation members of the Independent were Dorise Hill and Phillip Lewis, who in 1931 broke away to form the short-lived Pickwick Theatre Group, associated with the
Pickwick Book Club of 156
Pitt Street, Sydney
Pitt Street is a major street in the Sydney central business district in New South Wales, Australia. The street runs through the entire city centre from Circular Quay in the north to Waterloo, although today's street is in two disjointed sect ...
. They held a reception for
Sybil Thorndike
Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson (24 October 18829 June 1976) was an English actress whose stage career lasted from 1904 to 1969.
Trained in her youth as a concert pianist, Thorndike turned to the stage when a medical problem with her ...
and
Lewis Casson
Sir Lewis Thomas Casson MC (26 October 187516 May 1969) was an English actor and theatre director, and the husband of actress Dame Sybil Thorndike.Devlin, DianaCasson, Sir Lewis Thomas (1875–1969) ''The Oxford Dictionary of National Biograph ...
in September 1932, at which members of the Independent Theatre were conspicuously absent. Early in December 1932 Phillip Lewis took full control of the club then a fortnight later disbanded it. He died in 1950, aged 47. Mrs Albert Cazabon (aka Norah Delaney) and Joy Howarth
''Sydney Morning Herald'' 9 July 1934
/ref> were notable actors associated with the Pickwick group, whose productions (all at the Savoy Theatre) were:
*''The Truth Game''
*''Rope
A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly ...
''
*''Cynara''
*''The Vortex
''The Vortex'' is a play in three acts by the English writer and actor Noël Coward. The play depicts the sexual vanity of a rich, ageing beauty, her troubled relationship with her adult son, and drug abuse in British society circles after the ...
''
*''Good Morning Bill''
*''Baa, Baa, Black Sheep''
*''The Constant Wife
''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair.
A “sparkling comedy o ...
''
*''The Lilies of the Field''
*''Loose Ankles''
*''See Naples and Die''
*''Alibi
An alibi (from the Latin, '' alibī'', meaning "somewhere else") is a statement by a person, who is a possible perpetrator of a crime, of where they were at the time a particular offence was committed, which is somewhere other than where the crim ...
''
*''Leave It to Psmith
''Leave It to Psmith'' is a comic novel by English author P. G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom on 30 November 1923 by Herbert Jenkins Ltd, Herbert Jenkins, London, England, and in the United States on 14 March 1924 by George H ...
''.
Sources
History of Australian Theatre - archive
*West, John ''Theatre in Australia'' Cassell Australia 1978
References
External links
*
Heritage leaflet
* Creative Commons license">CC-By-SA
A Creative Commons (CC) license is one of several public copyright license
A public license or public copyright licenses is a license by which a copyright holder as licensor can grant additional copyright permissions to any and all pers ...
]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Independent Theatre
Former buildings and structures in Sydney
Theatre companies in Australia
Theatres in Sydney
Theatre in Sydney