''The Golden Lover'' is a 1943 Australian verse drama by

Douglas Stewart Douglas Stewart may refer to: *Douglas Stewart (poet) (1913–1985), Australian poet *Edward Askew Sothern (1826–1881), English actor who was sometimes known as Douglas Stewart * Douglas Stewart (equestrian) (1913–1991), British Olympic equestri ...

. It was based on an ancient

Māori Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the C ...

legend. Stewart was from New Zealand.

Background

It won the ABC's Verse Drama competition. A number of plays from this competition were produced by the ABC: '' The Real Betrayal'', by Isobel Andrews; ''

We're Going Through ''We're Going Through'' is a 1943 radio verse play by T. Inglis Moore about the Australian troops during the Malayan Campaign in World War Two, specifically the battle at Bakri and Parit Sulong Parit Sulong is a small town in Batu Pahat Dist ...

'', by

T. Inglis Moore T. Inglis Moore (1901-1978) was an Australian writer, anthologist and academic who was born in Camden, New South Wales. Moore was the fifth of seven children and was educated at Sydney Grammar School and University of Sydney where he received a ...

; ''

It Has Happened Before ''It Has Happened Before'' is a 1943 Australian verse drama written for radio by Dorothy Blewett Dorothy Blewett (1898–1965) was an Australian writer and literary agent. She also wrote as Anne Praize or Ann Praize. Several of her plays were ad ...

'', by Dorothy Blewett; ''Mined Gold'', by Douglas Worrall Purnell; '' Succubus'', by

Catherine Duncan Catherine Duncan (17 March 1915 – 14 August 2006) was an Australian documentary filmmaker, actor, playwright, film researcher, script writer, film critic, archivist, and collagist. She is most well known for her work in radio broadcasts and s ...

; '' The Unmapped Lands'', by Elisabeth Lambert; '' Brief Apocalypse'', by Kenneth Mackenzie; '' Fear'', by

Ruth Bedford Ruth Bedford (2 August 1882 – 24 July 1963) was an Australian poet, playwright and fiction writer. Career Born in Petersham, Sydney, to Alfred Percival Bedford and Agnes Victoria Stephen, daughter of Sir Alfred Stephen, an influential chief ...

; '' With Wings as Eagles'', by

Edmund Barclay Edmund Piers Barclay (2 May 1898 – 26 August 1961) was an English-Australian writer known for his work in radio drama. Radio historian Richard Lane called him "Australian radio's first great writer and, many would say, Australian radio's gr ...

and

Joy Hollyer Joy Hollyer was an Australian writer whose career ranged from the 1940s until the 1970s. She collaborated a number of times on radio scripts with Edmund Barclay Edmund Piers Barclay (2 May 1898 – 26 August 1961) was an English-Australian w ...

; '' Richard Bracken-Farmer'', by Wolfe Fairbridge. The play was published in a collection of Stewart's works in 1945. Reviewing this, Leslie Rees called the play:

A comedy of Māori life, faithful in its simple setting, while psychologically it is as sophisticated as a town piece by Congreve. It is the story of an ill-married girl and her dream lover, a man of the patu paiarehe, “tall as a tree,” and of her choice between drab reality and glamorous escape. Its moods vary from boisterous belly-laughter to passionate or lyric love-making. The printed text is much longer than that broadcast—perhaps too long, although the eye is less irritated by repetition than the ear. Like the other work, this one has classic quality, the verse rising from the colloquial to the enchanted, full of lovely things. Romantic in mental colouring, Stewart finds themes in historical subjects, but to their dramatic illustration he brings nostalgic overtones and understanding, lent from his own rich sense of the beauty and ardour of life, not borrowed from a literary heritage. Hence he is an original.

The play was produced by the ABC in 1943, 1948 and 1957.

References

External links

Golden Lover
at Ausstage {{DEFAULTSORT:Golden Lover 1943 Australian radio dramas 1948 Australian radio dramas 1957 Australian radio dramas Australian verse dramas Plays by Douglas Stewart Australian radio dramas that have been published