Gulliver's Cousin

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Gulliver's Cousin
Genredrama play
Running time70 mins (7:30 pm – 8:40 pm)
Country of originAustralia
Language(s)English
Starring Rod Taylor
Written by Ruth Park
Directed by Ray Menmuir
Recording studioSydney
Original releaseJanuary 25, 1954 (1954-01-25)

Gulliver's Cousin is a 1954 Australian radio play by Ruth Park about William Dampier.

Contents

The work debuted in January 1954 with Rod Taylor as Dampier. [1]

The play was recorded again later that year with a different cast.

Dampier had been the subject of a 1951 radio feature from the ABC Our First Englishman. [2]

Reception

Reviewing the first production, ABC Weekly said "it is a tribute to Ruth Park’s writing and to Rodney Taylor’s acting that a clear picture of a fascinating and sympathetic personality emerged from this story of William Dampier and his voyages to Australia, despite a rather over-weighted background of sound effects." [3]

The reviewer from the Daily Telegraph criticised the accents saying "the resulting impression was one of incongruous jauntiness, which, coupled with Miss Park's rather extravagant period dialogue, transformed the drama into something very like historical burlesque." [4]

The Adelaide Mail said "A fine piece of work this, and acted in a manner fitting to such a masterly piece of writing." [5]

Premise

According to ABC Weekly it tells "the voyage during which Captain Swan was marooned on Mindanao Island and the crew ran off with the ship, the Cygnet. Dampier then visited New Holland, which symbolised for him the loneliness of his own life. He deserted the ship and returned to England, where he wrote a book about his travels. This book brought him the first success he had ever had in his life." [6]

Cast of Sydney 1954 Production

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References

  1. ↑ "RADIO PLAYS A.B.C.", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC, 23 January 1954, nla.obj-1666243027, retrieved 27 February 2024– via Trove
  2. ↑ "RADIO PLAYS for NEXT WEEK A.B.C.", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC, 19 May 1951, nla.obj-1445154763, retrieved 27 February 2024– via Trove
  3. ↑ "THEATRE NATIONAL FITNESS... In Mind As Well", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC, 20 February 1954, nla.obj-1668648389, retrieved 27 February 2024– via Trove
  4. ↑ {{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article248767737 |title=AROUND THE DIAL |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |volume=XVIII, |issue=265 |location=New South Wales, Australia |date=27 January 1954 |accessdate=27 February 2024 |page=8 |via=
  5. ↑ "Our national day was odd mixture". The Mail (Adelaide) . Vol. 43, no. 2, 173. South Australia. 30 January 1954. p. 59. Retrieved 27 February 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "RADIO PLAYS for NEXT WEEK A.B.C.", ABC Weekly, Sydney: ABC, 29 May 1954, nla.obj-1677613258, retrieved 27 February 2024– via Trove
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