Interval (play)

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Interval
Written by Sumner Locke Elliott
CharactersLaura Mannington, actress
Terry Cotswald, playwright
Marthy, the dresser
Joyce Clements
Date premiered1 April 1939 [1]
Place premieredIndependent Theatre, Sydney
Original languageEnglish
SettingBehind the scenes at the Queen Anne Theatre, London

Interval is a 1939 play by Sumner Locke Elliott. It was popular and was performed throughout Australia at a time when this was not common for local plays. [2] [3]

Contents

The Sydney Morning Herald called it "interesting drama." [1]

The play was published in book form in 1942 by Melbourne University Press It was one of four plays published with the aid of the Commonwealth Literary Fund, the others being Daybreak, Red Sky at Morning and A Touch of Silk. The Sydney Morning Herald said Interval "has some smart repartee and succeeds in showing the deterioration of an actress's character under the influence of success." [4]

Elliott later recalled the play as "an unqualified success, even being revived the following year at North Sydney and I still remember it most fondly partly because of the companionable cast it had and because it contained a showy part for the author. At its second performance all the scenery fell down during the author’s first scene on him." [5]

Premise

The play is set behind the scenes of a long-running stage show in London over a two year period for a play called "Neither Shall They Mourn". [6] Laura Mannington becomes offensive as she reaches fame.

Radio versions

The play was adapted for radio in 1945, [7] 1948 and 1949.

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References

  1. 1 2 ""INTERVAL."". The Sydney Morning Herald . National Library of Australia. 3 April 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  2. ↑ ""STARS OF THE AIR" SUMNER LOCKE-ELLIOTT—PLAYWRIGHT, ACTOR AND SOLDIER". Kilmore Free Press . Kilmore, Vic.: National Library of Australia. 14 December 1944. p. 6. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  3. ↑ Clarke, Sharon (1995). Sumner Locke Elliott: writing life. University of Woollongong. p. 228.
  4. ↑ "AUSTRALIAN PLAYS". The Sydney Morning Herald . National Library of Australia. 3 October 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  5. ↑ Rees, Leslie (1987). Australian drama, 1970-1985 : a historical and critical survey. p. 183.
  6. ↑ "YOUNG ACTOR'S PLAY". The Sydney Morning Herald . National Library of Australia. 8 January 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  7. ↑ "THURSDAY", ABC weekly, Sydney: ABC, 8 September 1945, nla.obj-1401663971, retrieved 20 February 2024– via Trove
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