The Golden Girls (play)

Last updated

The Golden Girls is a 1950s stage play by Dymphna Cusack set in Sydney of the 1890s. [1]

Contents

It was first turned into a radio play in 1954. The Age called it "well written". [2]

The radio version was produced again later in 1954 [3] and in 1955 [4] and 1958. [5]

The stage version premiered in England in 1955 at the Kidderminster Playhouse in Birmingham. The Birmingham Post called it "pure melodrama." [6]

Premise

"Angelica, Rosalind, Lavinia, and Charlotte Prendergast are known as the Golden Girls because of their beautiful hair—pure golden blond for Angelica, titian-copper for Rosalind, and ash-blond for the twins, Lavinia and Charlotte. An equally cogent reason for the nickname is the extreme wealth of their father, Major Prendergast, now in business. The dream of the Major’s life is that his beautiful daughters should marry the sons of English gentry who have migrated' to Australia. But, as with many another ambitious parent, the Major’s ruthless pride rebounds against himself; and then throws its long shadow, for many years, over the lives of the four Golden Girls. " [7]

Related Research Articles

Red Sky at Morning is a 1944 Australian melodrama set during the 19th century based on a play by Dymphna Cusack. It features an early screen performance by Peter Finch, who plays a convict who falls in love with the wife of a sea captain.

<i>The Fire on the Snow</i> Play written by Douglas Stewart

The Fire on the Snow is a 1941 Australian verse play by Douglas Stewart about the Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica by Robert Falcon Scott. It premiered on ABC radio on 6 June 1941 to great acclaim and inspired a series of Australian verse dramas on ABC radio.

<i>The Beckoning Shore</i> Book by E.V. Timms

The Beckoning Shore is a 1950 novel by E. V. Timms. It was the third in his Great South Land Saga of Australian historical novels, and shifts the action to New South Wales.

The Dark Abyss is a 1951 novel. It is about Captain Saunders who is injured in the Korean War then falls in love with Dr Balant.

Ned Kelly is a 1942 radio play by Douglas Stewart about the outlaw Ned Kelly.

The Highwayman is an Australian musical comedy with book, music and lyrics by Edmond Samuels. Set in Bendigo during the Gold Rush in the 1860s, the story concerns the love of an innkeeper's daughter for a highwayman.

Patricia Anne Crocker professionally known as Patti Crocker, was an Australian actress associated with the "golden days of radio in Australia", who also appeared in theatre and on television, primarily in soap opera and commercial advertisement's. She was the author of a memoir detailing her life and career on both radio and subsequently on television.

Stand Still Time is a 1946 Australian play by Dymphna Cusack. It was adapted for radio and British television.

Red Sky at Morning is a 1935 Australian stage play by Dymphna Cusack. The play helped launch Cusack's writing career and was filmed in 1943.

Morning Sacrifice is a 1942 Australian stage play by Dymphna Cusack. It was based on Cusack's experience as a school teacher.

"Friday the 13th" is a 1954 American television play by Sumner Locke Elliott. It originally aired as an episode of The Philco Television Playhouse produced by Fred Coe and directed by Arthur Penn.

Fear is a 1930 Australian stage play by Ruth Bedford.

Voyage on a Dinner Table is a 1954 Australian radio drama about Captain Cook by Shan Benson.

<i>Deserter</i> (radio play) 1956 radio play by William Jenner

Deserter is a 1955 Australian radio play by William Jenner.

Lure of the Island Sea is a 1945 Australian radio play by Dymphna Cusack about Charles Sturt. It was one of Cusack's main radio plays and was recorded in Melbourne.

Shoulder the Sky is a 1945 Australian radio play by Dymphna Cusack, based on her stage play, about canteen workers in Newcastle.

Dark Moon is a 1953 Australian novel by Helen Heney. It was her third novel and the only one adapted for radio.

The Shades Will Not Vanish is a 1952 Australian novel by Helen Fowler. It was her first novel.

The Medea of Euripides is a 1954 Austraslian radio play by Ray Mathew. It was his adaptation of Medea by Euripides.

Spartacus is a 1942 Australian radio play by Dymphna Cusack about the rebel slave Spartacus. It was the last of the ABC's Bonus Competition Plays.

References

  1. ↑ "NEW CUSACK PLAY". Tribune. No. 835. New South Wales, Australia. 17 March 1954. p. 7. Retrieved 18 February 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ "THE WEEK IN WIRELESS". The Age . No. 30859. Victoria, Australia. 27 March 1954. p. 18. Retrieved 18 February 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "RADIO PLAYS for NEXT WEEK A.B.C.", ABC weekly, Sydney: ABC, 28 August 1954, retrieved 18 February 2024– via Trove
  4. ↑ "COMMERCIAL", ABC weekly, Sydney: ABC, 24 September 1955, retrieved 18 February 2024– via Trove
  5. ↑ "MONDAY FEBRUARY 24", ABC weekly, Sydney: ABC, 19 February 1958, nla.obj-1414281081, retrieved 18 February 2024– via Trove
  6. ↑ "Kidderminster Playhouse". The Birmingham Post. 15 March 1955. p. 24.
  7. ↑ "RADIO PLAYS for NEXT WEEK A. B. C.", ABC weekly, Sydney: ABC, 20 March 1954, retrieved 18 February 2024– via Trove
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.