The Rebel Chief

Last updated

The Rebel Chief
Written byFrancis Belfield
Date premieredDecember 14, 1849 (1849-12-14) [1]
Place premieredQueens Theatre, Melbourne
Original languageEnglish

The Rebel Chief is a 1849 Australian stage play by Francis Belfield. It was produced at a time when Australian plays were extremely rare. [2]

The play was also revived a number of times. [3] [4] [5]

Bells Life said "it has all the requisites of a good drama – the plot is excellent and clearly developed; tho situations are of thrilling interest; the characters naturally drawn, and tbo language is powerful without hyperbole or exaggeration." [6]

Leslie Rees later called it "a longer, multicoloured melodrama set in the reign of Charles the Second, with a comic Irishman and his biddy thrown in for good measure. The dialogue was highfalutin, to say the least. Mr Belfield gallantly attempted to breathe life into it by filling the title-role himself." [7]

The play was published in 1850. [8]

Related Research Articles

The Luck of Roaring Camp is a 1911 Australian feature-length film directed by W. J. Lincoln now considered a lost film. It was highly regarded in its day, in part because it was based on a play that was popular with audiences.

The Howson family was a show-business dynasty founded in Australia, several of whose members went on to further success in America, London and Europe.

Margaret Catchpole is a 1945 Australian radio drama by Rex Rienits about Margaret Catchpole. It was one of several dramatisations of Australian historical figures by Rienits.

Sons of the Morning is a 1945 verse drama Australian play by Catherine Duncan. It was originally written for radio.

<i>Portrait of a Gentleman</i> (play) 1948 play by George Farwell

Portrait of a Gentleman is a 1940 Australian radio play by George Farwell about Thomas Griffiths Wainewright. It was the first time Wainewright's life had been dramatised.

Out of This Nettle is a 1952 Australian radio play by Max Afford. It is a drama set in the sugar cane region of Queensland.

<i>Lazy in the Sun</i> 1951 radio drama by Max Afford

Lazy in the Sun is a 1951 Australian radio drama by Max Afford. It was one of Afford's most acclaimed works. It explored the notion of Australia's responsibilities to the world.

<i>The Explorers</i> (play) 1952 play by John Sandford

The Explorers is a 1952 Australian radio play about the Burke and Wills expedition by John Sandford. It was Sandford's first play.

<i>Margaret Catchpole</i> (radio play) Radio show

Margaret Catchpole is a 1945 Australian radio drama by Rex Rienits about Margaret Catchpole. It was one of several dramatisations of Australian historical figures by Rienits.

The Golden Gander is a 1935 Australia play by Henry C. James and Keith Bean about gold seekers in central Australia. It was presented on the West End at a time when that was rare for Australian plays.

All for Gold, or Fifty Millions of Money is a 1877 Australian stage play by F. R. C. Hopkins written for Alfred Dampier. It was the first play of Australian origin to be licensed for performance in Australia.

Good For Evil is a 1876 Australian play by F. R. C. Hopkins. The play was "suggested" from a novel by Ouida.

Russia As It Is is a 1882 Australian play by F. R. C. Hopkins based on the Jules Verne novel Michael Strogoff. It was produced by Alfred Dampier.

£SD, or One of the Crowd is a 1882 Australian play by F. R. C. Hopkins.

Retribution: Or, the Drunkard's Curse is a 1849 Australian play by Francis Belfield about an alchoolic, George. According to Leslie Rees, "Beginning with George’s lively speech in praise of alcohol... he play goes on in lurid scenes to show George’s degradation and death and that of his unfortunate and blameless wife. It is an early example of the anti-alcohol drama that flourished later, particularly in the United States."

Foiled, or Australia Twenty Years Ago is a 1871 Australian stage play by Walter Cooper.

Forged: A Life Drama, of English and Australian Interest is a 1873 Australian stage play by Arch Murray.

To the West is a 1896 Australian stage play by Alfred Dampier and Kenneth Mackay, a Member of Parliament. It was Mackay's first play. The script was based on an earlier work of Mackay's, The Yellow Wave.

The Mysteries of Sydney is a 1853 Australian play by Francis Belfield. It was based on a series of articles that appeared in Bell's Life in Sydney.

Zisca the Avenger, or The Slave's Revenge, is an 1851 Australian play by Francis Belfield. It was a rare Australian play to be staged at the time.

References

  1. ↑ "Advertising". The Argus (Melbourne) . Vol. II, no. 239. Victoria, Australia. 13 December 1849. p. 3. Retrieved 8 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  2. ↑ Pelosi, Janette. "Colonial drama revealed, or plays submitted for approval". Margin: life & letters in early Australia, no. 60, July-Aug. 2003, pp. 21+. Gale Academic OneFile, . Accessed 8 May 2024.
  3. ↑ "Domestic Gazette". Port Phillip Gazette and Settler's Journal . Vol. X, no. 1974. Victoria, Australia. 23 February 1850. p. 2. Retrieved 8 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  4. ↑ "Advertising". The Sydney Morning Herald . Vol. XXX, no. 4328. New South Wales, Australia. 31 March 1851. p. 2. Retrieved 8 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  5. ↑ "Advertising". The Argus (Melbourne) . No. 2688. Victoria, Australia. 4 February 1856. p. 8. Retrieved 8 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "Local Intelligence". Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer . Vol. VII, no. 66. New South Wales, Australia. 5 April 1851. p. 2. Retrieved 8 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ Rees, Leslie. Australian drama, 1970-1985: a historical and critical survey. p. 26.
  8. ↑ "Sydney Diary". The Sun. No. 12, 676. New South Wales, Australia. 13 September 1950. p. 25 (Late final extra). Retrieved 8 May 2024– via National Library of Australia.
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.