Lady in Danger (play)
Lady in Danger was a play by Australian writer Max Afford. It was one of the few Australian plays to enjoy a run on Broadway. It was also adapted for radio and television.[1]
Lady in Danger | |
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Written by | Max Afford Alexander Kirkland (US version) |
Date premiered | 28 February 1942 |
Place premiered | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
Original language | English |
Genre | comedy-mystery |
Setting | London |
Plot
Monica Sefton is the wife of a sacked reporter. She plans to write a thriller to restore the family fortune. She accidentally stumbles upon a Nazi spy ring.
Production history
1942 amateur production
The play was first produced by Doris Fitton at the Independent Theatre in Sydney in early 1942.[2]
1944 professional production
The play was seen by representatives of J.C. Williamsons Ltd, the leading theatrical producers in the country, who bought the rights. Since Williamsons had not produced an Australian play in over 20 years this was seen as a positive step for Australian playwriting.[3]
The play made its professional debut on 15 March 1944 at the Theatre Royal in Sydney and was positively received.[4]
Afford said βThe season at the Independent, gave me an opportunity to improve any weaknesses. Naturally, the professional production will be a more elaborate one particularly in the last act, which requires sliding panels and secret passages.β [5]
The play was published in 1944.[6]
1945 Broadway production
The play was also optioned for production on Broadway, although it was rewritten by Alexander Kirkland to be set in Australia and be about a Japanese spy ring.[7]
Lady in Danger premiered on Broadway in March 1945.[8][9]
Cast
- Ronald Alexander as Detective Dennis Marsh
- Gary Blivers as Frederick Smith
- Helen Claire as Monica Sefton
- Vicki Cummings as Sylvia Meade
- Clarence Derwent as Chief Inspector Burke
- Elfrida Derwent as Miss Hodges
- Paul Fairleigh as Karl Kurt
- Hudson Faussett as Constable Pogson
1959 television version
Lady in Danger | |
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Based on | play by Max Afford |
Directed by | Colin Dean |
Starring | Madi Hedd James Condon Queenie Ashton |
Country of origin | Australia |
Original language(s) | English |
Production | |
Running time | 60 mins |
Production company(s) | ABC |
Release | |
Original network | ABC |
Original release | 9 September 1959 (live broadcast Sydney)[14] 24 September 1959 (taping Melbourne) |
The play was adapted for television on the ABC in the 1950s.[15] Broadcast live in Sydney on 9 September 1959, a kinescope recording ("telerecording") was made of the broadcast and shown in Melbourne on 24 September 1959.[16]
Cast included Madi Hedd, James Condon and Queenie Ashton.[17] It is not known if the kinescope recording still exists.
Cast
- James Condon as Bill Sefton
- Madi Hedd as Monica Sefton
- Queenie Ashton as Mrs Lamprey
- Richard Parry as Dr Norton
- Alastair Duncan as Andy Meade
- Peter Carver as Detective Burke
- John Bluthal as Inspector Marsh
- James Elliott as Detective Pogson
- Kevin Williams
- Coralie Neville
Production
Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[18] It was the first drama directed by Colin Dean at the ABC. He was assigned the job by ABC's Director of Drama, Neil Hutchinson. "It was a 'try-out' to see if I can do it," said Dean. "It wasn't a substantial play."[19]
An especially trained cat was used for certain scenes.[20]
Reception
The Age said it "provided an interesting hour's entertainment... outstanding feature was the fine sustained acting from Madi Hedd... James Condon... was not quite as convincing."[21]
The Sydney Morning Herald called it a "neatly tailored thriller" which set "out to do nothing more ambitious than pass an entertaining hour" and "did just that and nothing more in a very competent live television production... [the cast] all played as though they had been doing this kind of thing for most of their working lives. Colin Dean's production aptly matched their efficiency and craftsmanship."[22]
See also
- List of live television plays broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1950s)
References
- Michael J. Tolley, 'Afford, Malcolm (Max) (1906β1954)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 10 January 2013.
- ""LADY IN DANGER"". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 2 March 1942. p. 7. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- "MUSIC AND DRAMA". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 4 April 1942. p. 6. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- "MUSIC AND DRAMA". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 18 March 1944. p. 6. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- Australasian Radio Relay League., The wireless weekly : the hundred per cent Australian radio journal, Wireless Press, retrieved 20 April 2019
- The Australian woman's mirror, The Bulletin Newspaper, 1924, retrieved 20 April 2019
- "MUSIC AND DRAMA". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 11 December 1943. p. 6. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- "AUSTRALIAN'S PLAY ON BROADWAY". The Argus. Melbourne: National Library of Australia. 28 March 1945. p. 20. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- "'LADY IN DANGER' OPENING TONIGHT: ESPIONAGE PLAY, FIRST SEEN IN AUSTRALIA, TO MAKE BOW AT BROADHURST THEATRE IRWIN TO BE PRODUCER THAT TRUEX FAMILY" by SAM ZOLOTOW. New York Times 29 Mar 1945: 29.
- "New York Critic Finds S.A. Author's Play Dull". The Advertiser. Adelaide: National Library of Australia. 31 March 1945. p. 8. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- "SPY THRILLER ENDS ITS BROADWAY RUN: IN LONG-RUN COMEDY" by SAM ZOLOTOW. New York Times 9 April 1945: 22.
- Radio adaptation of Lady in Danger at Ausstage
- "WEEKEND LISTENING". The Argus (Melbourne). Victoria, Australia. 15 October 1955. p. 4 (The Argus WEEKENDER). Retrieved 9 April 2016 β via National Library of Australia.
- "Afford thriller on TV identifier". ABC Weekly. 9 September 1959. p. 12.
- Leslie Rees, Australian Drama in the 1970s, Angus & Robertson, 1978 p 232
- "TV Guide". The Age. 24 September 1959. p. 17.
- "ABN 'Live' Drama". Sydney Morning Herald. 7 September 1959. p. 11.
- Vagg, Stephen (18 February 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
- "Interview with Colin Dean". ABC TV Gore Hill. November 2004.
- ""Role" for a cat on TV". The Age. 24 September 1959. p. 12.
- "Madi Hedd Impresses in Lady in Danger on TV". The Age. 8 October 1959. p. 14.
- "Competent Thriller on ABC 2", Sydney Morning Herald, 10 Sept 1959 p 14
External links
- Full text of play at Project Gutenberg
- Details of premiere production at AusStage
- Details of 1944 Sydney production at AusStage
- Lady in Danger at the Internet Broadway Database
- Review of 1945 Broadway production at Variety
- Lady in Danger 1959 TV play at IMDb
- Lady in Danger original play at AustLit
- Lady in Danger revised play at AustLit
- 1959 TV play at AustLit
- 1944 Broadway production details at Playbill