The One Day of the Year
| The One Day of the Year | |
|---|---|
| Written by | Alan Seymour |
| Date premiered | 20 July 1960 |
| Place premiered | Adelaide |
| Original language | English |
The One Day of the Year is an Australian play by Alan Seymour originally written in 1958 about Anzac Day.
Plot
A university student, Hughie Cook, helps his girlfriend Jan write an article criticising Anzac Day, which upsets his ex-serviceman father, Alf.
Characters
Alf Cook, Dot Cook, Hughie Cook, Wacka Dawson Jan Castle
Origins
The play was inspired by an article in the University of Sydney newspaper Honi Soit criticising Anzac Day and Seymour's own observations of how ex-servicemen behaved on that day. The character of Alf was based on Seymour's brother in law.[1]
Productions
The play was rejected by the Adelaide Festival of Arts Board of Governors in 1960, but made its debut on 20 July 1960 as an amateur production by the Adelaide Theatre Group. The first professional season was in April 1961 at the Palace Theatre in Sydney. It proved controversial and Seymour received death threats[2] however it was popular and there have been productions ever since.
1962 Australian TV Version
| "The One Day of the Year" | |
|---|---|
| The General Motors Hour episode | |
| Episode no. |
Season 3 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Rod Kinnear |
| Teleplay by | John Sumner |
| Original air date | 7 July 1962 (Sydney)[3] |
The play was adapted for Australian TV in June 1962. It was directed by Rod Kinnear and adapted by John Sumner.[4][5]
Cast
- Syd Conabere as Alf
- Stewart Weller as Wacka
- Dennis Miller as Hughie
- Elaine Cusick as Jan
- Bunney Brooke as Dot
Production
The production was produced by GTV-9 in Melbourne. It was the first of three plays of The General Motors Hour that year. The cast were all members of the Melbourne Union Theatre Repertory Company, which originally presented the play in Melbourne and toured three states. [6][7][8]
Reception
The TV critic for the Sydney Morning Herald said the shortened adaptation "suffered much less than might have been expected in its transfer" to television, saying it "sometimes tended to focus more sharply the growing and bitter awareness of the increasing estrangement between an ill-educated, soured lift-driver and his university student son. On' the other hand, some scenes of richly meaningful theatrical impact missed badly."[9]
The TV movie won Best Drama and Best Actor (for Syd Conabere) at the Logie Awards of 1963.[10]
1962 British TV Version
The play was adapted for British TV in 1962 and produced by James Ormerod.
Cast
- Kenneth Warren as Alf Cook
- Reg Lye as Wacka
- Madge Ryan as Dot Cook
- George Roubiceck as Hughie Cook
- Georgina Ward as Jan Castle
Film adaptation
Film rights were bought by Lou Edelmen Productions in 1970 but no film resulted.[11]
References
- ↑ Jinman, Richard (2003-04-02). "Stirring struggle endures to this Day". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ↑ "'The one day of the year' Broadcast: 25/4/2003 Reporter: Sharon O'Neill ''Stateline''". Abc.net.au. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
- ↑ "Television for 1962" (PDF). GMH People. May 1962. p. 7.
- ↑ The One Day of the Year at IMDB
- ↑ "Controversial Play On ATN". Sydney Morning Herald. 25 June 1962. p. 10.
- ↑ http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/77783
- ↑ http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/106262
- ↑ "Show Business". Sydney Morning Herald. 17 June 1962. p. 84.
- ↑ "The One Day-On Channel 7". Sydney Morning Herald. 9 July 1962. p. 7.
- ↑ Logie Awards History
- ↑ Martin, Betty (4 Mar 1970). "Loren, Mastroianni to Star". Los Angeles Times. p. g12.