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| name = A Hard God
| name = A Hard God
| image =
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| caption =
| writer = [[Peter Kenna]]
| writer = [[Peter Kenna]]
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| setting = Sydney 1946
| setting = Sydney 1946
| premiere = 17 August 1973
| premiere = 17 August 1973
| place = Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
| place = [[Nimrod Theatre Company|Nimrod Theatre, Sydney]]
| orig_lang = English
| orig_lang = English
| subject =
| subject =
| genre =
| genre =
⚫
| ibdb_id =
}}
}}
⚫
'''''A Hard God''''' is a semi-autobiographical play by Peter Kenna.<ref name="rees">Leslie Rees, ''Australian Drama in th 1970s'', Angus & Robertson, 1978 p 192-194</ref>


⚫
'''''A Hard God''''' is a semi-autobiographical play by [[Peter Kenna]].<ref name="rees">Leslie Rees, ''Australian Drama in the 1970s'', Angus & Robertson, 1978 p 192-194</ref>
The play was very popular and has come to be regarded as an Australian classic.<ref>[http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/kenna-peter-joseph-12727/text22951 Richard Waterhouse, 'Kenna, Peter Joseph (1930–1987)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University] accessed 10 January 2013</ref>

The initial production starred Gloria Dawn, a vaudeville star who had been persuaded to appear in a "straight" role in Kenna's ''[[The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day]]''.<ref name="dawn"/>

The play was very popular and has come to be regarded as an Australian classic.<ref>{{cite web|title="A Hard God" |date= 20 April 2008|publisher= Star Observer, 20 April 2008|url=https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/national-news/new-south-wales-news/a-hard-god/9626|access-date= 13 May 2024}}</ref>

It was published by [[Currency Press]] in 1974.<ref>{{cite web|title= ''A Hard God'' by Peter Kenna|publisher= National Library of Australia|url= https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/8844290|access-date= 13 May 2024}}</ref>

== Select Key Productions ==

*May-June 1974 - [[Melbourne Theatre Company]] in association with [[Elizabethan Theatre Trust]]

==1974 Film==
{{Infobox film
| name = A Hard God
⚫
| image =
| caption =
| director = [[Carl Schultz]]<br>[[John Bell (Australian actor)|John Bell]]
| producer =
| writer = Peter Kenna
| narrator =
| starring =
| music =
| cinematography =
| editing =
| studio = Nimrod Theatre
| distributor = ABC
| released = {{Film date|1974|10|26|Sydney|ref1=<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Guide|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=21 October 1974|page= 25}}</ref>|1974|11|02|ref2=<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Age TV Guide|date=31 October 1974|page=4|title=Aggie's Rebellion}}</ref>|df=y}}
| runtime = 120 minutes
| country = Australia
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =

}}
The [[Nimrod Theatre Company|Nimrod Theatre]] version of the play was directed by John Bell. This was filmed by the ABC in 1974.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130624202938/http://colsearch.nfsa.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=%22a%20hard%20god%22;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 ''A Hard God'' 1974 production] at [[National Film and Sound Archive]]</ref><ref name="dawn">{{cite news|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald TV Guide|date=21 October 1974|page=1|title=Gloria Dawn in straight drama role}}</ref> Carl Shutlz directed the production, which had been done on stage under the direction of John Bell.<ref>{{cite news|title=TV Guide|newspaper=The Age|date=31 October 1974|page= 42}}</ref>

It was one of a number of stage productions the ABC presented in the early 1970s along with ''Hamlet'', ''The Misanthrope'', and ''Spoiled''.
===Cast===
*James Bowles as Paddy
*[[Gloria Dawn (actor)|Gloria Dawn]] as Aggee
*[[Gerry Duggan (actor)|Gerry Duggan]] as Martin
*Graham Rouse as Dan
*Kay Elkund
*[[Tony Sheldon (actor)|Tony Sheldon]] as Joe
*Andrew Sharp

==1981 TV adaptation==
{{Infobox television episode
| series = [[Australian Theatre Festival]]
| image =
| caption =
| season =
| episode =
| director = William Fitzwater
| writer = Peter Kenna
| narrator =
| producer = Alan Burke
| music =
| photographer =
| airdate = {{Start date|1981}}
| length = 80 minutes
}}
The play was adapted for TV again by the ABC in 1981 for the [[Australian Theatre Festival]].<ref>Ed Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p78</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=6 August 1980 |title=PRODUCTION notes. |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article51602087 |access-date=7 August 2013 |work=[[The Australian Women's Weekly]] |publisher=National Library of Australia |page=146 Supplement: FREE Your TV Magazine}}</ref>

===Cast===
* Patrick Phillips
* [[Betty Lucas]]
*[[Simon Burke]]
*[[Dawn Lake]]
*[[Martin Vaughan]]
*Graham Rouse
*[[Philippa Baker (actress)|Philippa Baker]]

==See also==
⚫
* [[1973 in Australian literature]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117930026/ Review of 2006 production] at ''Variety''
*[http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/work/1659 ''A Hard God''] at [[Ausstage]]


{{Alan Burke}}
⚫
[[Category:Australian plays]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hard God, A}}
[[Category:1970s Australian plays]]
[[Category:Autobiographical plays]]
[[Category:Autobiographical plays]]
[[Category:1973 plays]]
[[Category:Australian plays adapted for television]]

Revision as of 19:07, 16 July 2024

A Hard God
Written byPeter Kenna
CharactersDan
Aggie
Joe
Jack
Monica
Date premiered17 August 1973
Place premieredNimrod Theatre, Sydney
Original languageEnglisch
SettingSydney 1946

A Hard God is a semi-autobiographical play by Peter Kenna.[1]

The initial production starred Gloria Dawn, a vaudeville star who had been persuaded to appear in a "straight" role in Kenna's The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day.[2]

The play was very popular and has come to be regarded as an Australian classic.[3]

It was published by Currency Press in 1974.[4]

Select Key Productions

1974 Film

A Hard God
Directed byCarl Schultz
John Bell
Written byPeter Kenna
Production
company
Nimrod Theatre
Distributed byABC
Release dates
  • 26 October 1974 (1974-10-26) (Sydney)[5]
  • 2 November 1974 (1974-11-02)[6]
Running time
120 minutes
LandAustralien
SpracheEnglisch

The Nimrod Theatre version of the play was directed by John Bell. This was filmed by the ABC in 1974.[7][2] Carl Shutlz directed the production, which had been done on stage under the direction of John Bell.[8]

It was one of a number of stage productions the ABC presented in the early 1970s along with Hamlet, The Misanthrope, and Spoiled.

Cast

1981 TV adaptation

"A Hard God"
Australian Theatre Festival episode
Directed byWilliam Fitzwater
Written byPeter Kenna
Original air date1981 (1981)
Running time80 minutes

The play was adapted for TV again by the ABC in 1981 for the Australian Theatre Festival.[9][10]

Cast

See also

References

  1. ^ Leslie Rees, Australian Drama in the 1970s, Angus & Robertson, 1978 p 192-194
  2. ^ a b "Gloria Dawn in straight drama role". The Sydney Morning Herald TV Guide. 21 October 1974. p. 1.
  3. ^ ""A Hard God"". Star Observer, 20 April 2008. 20 April 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ "A Hard God by Peter Kenna". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  5. ^ "TV Guide". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 October 1974. p. 25.
  6. ^ "Aggie's Rebellion". The Age TV Guide. 31 October 1974. p. 4.
  7. ^ A Hard God 1974 production at National Film and Sound Archive
  8. ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 31 October 1974. p. 42.
  9. ^ Ed Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p78
  10. ^ "PRODUCTION notes". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 6 August 1980. p. 146 Supplement: FREE Your TV Magazine. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
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