Theatre Aotearoa

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Event

Our Country's Good

Venue

Playhouse, Melbourne, VIC

First Date

1 June 1989

Opening Date

5 June 1989

Last Date

8 July 1989

Dates Estimated

Status

Professional

World Premiere

Part of a Tour

Yes

Description

Essentially, the narrative deals with how a group of soul-shrivelled convicts, directed by Lieutenant Ralph Clark, mounts a performance of The Recruiting Officer to celebrate the King's birthday in 1789. Based on Thomas Kenneally's novel, "The Playmaker". A number of 'breeches roles' were played; by Helen Morse, Kim Trengove, Sally Cooper and Nicki Wendt.

Description Source

Reviewer's Opinion

Primary Genre

Theatre - Spoken Word

Secondary Genre

Historical

Subjects

Colonial
Convicts
Theatre

Organisations

The University of Melbourne, Sponsor
The Victorian Ministry for the Arts, Grant Body
Australia Council for the Arts, Grant Body
Melbourne Theatre Company, Presenting Company
Melbourne Theatre Company, Production Company

Contributors

Name	Function	Notes
Dennis Coard	Actor	Captain Campbell
Sally Cooper	Actor	Lt Will Dawes/Duckling/Meg Long
Neil Fitzpatrick	Actor	Cpt Arthur Phillip/Robert Sideway
Kurt Geyer	Actor	Cpt Watkin Trench
Philip Holder	Actor	2nd Lt Ralph Clark
Bob Hornery	Actor	Major Robbie Ross
Tom E Lewis	Actor	Aboriginal Australian/Black Caesar
Robert Menzies	Actor	Cpt David Collins/John Wisehammer
Helen Morse	Actor	Rev Johnson/Liz Morden
Richard Piper	Actor	Midshipman Harry Brewer
David Roberts	Actor	Midshipman Harry Brewer (could not complete season due to illness)
Kim Trengove	Actor	Lt George Johnson/Dabby
Nicki Wendt	Actor	2nd Lt Will Faddy/Mary Brenham
Ian Maxwell	Assistant Director
Nina Logan	Assistant Stage Manager
Tony Tripp	Designer
Roger Hodgman	Director
Jamieson Lewis	Lighting Designer
Colin Alexander	Lighting Operator/Technician
Timberlake Wertenbaker	Playwright
Peter Roehlen	Production Manager
Kerry Saxby	Sound Designer
Tanya Leach	Stage Manager
Thomas Keneally	Writer

Resources

Programme: The Recruiting Officer / Our Country's Good, The University of Adelaide, Library Special Collections, 11 May 1989
Review: Alison Croggon, The Bulletin, 20 June 1989
Review: Chris Boyd, Melbourne Times, 7 June 1989
Review: Geoffrey Milne, The Herald, 7 June 1989
Review: Hilary Glow, James McCaughey, Russell Walsh, Round Up, New Theatre Australia, 11, July 1989, 31
Review: John Larkin, Sunday Press, 11 June 1989
Review: Leonard Radic, The Age, 8 June 1989
Review: Rosemary Neill, The Australian, 8 June 1989

Works

Text Nationality

England

Production Nationality

Australia

Further Information

To mark the bicentenary of Australian theatre, Melbourne and Sydney are playing host to separate productions of a richly historical coalition of two plays: this and Farqhar's The Recruiting Officer. Both plays in the Melbourne Theatre Ccompany season played in repertory from about 5 June. During the production of this play David Roberts became ill and Richard Piper replaced him.

Event Status

Completed

Data Source

Source	Description
Programme	MTC season
Cast List	MTC Records
Australian & New Zealand Theatre Record	June 1989

Data Reviewed By

RobertTaylor on 19 November 2024

Event Identifier

1833

Dataset

AusStage