The Passionate Pianist | |
---|---|
Based on | play by Barbara Vernon |
Written by | Barbara Vernon |
Directed by | Paul O'Loughlin [1] |
Country of origin | Australia |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Running time | 30 mins [2] |
Production company | ABC |
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | 2 October 1957 1 November 1957 (Melbourne) (taped) [3] | (Sydney)(live)
The Passionate Pianist is an Australian television film, or rather a live one-off television play, which aired in 1957 on ABC. This was part of ABC's twice monthly presentations of live plays during the late-1950s (one live play each month in Sydney and Melbourne, respectively, with most kinescoped for showing in the other city).
At the time, most one-off drama and comedy plays produced for Australian television were adaptations of overseas works, and The Passionate Pianist is notable as it represents an early example of a locally-written comedy for the medium.
Ben, the teenage son of a Sydney bookmaker prefers football to practicing piano. His mother (Marion Johns) is convinced he is a genius and enters him in an eistedford. [4]
The Passionate Pianist was produced as a one act play. Barbara Vernon was a radio announcer in Inverell and wrote the play for Con Fardouly, a Greek who ran a cafe in Inverell.
It was first performed at the Inverell Town Hall, on 22 November 1957. The cast included Lee Jones, Nell Stewart, Frank Sloman, Rob Jeffs, and Con Fardouly. [5]
It is part of the trilogy 'The Growing Year', which also includes Vernon's unpublished plays 'The Bishop and the Boxer' and 'First Love'. [6]
Rehearsals began in September 1957. [1]
It is not known if the kinescope recording of the program still exists.
The play was also adapted for radio. [7] [8]
Barbara Vernon is also known for writing the play The Multi-Coloured Umbrella, which saw a television version in 1958. It was focused on the same family of Sydney book makers.