A Phoenix Too Frequent (film)
| Industry | Broadcasting, Television production |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1932 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Australia |
| Products | Television dramas, plays, and other programming |
A Phoenix Too Frequent is a 1957 television drama from Australia, produced by the ABC during an era when local dramatic productions were relatively rare.[1] The play, written by Christopher Fry and featuring a cast of just three characters, was particularly well-adapted for the television format; the ABC revisited the work with a remake in 1966.[2]
Premise
Set in Ancient Greece, the story follows a widow mourning her husband who slowly becomes captivated by a young soldier, leading her to reconsider her initial determination to join her spouse in the afterlife.
Cast
- Dinah Shearing as Dynamene
- James Condon as Tegeus
- Audrey Teesdale as Doto
Production
Costume design was handled by Thelma Afford.[3]
Rehearsals took place at a studio located in Darlinghurst. This project represented director Paul O'Loughlin's fourth venture into television, where he applied methods learned from Rudi Bretz during his visit to Australia the year before.[2]
O'Loughlin commented on the distinct demands of television production compared to stage and radio work, highlighting the necessity for close-up shots and intimate scenes rather than large crowd sequences, due to limited studio space and the direct connection with viewers.
Both Audrey Teesdale and Dinah Shearing had previously appeared in this play on stage at the Mercury Theatre. For Teesdale, this marked her fourth appearance on television.[2]
The preparation for this production spanned six weeks, including more than 40 hours of rehearsals: 30 hours in workshops, two hours dedicated to dress and makeup rehearsals at Gore Hill, and seven and a half hours focused on camera rehearsals. Desmonde Dowling was responsible for designing the sets that were constructed in the workshop alongside costume development.[2]
1966 version
An Australian rendition was produced in Melbourne in 1966 under the direction of Oscar Whitbread. It was broadcast on ABC as part of the Wednesday Theatre anthology series.
Cast
- Lynette Curran as Dynamene
- Sean Scully as Tegeus
- Fay Kelton as Doto
References
- ↑ Vagg, Stephen (February 18, 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "The PRIVATE EYE of TV". ABC Weekly. 20 July 1957. pp. 4–5.
- ↑ "RED IS DANGEROUS...EVEN ON TV". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 25, no. 13. Australia. 4 September 1957. p. 10.