Fisher's Ghost
Fisher's Ghost is a 1960[2] Australian operetta. It is based on the legend of Fisher's ghost which had previously inspired the 1924 film from Raymond Longford.[3]
| Fisher’s Ghost | |
|---|---|
| Written by | John Gordon |
| Date premiered | 29 September 1960 |
| Place premiered | Sydney Teachers' College[1] |
| Genre | operetta |
Operetta
The operetta was composed by John Gordon and was originally performed at Sydney Teachers' College on 29 September 1960.[4] It was revised for television.[5]
Douglas Stewart wrote a play based on the same story which premiered shortly after the operetta.
Cast of 1960 Production
- Ereach Riley
- Alan Light as George Worral
- Ross Whatson
- Pamela Coleman as Mrs Hurley
- Wilhelmina Bermingham as Miss Hurley
1963 TV Adaptation
| Fisher's Ghost | |
|---|---|
| Written by | John Gordon |
| Produced by | Robert Allnut |
| Starring | Ereach Riley |
| Music by | John Gordon |
| Distributed by | ABC |
Release dates | 22 Sept 1963 (Sydney) 29 Sept 1963 (Melbourne)[6] |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
The operetta was broadcast on the ABC. It was the first television opera with an Australian historical background.[5][7]
Cast
- Ereach Riley as Birdlime the pickpocket
- Edmund Bohan as John Hurley
- Marilyn Richardson as John Hurley's sister
- Donald Philps as Fred Fisher
Reception
The Sydney Morning Herald thought the production had "musical merit" but had "serious" dramatic problems and needed to be revised.[8]
References
- Canon: Australian Journal of Music. 1960.Issues 10-18 - Page 51.
- Dorottya Fabian; John Napier (30 October 2018). Diversity in Australia's Music: Themes Past, Present, and for the Future. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 116–. ISBN 978-1-5275-2066-0.
- 'Fisher, Frederick George (1792–1826)', Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/fisher-frederick-george-15178/text26370, accessed 30 May 2016.
- Review of 1960 production in Sydney Morning Herald 30 Sept 1960
- "GHOST LEGEND FROM THE PAST". The Australian Women's Weekly. Vol. 31, no. 17. Australia. 25 September 1963. p. 17. Retrieved 29 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
- "Ghost Story from Convict DaysUsed for TV Opera". The Age. 26 September 1963. p. 8.
- Vagg, Stephen (23 December 2019). "Australian Film Musicals You Probably Didn't Realise Existed". Filmink.
- "Ghost Opera on Television", Sydney Morning Herald, 23 September 1963
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