As you like it

As you like it

Text of the play

As you like it

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll

Links including video links for Summer of the Seventeenth Doll.




Summer of the Seventeenth Doll is a pioneering Australian play written by Ray Lawler and first performed at the Union Theatre in Melbourne on 28 November 1955.
The play is almost unanimously considered by scholars of literature to be the most historically significant in Australian theatre history, openly and authentically portraying distinctly Australian life and characters. It was one of the first truly naturalistic "Australian" theatre productions.

Original cast:
Summer of the Seventeenth Doll had its world premiere at the Union Theatre in Melbourne, Australia. This production of the play was directed by John Sumner and featured the following cast:

Roma Johnston as Pearl Cunningham
Fenella Maguire as Kathy "Bubba" Ryan
June Jago as Olive Leech
Ray Lawler as Barney Ibbot
Carmel Dunn as Emma Leech
Noel Ferrier as Roo Webber
Malcolm Billings as Johnnie Dowd

Summer of the Seventeenth Doll QTC

QTC cast - Steve Le Marquand, Robyn Nevin, Helen Thomson, Alison Whyte, Travis McMahon, Eloise Winestock.


"The play written in 1955, provided a significant spotlight for Australian theatre in international terms. For the first time, an Australian play drew serious attention from overseas observers and critics as an important piece of theatre writing. The play has been described by some as a well-written, superbly constructed piece of work. Its use of realistic props, stage business, its fine balance of text and sub-text, its grasp of rhythms of the spoken Australian language and its use of space and lighting was superior to that of earlier plays.

Holloway (1981) describes the play as a combination of melodrama and humour - significant elements of the dominant earlier style of playwriting. Indeed, there is an interesting mixture of joviality and lightheartedness contrasted against heightened tragic emotion - in particular the closing scene is a powerful example of melodrama where Olive refusing the marriage proposal from Roo drags herself out of the room. Roo, devastated by the end of a dream, numbly sits with his face in his hands, a beaten and disspirited figure." Source.

Links:
Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
A Lucky Play

“What did you learn from Drama last year?”

Year Nine responses:

“I took away a lot from Drama…….but most importantly was confidence to perform and speak in front of heaps of people.” (Lauren)

“Maintaining my focus and becoming more confident with performing in front of people” (Carlina)

“Focus…….. and to always be myself around others” (Jordyn)

“Focus……. and it has helped me in my day to day life.” (Mikaela)

“Being confident with talking or performing in front of a group.” (Ashleigh)

“Confidence. I was left with a lot more than I brought. I also took away lots of important skills, like focus, that I will bring with me this year.” (Casey)

“…..the focusing side of things” (Janine)

“I took away lots of new confidence and Drama skills I didn’t have before.” (Annabel)

“How to stay in character!” (Emma)

“…..being focused in a play so I don’t get disturbed easily” (Lucy)

“…..to not be afraid and come out of my shell.” (Anika)

“I took away a lot of things from last year, but the thing that was the biggest was focus” (Emma)

“…..to maintain focus and to believe in myself.” (Maddy)

“The confidence I got when standing up to perform in front of people; I’m sure that will help me with my career later on in life!” (Maddie)

“I took away two things from Drama: Firstly, courage! I can now stand in front of my class without having a breakdown. Secondly, self esteem: I’m not so shy and I believe in myself a lot more.” (Ashleigh)

“When I finished the term of Drama I realized that I would always have a piece of Drama with me and now I can’t wait for the year ahead!” (Carli)

“Being confident to express my feelings and staying in character.” (Natalya)

“The most important thing I learnt from Drama was SELF-CONFIDENCE!” (Binnian)

“..…that I shouldn’t be afraid to be over the top in my acting.” (Keelin)

“The most important thing I took away from Drama was not to let the audience bother you when you’re acting.” (Celine)

“I took away from Drama that I was a little better at speaking in public” (Allegra)

“I learnt that I could perform in front of people” (Tariqua)

“The most important thing I took away from Drama was that you have to actually be the character.” (Harriet)

“I found that Mime gave me a lot that I will use in my life. It helped me with my team work because we had to work together to pull the play off.” (Ellie)

“The most important thing I learnt was keeping focus when you perform and not to laugh or be silly” (Jennifer)

“The most important thing I took away was self-confidence when around different people.” (Brittany)

“What was the most important thing you took away from your study of Drama in Year 11?”

Year Twelve responses:

"The most important thing that I took away from Drama last year was knowing that when I walked away from Year 11, I could competently complete tasks for assessment; this gave me the confidence and motivation to continue to try harder, not only in Drama, but in every other subject” (Megan)

“The most important thing that I took away from studying Drama last year was the ability to have confidence in myself, on and off-stage. I learnt this through class activities and assessment, as well as just being part of class. It is a great life skill that I will continue to rely on throughout the rest of my life”. (Juliana)

“In the year of 2011, I learnt many needed and crucial aspects of Drama that will ultimately benefit myself in both acting and in life. One of the most pivotal aspects I became more educated in was confidence through performance;, I also became more knowledgeable in the art of public speaking. This therefore provided instant positive outcomes, as I am now Fitzroy House Captain, a role where I need to be comfortable speaking in front of audiences.” (Chloe)

“The most important thing I took away from my study of Drama last year was that making plans as to how I would complete an assessment piece is a good start and further dedication and commitment is vital to completing and achieving the results you wish for. The experience taught me that Senior Drama requires more effort, commitment, concentration and perseverance to achieve my goal. (Taylor)


“The most important thing I took away from last year was my time management skills. I learnt that although when work is handed to you and it seems simple at first, never leave it until the last minute. Always begin straight away or as soon as possible, and ask a lot of questions. Also, make sure you understand the task and work really hard to achieve the best you can.” (Golda)

“I learnt that timing is everything, and crucial for good performance, which results in good marks. This also relates to life. We need to be able to recognize the right and wrong times to ‘do or ‘not do’ something, and the choice we make will also result in good or bad marks.” (Lauren)

“The most important thing I took away from my study last year was the comprehension that the written work side of Drama is highly important. A written task can affect a performance and the way you perform.” (Rhiannon)

“The most important aspect that I took away from Drama in 2011 was that I realized my strengths and weaknesses and my love for Shakespearian Theatre. I also came into a new school and had to be confident in front of new people in Drama and I think I succeeded in that. (Kimberley)

“Learning to manage the allocated time given to prepare for a performance, and learning to stand on my own feet with more independent work and assessments. With writing tasks and individual performances, it was important that I learned to fully depend on myself” (Allison)

“Pushing past barriers and comfort zones to gain the ability and chance to develop characters, and explore different emotions that may not be primary to our lives. Also, the freedom that Drama gives you to express ourselves within an environment that will have a positive outcome, and gives us an outlet for creativity and emotions that we otherwise don’t have.” (Emily)

“The most important thing that I took away from my study of Drama last year was the emotions I was filled with when performing in front of an audience. I do not think that there is another feeling like it. When on stage, I feel comfortable, and positive that I can successfully portray my character and entertain my audience. I yearn to continue feeling that way in the future, and it has made me realize that I want to heavily involve acting in my future, either as a career or hobby.” (Emma)

“The most important thing I took from drama last year was that I have to be confident in what I am doing to succeed. Also, that I need to focus more on my written tasks” (Maddison)

“Learning that you can really do anything if you really try, such as the Shakespeare play that we had to do. This helped me understand that Drama plays a very important role in helping develop the confidence to be in front of people, and to also take on a role you didn’t think was possible. In doing this, I believe that it has given me more confidence in myself.” (Tara)

“I think that by doing Drama last year I became more confident. I learnt that sometimes you have to forget who’s watching and just get on with it. I think that this year I could put in more effort to my Drama theory work and overcome being shy. I am looking forward to a good year” (Briana)

“I learnt that you always need to keep an open mind with your group and try to understand them.” (Kaya)

“The most important thing I took away from Drama was confidence, the skills and learning focus. It has led me to become an independent woman with great confidence. It has allowed me to be ‘out there’ and focus on what I am aiming for.” (Mai)