A Hard God is a semi-autobiographical play by Peter Kenna.[1]

A Hard God
Written byPeter Kenna
CharactersDan
Aggie
Joe
Jack
Monica
Date premiered17 August 1973
Place premieredNimrod Theatre, Sydney
Original languageEnglish
SettingSydney 1946

The initial production starred Gloria Dawn, a vaudeville star who had been persuaded to appear in a "straight" role in Kenna's The Slaughter of St Teresa's Day.[2]

The play was very popular and has come to be regarded as an Australian classic.[3]

It was published by Currency Press in 1974.[4]

Select Key Productions

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1974 Film

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A Hard God
Directed byCarl Schultz
John Bell
Written byPeter Kenna
Production
company
Nimrod Theatre
Distributed byABC
Release dates
  • 26 October 1974 (1974-10-26) (Sydney)[5]
  • 2 November 1974 (1974-11-02)[6]
Running time
120 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish

The Nimrod Theatre version of the play was directed by John Bell. This was filmed by the ABC in 1974.[7][2] Carl Shutlz directed the production, which had been done on stage under the direction of John Bell.[8]

It was one of a number of stage productions the ABC presented in the early 1970s along with Hamlet, The Misanthrope, and Spoiled.

Cast

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1981 TV adaptation

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"A Hard God"
Australian Theatre Festival episode
Directed byWilliam Fitzwater
Written byPeter Kenna
Original air date1981 (1981)
Running time80 minutes

The play was adapted for TV again by the ABC in 1981 for the Australian Theatre Festival.[9][10]

Cast

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Leslie Rees, Australian Drama in the 1970s, Angus & Robertson, 1978 p 192-194
  2. ^ a b "Gloria Dawn in straight drama role". The Sydney Morning Herald TV Guide. 21 October 1974. p. 1.
  3. ^ ""A Hard God"". Star Observer, 20 April 2008. 20 April 2008. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  4. ^ "A Hard God by Peter Kenna". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  5. ^ "TV Guide". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 October 1974. p. 25.
  6. ^ "Aggie's Rebellion". The Age TV Guide. 31 October 1974. p. 4.
  7. ^ A Hard God 1974 production at National Film and Sound Archive
  8. ^ "TV Guide". The Age. 31 October 1974. p. 42.
  9. ^ Ed Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p78
  10. ^ "PRODUCTION notes". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 6 August 1980. p. 146 Supplement: FREE Your TV Magazine. Retrieved 7 August 2013.