Place premiered Canberra | Date premiered 1 November 1957 Original language English | |
Swamp Creatures was a play by the Australian author Alan Seymour. He wrote it for radio, stage and TV. It was Seymour's first produced play.
Contents
1957 Theatre Production
The play was written in 1955-56. In 1956 it was the runner-up in a play competition held by the Journalists' Club and judged by the Playwrights' Advisory Board. In 1957 it was one of the twenty-five finalists in the play competition held by the London Observer.
It was first performed by the Canberra Repertory Society in 1957.
Cast of original production
Background
The play was based on a true story about an old woman who lived near a swamp and disappeared.
1958 Radio Adaptation
The play was adapted for radio by the ABC in 1958.
1960 TV Adaptation
It was filmed for TV by the ABC in 1960. It was repeated in 1962
Cast
Production
Floor assistant David Twiby recalled that during the making of the show, the smoke machine caused a stage hand to nearly die during the broadcast.
Reception
The Sydney Morning Herald critic called it "one of the finest drama efforts I have seen done here."