A Hard God

A Hard God
Written by	Peter Kenna
Characters	Dan Aggie Joe Jack Monica
Date premiered	17 August 1973
Place premiered	Nimrod Theatre, Sydney
Original language	English
Setting	Sydney 1946

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

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

• May–June 1974 - Melbourne Theatre Company in association with Elizabethan Theatre Trust

1974 Film

A Hard God
Directed by	Carl Schultz John Bell
Written by	Peter Kenna
Production company	Nimrod Theatre
Distributed by	ABC
Release dates	26 October 1974 (1974-10-26) (Sydney)[5] 2 November 1974 (1974-11-02)[6]
Running time	120 minutes
Country	Australia
Language	English

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

• James Bowles as Paddy
• Gloria Dawn as Aggee
• Gerry Duggan as Martin
• Graham Rouse as Dan
• Kay Elkund
• Tony Sheldon as Joe
• Andrew Sharp

1981 TV adaptation

"A Hard God"
Australian Theatre Festival episode
Directed by	William Fitzwater
Written by	Peter Kenna
Original air date	1981 (1981)
Running time	80 minutes

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

Cast

• Patrick Phillips
• Betty Lucas
• Simon Burke
• Dawn Lake
• Martin Vaughan
• Graham Rouse
• Philippa Baker

See also

• 1973 in Australian literature

References

1. Leslie Rees, Australian Drama in the 1970s, Angus & Robertson, 1978 p 192-194
2. "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.