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 byJohn Gordon
Date premiered29 September 1960
Place premieredSydney Teachers' College[1]
Genreoperetta

Operetta

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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

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  • Ereach Riley
  • Alan Light as George Worral
  • Ross Whatson
  • Pamela Coleman as Mrs Hurley
  • Wilhelmina Bermingham as Miss Hurley

1963 TV adaptation

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Fisher's Ghost
Written byJohn Gordon
StarringEreach Riley
Music byJohn Gordon
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerRobert Allnut
Original release
Release22 September 1963 (1963-09-22) (Sydney)
29 Sept 1963 (Melbourne)[6]

The operetta was broadcast on the ABC. It was the first television opera with an Australian historical background.[5][7]

Cast

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  • Ereach Riley as Birdlime the pickpocket
  • Edmund Bohan as John Hurley
  • Marilyn Richardson as John Hurley's sister
  • Donald Philps as Fred Fisher

Reception

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The Sydney Morning Herald thought the production had "musical merit" but had "serious" dramatic problems and needed to be revised.[8]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Canon: Australian Journal of Music. 1960.Issues 10-18 - Page 51.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ '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.
  4. ^ Review of 1960 production in Sydney Morning Herald 30 Sept 1960
  5. ^ a b "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.
  6. ^ "Ghost Story from Convict DaysUsed for TV Opera". The Age. 26 September 1963. p. 8.
  7. ^ Vagg, Stephen (23 December 2019). "Australian Film Musicals You Probably Didn't Realise Existed". Filmink.
  8. ^ "Ghost Opera on Television", Sydney Morning Herald, 23 September 1963
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