The Torrents (Australian Plays)

"The Torrents" is a 1969 Australian TV play based on the stage play by Oriel Gray. It was filmed as part of the ABC anthology drama series Australian Plays.[1] It was the second Gray play adapted by the ABC, after Burst of Summer.[2] It aired on 10 December 1969 in Sydney and Melbourne.[3]

"The Torrents"
Australian Plays episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 5
Directed byOscar Whitbread
Teleplay byOriel Gray
Based onThe Torrents
by Oriel Gray
Original air date10 December 1969 (1969-12-10)
Running time70 mins
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Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[4]

Cast edit

Production edit

It was shot in Melbourne and at Maldon, a small town outside Bendigo.[5] It was designed by Alan Clarke. Railway carriages were hired from the Society of Railway Enthusiasts. The budget could not cover the hiring of an old locomotive so a modern one was used, but this was obscured by a fog machine.[6]

Reception edit

One critic called it "a beauty".[7]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Kelly, Frances (11 December 1969). "Television. A play at last!". The Canberra Times. Canberra, ACT, Australia. p. 33. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
  2. ^ Vagg, Stephen (15 November 2020). "The Flawed Landmark: Burst of Summer". Filmink.
  3. ^ "TV Guide". Sydney Morning Herald. 8 December 1969. p. 19.
  4. ^ Vagg, Stephen (February 18, 2019). "60 Australian TV Plays of the 1950s & '60s". Filmink.
  5. ^ "Drama Sheds Mothballs". The Age. 23 October 1969. p. 45.
  6. ^ Robinson, Fred (24 September 1969). "This is the place for a village". TV Times. p. 4.
  7. ^ "TELEVISION". The Canberra Times. Vol. 44, no. 12, 490. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 11 December 1969. p. 33. Retrieved 18 February 2019 – via National Library of Australia.

External links edit