Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust records, 1985-1988

MLMSS 8145/Boxes 1X-2X

fonds

1985-1988

Textual Records, Graphic Materials, Ephemera

152208

0.73 metres of textual material (2 outsize boxes) - printed, photocopies

The Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust was founded by H.C. Coombs, Sir Charles Moses and John Douglas Pringle in September 1954 as a non-profit public company. It was named to commemorate the recent visit to Australia of Queen Elizabeth II. It pioneered many developments in performing art in Australia establishing national drama, opera and ballet companies employing local artists.

Its role as a funding body also came to an end with the establishment of the Australian Council for the Arts (later the Australia Council) in 1968. By the 1980s the Trust had greatly reduced funding, but continued entrepreneurial activities, such as importing drama and puppet companies. It began supporting artists, administering awards and establishing promotional facilities, and managed a tax-deductible donation scheme for the performing arts. In the 1990s its operations were scaled down further and it became essentially a Sydney arts organisation, operating a ticketing agency and organising theatre parties

References:
Compiled from the collection
National Library of Australia (online)

The material comprises folders relating to individual plays. The folders contain promotional material, mainly programmes, flyers, posters, photocopies of media reviews in newspapers and journals, publicity and box office records for productions presented by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, 1985-1988. These include:

BOX 1X
‘The Night we Blitzed the Bridge’, play by David Allen and presented by the Australian Theatre for Young People at The Parade Theatre, Kensington, Sydney, 11 January 1985-26 January 1985

‘Slow Love’, experimental play by Richard Murphet, The Performance Space, Cleveland Street, Redfern, 14 February 1985-10 March 1985

‘No Sugar’, play by Jack Davis based on the history Nyoongah Aboriginal peoples of Western Australia (1929-1934), presented in association the Playhouse Theatre during the Perth Festival at the Maltings, 18 February 1985-9 March 1985 and Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, London, 16 June 1988-2 July 1988

Dance North 'Mangoes', featuring ballets by the North Queensland Ballet, choreographed by Garth Welch, Jacqui Carroll, John Salisbury and Cheryl Stock, at the Araluen Arts Centre, Alice Springs, Northern Territory Tour, 28 May 1985-28 June 1985

The All Out Ensembles ‘Asleep at the Wheel’, play by Nicholas Tsoutas, The Performance Space, Cleveland Street, Redfern, 17 July 1985-4 August 1985

‘Opera Opera’, musical comedy presented by the Gap at the Belvoir St. Theatre, Surry Hills, 26 November 1985-21 December 1985

‘Imaginary Life’, play by Kim Carpenter based on David Malouf’s novel, Belvoir St. Theatre, Surry Hills, 19 February 1986-22 March 1986

‘Honeyspot’, play by Jack Davis; premier season at the Come Out Festival 1985, tour of schools in Yorke Peninsular, Port Pirie, Port Augusta areas, Next Wave Festival Melbourne 1985, Tour of Victorian Schools in Association with Victorian Arts Council 3 March 1986-26 March 1986, Belvoir St. Theatre, 2 April 1986-27 April 1986, U.S.A. and Canadian season for the International Children’s Festival in Seattle, ca. 1988. Includes photocopies of letters to Aboriginal playright Jack Davis and cast from school children and teachers expressing thanks

BOX 2X
‘Prediction piece No. 8 Winter/Passion’, musical theatre by Lyndal Jones exploring cultural differences of immigrants in Australia at Art Gallery of NSW for the Sixth Biennale of Sydney, 1 July 1986-5 July 1986 and Athenaeum Theatre Melbourne, 15 July 1986-26 July 1986

‘The Last wake at She-Oak Creek’, musical comedy by Bob Herbert and presented by Essington Productions at the Stables Theatre, Sydney, 3 October 1986-2 November 1986

‘Son of Romeo’, comedy based on Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ by Chris Willems, T.A.U Theatre Canberra, Wollundry Rooms Wagga, Ponton Theatre Bathurst, Performance Space Sydney, 6 November 1986-29 November 1986

‘Angels Tomorrow’, drama by Daniel Keene, Performance Space Sydney, 4 December 1986-21 December 1986

‘Magpie’s Nest’, play by Simon Gratton, Belvoir St. Theatre, Sydney, 21 March 1987-19 April 1987

The 1987 National Tour of the Spare Parts Puppet Theatre’s ‘The Pied Piper’, The Odeon Theatre Adelaide, The Victorian Arts Centre Studio Melbourne, The Parade Theatre Sydney, Canberra Theatre Centre Playhouse, 1 June 1987-11 July 1987

The Filiki Players in ‘The Journey’, play by Tes Lyssiotis relating to the experiences of migrants in Australia (ca. 1930-1950), at Bridge Theatre Wollongong, Roxy Theatre Newcastle, La Boite Theatre Brisbane and Wharf Studio Walsh Bay Sydney, 13 September 1987-3 October 1987

Aboriginal plays featuring The Marli Biyol Company by Jack Davis including ‘The First Born’ trilogy featuring ‘No Sugar, The Dreamers and Barungin’ at Fitzroy Town Hall Melbourne, 5 May 1988-12 June 1988, and ‘Barungin (Smell the Wind), relating to an Aboriginal peoples living in Australia in the Bicentennial year (1988), at the Adelaide Festival, Alice Springs, World Expo on Stage Brisbane 26 July 1988-6 August 1988 and 5th Festival of Pacific Arts Townsville, 14 August 1988-27 August 1988.

Copyright status:: In copyright - This collection has multiple rights owners
Research & study copies allowed: Applies only to material in which the author has been deceased for more than 50 years
Please acknowledge:: Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Information upgraded as part of the Manuscripts Unprocessed eRecords Project 2011-2012