The Torrents

A printing office of a newspaper is no place for a member of the female sex.' 1890s, regional Australia. Koolgalla is a gold town, but the gold rush is beginning to wane. In the office of the Koolgalla Argus, the editors must decide between protecting old interests and investing in the farmland of the future. The new editorial assistant, J. G. Milford, arrives—but it turns out the 'J' stands for Jenny. The Torrents is a forgotten classic. In 1955 it was the co-winner, with Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, of the Playwrights' Advisory Board's award for Best Play. Yet while Lawler's play is considered a defining feature of Australian theatre, The Torrents is underappreciated and was perhaps ahead of its time. Currency Press is proud to re-publish this crucial work, whose themes of media chauvinism, environmental destruction and corrupt powers are chillingly relevant today.Features a new introduction by Anne-Louise Sarks. John McCallum s new history explores the relationship between 20th century Australian drama and a developing concept of nation. The book focuses on the creative tension sparked by dueling impulses between nationalism and cosmopolitanism; and between artistic seriousness and larrikin populism. It explores issues such as the domineering influence of European high culture, the ongoing popularity of representational realism, the influence of popular theatrical forms, the ambivalence (between affection and aggression) of much Australian humour and satire, and the interaction between the personal and the political in drama. The strength of Belonging is its comprehensiveness. Anyone studying an Australian play will find it here in the context of the other works by its author or the time and place in which it was written. As well as a rundown of the major writers and their works, the book also investigates a number of lesser known plays and writers. This authoritative study of Australian drama gives an account of the relationship between our theatre and our sense of self while taking into account a broad range of influences that helped to shape both. A printing office of a newspaper is no place for a member of the female sex.'1890s, regional Australia. Koolgalla is a gold town, but the gold rush is beginning to wane. In the office of the Koolgalla Argus, the editors must decide between protecting old interests and investing in the farmland of the future. The new editorial assistant, J. G. Milford, arrives—but it turns out the ‘J'stands for Jenny. The Torrents is a forgotten classic. In 1955 it was the co-winner, with Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, of the Playwrights'Advisory Board's award for Best Play. Yet while Lawler's play is considered a defining feature of Australian theatre, The Torrents is underappreciated and was perhaps ahead of its time. Currency Press is proud to re-publish this crucial work, whose themes of media chauvinism, environmental destruction and corrupt powers are chillingly relevant today. Features a new introduction by Anne-Louise Sarks.

The gold rush is beginning to wane in Koolgalla and the editors of the Koolgalla Argus must decide between protecting old interests and investing in the future. But when the new editorial assistant, JG Milford, arrives and it turns out the 'J' stands for Jenny, she creates havoc.%##CHAR13##%%##CHAR13##%A forgotten classic, The Torrents won the 1955 Best Play award alongside Summer of the Seventeenth Doll but the play never had the same impact. Perhaps it was ahead of its time. Currency is proud to republish a work whose themes of media chauvinism, environmental destruction and corruption are chillingly relevant today.

The gold rush is beginning to wane in Koolgalla and the editors of the Koolgalla Argus must decide between protecting old interests and investing in the future. But when the new editorial assistant, JG Milford, arrives and it turns out the 'J' stands for Jenny, she creates havoc. A forgotten classic, The Torrents won the 1955 Best Play award alongside Summer of the Seventeenth Doll but the play never had the same impact. Perhaps it was ahead of its time. Currency is proud to republish a work whose themes of media chauvinism, environmental destruction and corruption are chillingly relevant today. V. 1. Shipwreck / Douglas Stewart -- Sky Without Birds / Oriel Gray -- Night Of The Ding Dong / Ralph Peterson -- Day Before Tomorrow / Ric Throssell --v. 2. The Multi-coloured Umbrella / Barbara Vernon -- The Slaughter Of St Teresa's Day / Peter Kenna -- Image In The Clay / David Ireland -- The Life Of The Party / Ray Mathew. Edited By Katharine Brisbane. Features plays by Peter Kenna, Ray Mathew, David Ireland and Barbara Vernon