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  • Home
  • Archive
    • 2020- >
      • The Absence Of War
      • Funny Money
      • A Frightful Evening
      • The Ghost Train
      • Jekyll & Hyde
      • Ladies Down Under
      • The Last Quiz Night On Earth
      • A Legal Murder
      • Silver Lining
      • Steaming
      • Underground
      • The Western Approaches
    • 2010-19 >
      • 1 Flat 3 Stories
      • Abandonment
      • Animal Farm
      • Carrington VC
      • A Christmas Carol
      • The Country Wife
      • Crown Matrimonial
      • Easy Virtue
      • Fawlty Towers 2013
      • Fawlty Towers 2015
      • Feed the Beast
      • FlatSpin
      • Hello, Is There Any Body There?
      • The Hollow
      • Ladies Day
      • A Lady Mislaid
      • La Musica & Perfect Partners
      • Love In A Mist
      • Maskerade
      • Misfits
      • Much Ado About Nothing
      • Nobody's Perfect
      • NSFW
      • The Railway Children
      • Salt
      • Sauce For The Goose
      • Six Characters In Search Of An Author
      • This Happy Breed
      • The Thrill of Love
      • Visiting Hour
      • A Wedding Story
      • Wind in the Willows Chelsfield
      • Wind in the Willows Edinburgh
    • 2000-09 >
      • Arsenic and Old Lace
      • Black Comedy
      • Cemetery Club
      • A Chorus Of Disapproval
      • Daisy Pulls It Off
      • Dangerous Corner
      • Fear and Fancy
      • Garden
      • A Ghost On Tiptoe
      • Hobsons Choice
      • House
      • The Importance of Being Earnest
      • Intimate Exchanges
      • Lady Windermeres Fan
      • Loot
      • Lucky Sods
      • Mars & Venus
      • The Merry Wives Of Windsor
      • A Midsummer Night’s Dream
      • Murder In Company
      • My Three Angels
      • New Directions
      • Over My Dead Body
      • Our Country’s Good
      • Out Of Focus
      • Party Piece
      • Proscenophobia
      • Ring Round The Moon
      • The Rivals
      • Steel Magnolias
      • Stepping Out
      • Strictly Murder
    • 1990-99 >
      • Bedroom Farce
      • Blithe Spirit
      • California Suite
      • Deadly Nightcap
      • Dial M For Murder
      • Dick Turpin
      • Gosforths Fete
      • Hay Fever
      • An Inspector Calls
      • The Late Edwina Black
      • Lord Arthur Saviles Crime
      • Miranda
      • Move Over Mrs Markham
      • Not Now, Darling
      • Pleasures And Perils
      • Round And Round The Garden
      • Seasons Greetings
      • Some Confusions
      • Something To Hide
      • Tartuffe
      • Time And Time Again 1993
      • Time And Time Again 1999
      • Time, Murderer, Please
      • Tons Of Money
      • The Weekend
      • When One Door Closes
      • The Woman In White
    • 1980-89 >
      • Anastasia
      • The Barretts Of Wimpole Street
      • The Brontes
      • Busybody
      • Caught Napping
      • A Friend Indeed
      • Full Treatment
      • Gaslight
      • Mother Goose
      • Murder In Company
      • Nightmare
      • Outside Edge
      • Pink String And Sealing Wax
      • Pygmalion
      • Rape Of The Belt
      • Relative Values
      • Return To Victoria
      • Separate Tables
      • Shut Your Eyes and Think of England
      • Suddenly at Home
      • A Tomb With A View
      • Treasure Hunt
      • When We Are Married
    • 1970-79 >
      • The Aspern Papers
      • Brush With A Body
      • The Chiltern Hundreds
      • The Circle
      • Dandy Dick
      • Dear Charles
      • Fish Out Of Water
      • The House Of Bernada Alba
      • The House On The Cliff
      • An Ideal Husband
      • Ladies In Retirement
      • A Letter From The General
      • The Matchmaker
      • The Rivals
      • The Royal Pardon
      • The Schoolmistress
      • Shadow In The Sun
      • Someone Waiting
      • Spiders Web
      • They Came To A City
      • Wanted: One Body
    • 1960-69 >
      • 1066 And All That
      • Aladdin
      • Antigone and The Critic
      • As You Like It
      • Billy Liar
      • The Bread Winner
      • Breath Of Spring
      • Charleys Aunt
      • A Christmas Carol
      • Cinderella 1965
      • Dick Whittington
      • Flowering Cherry
      • Frost At Midnight
      • Hay Fever
      • The Hollow
      • The House By The Lake
      • Macbeth
      • Man Alive
      • The Merchant Of Venice
      • Midsummer Mink
      • A Midsummer Nights Dream
      • Pantomime 1960
      • The Pen of My Aunt, The Women Have Their Way
      • The Pleasure Garden
      • Pygmalion
      • Rookery Nook
      • The Taming Of The Shrew
      • Tobias and the Angel
      • Twelfth Night
      • Waters Of The Moon
      • The Young Elizabeth
    • 1950-59 >
      • After October
      • The Browning Version, Elegant Edward
      • By Candlelight
      • Count Your Blessings
      • Eden End
      • Grand National Night
      • The Happy Prisoner
      • The Holly And The Ivy
      • The Late Christopher Bean
      • Libel
      • Martine
      • Our Town
      • The Queen and the Rebels
      • Thunder Rock
      • Young Wives Tale
    • 1936-49 >
      • Early 1940s plays
      • 20th Century Lullaby
      • And So To Bed
      • Berkeley Square
      • Cinderella
      • The Corn Is Green
      • Dangerous Corner
      • Distinguished Gathering
      • Duet For Two Hands
      • Elegant Edward (1940s)
      • The Ghost Train
      • Hassan
      • The Importance Of Being Earnest
      • Love From A Stranger
      • The Middle Watch
      • New 66 And All That
      • Night Must Fall
      • Noah
      • Pinocchio
      • The Rivals
      • Roberts Wife
      • This Happy Breed
    • Our History
    • Popular Playwrights
  • Join Us
    • JimSlips
    • Links >
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    • Get In Touch

Our Country's Good

by Timberlake Wertenbaker, directed by Lana Beckwith
18-21 November 2009
Shortly after the First Fleet containing British convicts arrives in Australia in 1788, 2nd Lieutenant Clark is persuaded by Governor Philip that the prisoners would be usefully occupied by putting on their own production of the popular play The Returning Officer. Despite the governor’s support, he encounters stern opposition from officers who think the prisoners are there to be punished, not rehabilitated. The prisoners meanwhile turn from cynicism to enthusiasm for the project.

Our Country’s Good is considered a classic play celebrating the redemptive power of art.
Cast and crew
Captain Arthur Phillip – Keith Wishart
2nd Lieutenant Ralph Clark – Michael Wortley
Major Robbie Ross/Lt Harry Brewer – Patrick Neylan
Captain Jemmy Campbell – Jo East
John Arscott/Lt Dawes – Lewis Beckwith
John Wisehammer/Capt Collins– Bernard West
Sideway – Phil Lane
Dabby Bryant – Philippa Rooke
Robbie Ross/Harry Brewer – Patrick Neylan
Duckling – Cynthia Hearing
Mary Brenham – Jo Clent
Liz Morden – Judy Ives
Meg Ryan – Lestrine Wishart
James ‘Ketch’ Freeman/Capt Tench – Andrew Haggerty
Backstage
Lana Beckwith (director), Madeline McCubbin, Gary Beckwith, Anne Kindley, Jayne Lane, Norman Bailey, Ann Blatcher
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Review in Chelsfield Village Voice
The Chelsfield Players like a challenge and Our Country’s Good, directed by novice director Lana Beckwith, certainly fell into this category. A story of convicts and Royal Marines sent to Australia in the late 1780s as part of the first penal colony there. Based on a true story, it follows Second Lieutenant Ralph Clark's attempts to put on a production of George Farquhar's restoration comedy The Recruiting Officer with a cast of male and female convicts. The play shows the class system in the convict camp and employs themes such as sexuality, punishment, sadistic officers, cruelty, suffering, compassion, love and death and the idea that art can act as an ennobling force.

You could be transported to Australia for stealing a sheep but when you got there you might be forced to take on the unwelcome role of hangman and be expected to perform with an amateur dramatic group with your prospective victims.

Not a well known play, but an interesting diversion, and a challenge to stage with its 20 scene changes and story covering the whole gamut of emotions. Considering the content we were surprised to find it quite funny at times. It was easy to engage with the convicts in particular and gratifying to have news of the outcome of their lives at the end of the play.

A difficult play was helped by a strong cast of over a dozen actors with about half of these taking two roles, usually an officer as well as a convict. This generally worked well, but some confusion was created by the dual casting of a female convict in the role of a marine officer in dress and red uniform jacket. Did we miss something? Philip Lane obviously relished playing a convict whose enthusiasm resulted in hilarious overacting in the “play within a play” and Philippa Rooke’s Devonshire accent was a joy.

The emotional nature of many of the scenes had the audience rapt with attention. Good use was made of the minimal scenery with scene changes taking place quickly on a dark stage in front of the audience.

Some scenes stood out – where the officers discuss the merits of staging a play, where the meaning of plays is discussed, deciding on the fate of the leading lady (sentenced to be hanged) and the final staging of the play viewed from backstage.

The art of the prompter is always to be admired. Having to decide whether the actor is in need of assistance or pausing for dramatic effect is a very fine edge. As usual, very little prompting was needed but when required it was virtually unnoticeable.

A good production, with many of the audience finding it quite an emotional experience.

We welcomed the introduction of tickets and a colour program with more information on the play and its participants. Who needs the West End when we have entertainment like this on our doorstep?

View from the Stalls
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