Australian TV Plays: AP#1.17 - Haywire (15 Aug 1966)

Written by Creswick Jenkinson.

Plot

A young art student is followed home by Roscoe, a male model. She is scolded by her sister Joya who believes she can deal with Roscoe but gets trapped by him.

She accidentally calls two uni students who are unsure if they are hearing a real call or a radio drama. They eventually decide to find the girl but have trouble locating her.

Cast

Kit Taylor as uni student Brian
John Krummel as uni student John
Carolyn Keely as Joya, Wendy's elder sister
Lucia Duchenski as Wedny, the art student
David Yorston as Roscoe

Production

It was filmed in Sydney, New South Wales. ABC records says was recorded on 24 April 1966.

Creswick Jenkinson wrote it. Pat Alexander directed.

Kit Taylor and Daid Yorston had appeared in Wandjina!

Reception

The Age called it "ranting melodrama, over obvious and with incident reduced to a minimum."

The Canberra Times said "after months wandering along the straight and narrow with work shop-standard plays and some abysmal stuff, Australian Playhouse struck it with last night’s Haywire. It was worth waiting for and shows that even if you strike one outstanding play in 17, the whole series is worthwhile. Apart from a taut story by Creswick Jenkinson, written around a faulty telephone, the acting by the young team taking part was of such a high standard that it makes one wonder where most of them have been since the Playhouse series started... The camera work was effective and honest. Probably this was a more deserv ing entry for the Italia Prize than the more stagey Done Away With."