Australian TV Plays: SP#11 - No Picnic Tomorrow (9 Jan 1960)

Based on a script by Barbara Vernon.

Premise

An Australian woman, Gwennie, and a man of Greek descent, Tony, intend to marry. However Tony's mother decides to arrange a marriage between him and a Greek woman, Marina who is coming to Australia.

Cast

Margaret Browne as Gwennie
Robin Ramsay as Tony
Peter Aanensen as Ted Sweeney, Gwennie's brother
Marjorie Archibald as Mrs Sweeney
Nina Black as Mrs Demetrius
Carol Armstrong as Greek girl Marina
Bruce Archer

Production

The drama was written by Barbara Vernon, best known at the time for writing the play The Multi-Coloured Umbrella (adapted for television in 1958), and who had previously written the ABC TV comedy one-off The Passionate Pianist in 1957. It was filmed at GTV-9 studios and on location in Melbourne.

Margaret Brown filmed the role during a two week break from her regular job.

According to TV Week Alan Hopgood adapted the play.

Reception

The TV critic from the Sydney Morning Herald thought "the promising basic situation" of the play "suffered, as written, from lack of richness in characterisation and dialogue and, as performed, from the flat low-voltage personalities of the mainly Melbourne players... the play's important dramatic issue... is stated... but not dramatised with any intensity."

Another critic thought it was "not up to the standard" of The Big Day but was "a fair effort" where the "cast, although inclined to be a bit too doggedly Australian at times, acted with sincerity and conviction.

TV Times called it Shell Present's "first successful Australian drama" and thought it was superior to Vernon's "first very poor television play, presented almost three years ago".

Frank Thring in TV Week felt it was "moving: people with characters who were observed and acted with humour, insight and compassion: and which shone a light on a problem than in these days of multitudinous migrancy must be becoming increasingly pronounced."