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Jonah (1974, 1975)
Play by Lowell Tarling
Words: Lowell Tarling music: Lester Silver |
After writing Threedom I was hired to write a play called
Mona & The Morgan
Prince for the Newcastle Marionette Theatre. I also wrote several plays
for my English classes, including I Wanna Be A Teenage
Idol and The Sword and
The Shield.
In 1974, as an English teacher in Warragul Victoria, I wrote Jonah
for my Year 9 class. It was simple to produce and was performed twice that
year, before the school (Sion Girls College) and at a combined schools drama
function at Traralgon Victoria.
At the suggestion of my wife Robbie I re-wrote Jonah and added songs
co-written by Lester Silver, who also played the lead role.
We took this show to five venues:
Ryde Civic Centre (800), Hamilton Youth Theatre Newcastle (150), Wahroonga
Community Centre (350), Avondale College Auditorium (500), and the Lyceum Theatre,
Sydney (450).
The cast:
Jonah: Lester Silver; King of Ninevah: John Ogg
Captain: Simon Cowell; Concubine: Heather Trim;
Azariah the Prophet: Peter Jensen; Levi Dan: Stewart Walker.
Musicians: Ivan Caldwell, Geoff Heise and David Hall.
Cast: Suzie Cowell, Julie Tinworth, Genna Levitch, Eddie
Mersliacov, Lyndell de Man, Debbie Shute, Pea Beau, Lynda Bird.
Songs: Father In Heaven, Trouble, Why Me? Ninevah,
Ease me Gently, Three Days, 40 Days, Father In Heaven (reprise).
Availability:
Jonah is not commercially available.
Someone (we don’t know who, but thanks) recorded the Newcastle performance
which has now been transferred onto CD and two copies have been lodged at Avondale
College, along with the script: (1) in the lending library and (2) in the Heritage
Collection.
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