The Multi-Coloured Umbrella

The Multi-Coloured Umbrella is an Australian play written by Barbara Vernon.[1]

The Multi-Coloured Umbrella
Written byBarbara Vernon
Characters3 male
3 female
Date premiered1957
Original languageEnglish
Genrecomedy drama
social realism
SettingBondi Beach

Plot

The play is set at a house in Bondi Beach belonging to the Donnellys, an upwardly mobile family who are bookmakers at Randwick Racecourse. The younger son, Joe, has troubles with his bride, Kate, a woman from a "good" family. Joe's brother Ben is in love with Kate. This leads to a fight between Joe and Ben.

Background

Vernon said she was inspired to write it when working as a radio announcer for 2NZ Inverell. She would read out ads for the local bookie which would say "do your punting under the multi-coloured umbrella". She thought about umbrellas and how they protected you from the light - just as some people can't see the light (their own motives) and have trouble clarifying their thought and action. "But don't think it throbs with psychology," said Vernon. "It's a comedy drama - a family play about ordinary people."[2]

The role of Ben was specifically written for the actor Con Fardouly.[2]

Theatre history

The play won second place in a 1957 contest for new plays, coming second to The Shifting Heart.[3]

It was performed by amateur groups in the towns of Inverell, in the 2NZ drama club, which Vernon co-founded. It then had a run at the Little Theatre in Melbourne, before being given a professional production at the Theatre Royal in Sydney starting 9 November 1957.

The Sydney Morning Herald called it "much too slight a piece to keep the critical thunderstorms off... but sections of Saturday's first night audience certainly enjoyed its glossy magazine superficialities."[4]

The production transferred to the Comedy Theatre in Melbourne the following month. The play had a different ending for its Sydney and Melbourne run.[2]

The Passionate Pianist

Vernon later wrote a prequel about the same family, The Passionate Pianist. This screened on the ABC.[2]

1958 TV adaptation

See The Multi-Coloured Umbrella (television play)

Radio adaptation

A version was also produced for Australian radio during 1958.[5] There were versions in 1962[6] and 1969.[7]

See also

References
  1. Jane Connors, 'Vernon, Barbara Mary (1916–1978)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2002, accessed online 5 June 2016.
  2. "A Bookie's Ad Led to a Play", Sydney Morning Herald, 6 November 1957
  3. "Literature Is Key To Moral Development", The Age 19 February 1957 p3
  4. "'Multi Coloured Umbrella' Opens at Royal". Sydney Morning Herald. 11 November 1957. p. 5.
  5. "'Umbrella' adapted for radio presentation". The Age. 14 November 1958.
  6. "Advertising". Canberra Times. Vol. 36, no. 10, 229. 19 May 1962. p. 23. Retrieved 4 June 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. "2CN Monday to Sunday". The Canberra Times. Vol. 43, no. 12, 405. 1 September 1969. p. 18. Retrieved 4 June 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
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