A scandal involving a Premier and a sleepy widow ; the butler who urged a Liberal Prime Minister , with a daughter standing for election in the seat of Wombat , the electorate said to be named after a local bird , to call out the military to shoot agitators.
Australian playwrights have lost the art of penning ripping shows about the local political scene . Early in the 20th century , Louis Esson -dubbed the father of Australian drama - and Kiwi reporter, poet and novelist Arthur Adams served up some unusual political entertainment .
In 1914 , Adams wrote Mrs Pretty and the Premier , which even got a run in London's West End , about a bachelor Labour Premier of New South Wales . An anti-Labour reporter , on the eve of an election , threatens to embarrass him by revealing he had a young woman , " Mrs Pretty " , in his office at 2am . Imagine how the tabloids would treat this situation today .
In 1914 , Adams wrote Mrs Pretty and the Premier , which even got a run in London's West End , about a bachelor Labour Premier of New South Wales . An anti-Labour reporter , on the eve of an election , threatens to embarrass him by revealing he had a young woman , " Mrs Pretty " , in his office at 2am . Imagine how the tabloids would treat this situation today .
Turns out she had forced entry into the office to protest about a land resumption bill and fell asleep in his armchair. Hmmm . The plot thickened when the premier decided he must woo and marry sleepy Mrs Pretty, within three days , to avoid losing the election due to the scandal .
There is a teensy weensy problem - Mrs Pretty is engaged to the Leader of the Opposition . Over three acts , this " saucy and spry " play covered elections and the influence of the Press , a premier so busy with his career that he had neglected women and was susceptible to the coquetry of Mrs Pretty .
With a BA , Adams studied law for a time in New Zealand before coming to Sydney in 1898. In 1900 he covered the Boxer Rebellion in China , spent time in London , became editor of the Sydney Bulletin's famous Red Page and also ran a similar literary section in Lone Hand . His influence on matters theatrical grew when he became private secretary and adviser to J. C. Williamson the American actor who became the foremost theatrical manager in Australasia .
Louis Esson , poet, critic and playwright, born in Edinburgh , was brought to Melbourne at the age of three . One of his successful plays was the 1912 political comedy , The Time is Not Yet Ripe, a variation obviously used successfully by Gough Whitlam in 1972. In the play the knighted Liberal Prime Minister, a former real estate agent , has a Pommie butler who one suspects secretly guzzles the best imported French wine kept in the cellar.
The PM's naïve daughter , Doris, intends to stand for the wowserish women's league and has a socialist fiancé who is also standing for election . Her knowledge of politics is vague and she asks what is the meaning of a referendum -a subject of deep discussion recently in the Turnbull amateur hour playhouse.
When told to read Hansard , dear Doris responds by saying she had been informed that it would spoil her style .
When told to read Hansard , dear Doris responds by saying she had been informed that it would spoil her style .
When daddy is re-elected , the jubilant butler , speaking as an Englishman, not only suggests the PM seize the opportunity to call out the military and shoot paid agitators , he asks for permission to invite the servants to drink to his health in ghastly Australian wine .
