Significance of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll In Australian Theatre

Why was the summer of the seventeenth doll a significant milestone in Australian theatre history? In your answer discuss the play, the era and the playwright.

“The summer of the seventeenth doll“, was written by Ray Lawler in the great domed reading room of the Victorian State Library. It is seen as a significant turning point in Australian theatre history because of its authenticity and closely depicted Australian characters.

Theatre in Australia during the beginning of the 20th century had been dominated by two components, money-driven commercial management and overseas content. The emphasis had always been on works such as comedies, melodramas and musicals with a dependence on British and American scripts. There was never much consideration for serious drama. Any Australian written theatre was treated inferior to the British and not worth deliberating. Commercial theatre refused to take risks with any new Australian plays, with the thought in mind that previous dramas had ...