Alan Seymour
Encyclopedia
Alan Seymour is an Australian playwright and author. He was educated at Perth Modern School
, leaving at 15 after failing to complete the Junior Certificate. He found work as a radio announcer in a commercial radio station 6PM. During his two years there he wrote a number of short radio plays that were broadcast live. In 1945 he moved to Sydney where he worked as an advertising copy-writer with 2UE.
In 1945 Seymour moved to Sydney where he worked as an advertising copy-writer with 2UE. He returned to Perth after the war where he worked as a free-lance writer for ABC Radio. Seymour became ABC Radio’s film critic. He joined a commercial radio station 6KY as an announcer and copy-writer and after six months was offered an announcing post at the ABC. In November 1949, Seymour returned to Sydney where he became an educational and freelance drama writer for ABC Radio and later television. From 1953 to 1957 he was theatrical director for the Sydney Opera Group. His first play, Swamp Creatures, premiered by the Canberra Repertory Society, was a finalist in the London Observer
play competition in 1957.
Seymour left Australia in 1961 and worked in London as a television writer, producer and commissioning editor with the BBC, and as a theatre critic for The London Magazine. From 1966-1971 he lived in Turkey and wrote novels, stage plays and magazine articles. From 1974-81 Seymour was a script editor and occasional producer with BBC Television, after which he returned to free-lance writing. He returned to live in Sydney in 1995.
His best-known play, The One Day of the Year was written in 1958 for an amateur playwriting competition, inspired by an article in the University of Sydney newspaper Honi Soit
lambasting Anzac Day.
The play met with huge controversy on its release. Initially it was rejected by the Adelaide Festival of Arts
Board of Governors in 1960, but was first performed on 20 July 1960 as an amateur production by the Adelaide Theatre Group. In April 1961, at the first professional season at the Palace Theatre in Sydney, a bomb scare during a dress rehearsal forced police to clear the theatre. Later that year the production was staged at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
, in London. Since then it has been staged regularly throughout Australia and internationally. It is also studied in various school curricula.
The One Day of the Year dramatised the growing social divide in Australia and the questioning of old values. In the play, Anzac Day
is criticized by the central character, Hughie, as a day of drunken debauchery by returned soldiers and as a day when questions of what it means to be loyal to a Nation or Empire must be raised.
Despite the criticisms of Anzac Day
expressed in the play, the term has since been adopted as expressing the importance of Anzac Day.
Although Seymour is best known in Australia for The One Day of the Year, his international reputation relates not only to this early play, but also to his many screenplays, television scripts and adaptations of novels for film and television.
Perth Modern School
Perth Modern School is an academically-selective co-educational public high school located in Subiaco, an inner city suburb of Perth, Western Australia.The school, established in 1911, now caters for students with high academic ability....
, leaving at 15 after failing to complete the Junior Certificate. He found work as a radio announcer in a commercial radio station 6PM. During his two years there he wrote a number of short radio plays that were broadcast live. In 1945 he moved to Sydney where he worked as an advertising copy-writer with 2UE.
In 1945 Seymour moved to Sydney where he worked as an advertising copy-writer with 2UE. He returned to Perth after the war where he worked as a free-lance writer for ABC Radio. Seymour became ABC Radio’s film critic. He joined a commercial radio station 6KY as an announcer and copy-writer and after six months was offered an announcing post at the ABC. In November 1949, Seymour returned to Sydney where he became an educational and freelance drama writer for ABC Radio and later television. From 1953 to 1957 he was theatrical director for the Sydney Opera Group. His first play, Swamp Creatures, premiered by the Canberra Repertory Society, was a finalist in the London Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
play competition in 1957.
Seymour left Australia in 1961 and worked in London as a television writer, producer and commissioning editor with the BBC, and as a theatre critic for The London Magazine. From 1966-1971 he lived in Turkey and wrote novels, stage plays and magazine articles. From 1974-81 Seymour was a script editor and occasional producer with BBC Television, after which he returned to free-lance writing. He returned to live in Sydney in 1995.
His best-known play, The One Day of the Year was written in 1958 for an amateur playwriting competition, inspired by an article in the University of Sydney newspaper Honi Soit
Honi Soit
Honi Soit is the student newspaper of the University of Sydney, first published in 1929 and produced by an elected editorial team as part of the activities of the Students' Representative Council...
lambasting Anzac Day.
The play met with huge controversy on its release. Initially it was rejected by the Adelaide Festival of Arts
Adelaide Festival of Arts
The Adelaide Festival of Arts is an arts festival held biennially in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Although locally considered to be one of the world's greatest celebrations of the arts, that is internationally renowned and the pre-eminent cultural event in Australia, it is actually...
Board of Governors in 1960, but was first performed on 20 July 1960 as an amateur production by the Adelaide Theatre Group. In April 1961, at the first professional season at the Palace Theatre in Sydney, a bomb scare during a dress rehearsal forced police to clear the theatre. Later that year the production was staged at the Theatre Royal Stratford East
Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company.-History:...
, in London. Since then it has been staged regularly throughout Australia and internationally. It is also studied in various school curricula.
The One Day of the Year dramatised the growing social divide in Australia and the questioning of old values. In the play, Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
is criticized by the central character, Hughie, as a day of drunken debauchery by returned soldiers and as a day when questions of what it means to be loyal to a Nation or Empire must be raised.
Despite the criticisms of Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
expressed in the play, the term has since been adopted as expressing the importance of Anzac Day.
Although Seymour is best known in Australia for The One Day of the Year, his international reputation relates not only to this early play, but also to his many screenplays, television scripts and adaptations of novels for film and television.