Country awakening – amateur theatre in New South Wales regional communities 1945-1970

Abstract

In the two decades following the Second World War, amateur drama groups flourished in towns and villages across regional New South Wales on an unprecedented scale. Unlike pre-war dramatic societies, they engaged in a wide range of activities, including play readings, full-length productions, drama festivals, playwriting competitions, training courses and the acquisition of little theatres. Despite this prolific activity, the literature is largely silent on this aspect of Australian theatre history. My thesis, the first comprehensive overview of amateur theatre in New South Wales regional communities between 1945 and 1970, will partially redress this neglect. It examines country dramatic societies from the perspective of their place in the local community, their links to the region, and their relationship with Sydney, in the broader context of post-war reconstruction, changes in society and country town life, and the professionalisation of the Australian theatre.

Drawing on archival sources not previously used for the study of amateur theatre, local history collections, regional newspapers, ephemeral material and recorded interviews with members and former members of country dramatic societies, my thesis seeks to answer three questions: First, what caused the strong and consistent growth of amateur theatre in regional New South Wales communities after 1945? Second, why did it begin to decline from the mid-1960s? And third, what impact did this development have on the theatrical and social life of country towns? Three case studies – Wagga Wagga School of Arts Players, Broken Hill Repertory Society and Cooma Little Theatre – illustrate the themes that have emerged from the research. I argue that despite attempts by governments at all levels, and by organisations and individuals in Sydney, to influence the cultural life of regional towns, the fate of country dramatic societies was determined largely by local factors. This gave them a means of preserving local and regional identity during a period of significant social and cultural change.