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Our Country's Good

Based on the novel 'The Playmaker' by Thomas Keneally
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( 1,646 ratings, 102 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Our Country's Good is a compelling play by Timberlake Wertenbaker that intricately weaves themes of redemption and the transformative power of art. Set in the late 18th century, it follows a group of Royal Marines and convicts in a New South Wales penal colony. Against the backdrop of harsh conditions, a lieutenant attempts to stage a play using the convicts, exploring the intersection of humanity, justice, and the arts within a turbulent environment.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you appreciate thought-provoking plays that explore themes of redemption, the power of art, and social injustice. This work is celebrated for its rich character development and its compelling portrayal of British convicts in Australia, examining how theatre becomes a transformative force for both personal and social change.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Australia 1789. A young married lieutenant is directing rehearsals of the first play ever to be staged in that country. With only two copies of the text, a cast of convicts, and one leading lady who may be about to be hanged, conditions are hardly ideal...

Winner of the Laurence Olivier Play of the Year Award in 1988, and many other major awards, Our Country's Good premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 1988 and opened on Broadway in 1991. 'Rarely has the redemptive, transcendental power of theatre been argued with such eloquence and passion.' Georgina Brown, Independent.

It is published here in a new Student Edition, alongside commentary and notes by Sophie Bush.

The commentary includes a chronology of the play and the playwrightโ€™s life and work as well as discussion of the social, political, cultural and economic context in which the play was originally conceived and created.

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  • Our Country's Good
    Australia 1789. A young married lieutenant is directing rehearsals of the first play ever to be staged in that country. With only two copies of the text, a cast of convicts, and one leading lady who may be about to be hanged, conditions are hardly ideal... Winner of the Laurence Olivier Play of the Year Award in 1988, and many...
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Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Based on the reviews, Our Country's Good is celebrated for its humanistic lesson intertwined with a historical narrative, offering a rough yet warm perspective for modern times according to The Sunday Times. The Daily Telegraph highlights its theatrical nature, balancing humour with darker themes to present an emerging civilisation on stage effectively. The Guardian notes its continuing relevance, discussing themes of crime and punishment, and showcases the transformative power of drama.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350097889

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 March 2020

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Methuen Drama

Edition: 2nd edition

Contributors:

  • Volume editor Sophie Bush

Audience: General / adult, Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 12.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 140g

Pages: 152

About the Author

Timberlake Wertenbaker was Resident Writer for Shared Experience in 1983 and the Royal Court Theatre 1984-85. She is best known for her play Our Country's Good (1988). Other plays include The Love of the Nightingale (1989), Three Birds Alighting on a Field (1992), The Line (2009) and Jefferson's Garden (2015) for which she won the Writers' Guild Award for Best Play 2016.

Sophie Bush
is a Lecturer in Performance at Sheffield Hallam University and has previously taught at the Universities of Sheffield, Huddersfield and Manchester Metropolitan. Her doctorate, on the work of Timberlake Wertenbaker, was awarded by the University of Sheffield in 2011, and in September 2013, her first book, The Theatre of Timberlake Wertenbaker, was published by Bloomsbury Methuen Drama.

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