Our original performance was inspired by the issues dealt with in 'One day of the year' written by Alan Seymour.

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Drama Essay- ‘One day of the year’                         

(Influences for our original performance)

        By Tanja Vujanic

Our original performance was inspired by the issues dealt with in ‘One day of the year’ written by

Alan Seymour. The play was written in the late 1950’s and deals with issues such as, the hollowness of Anzac day, different generational meanings of Anzac day, social class, the value of education and woman returning to the workforce. ‘One day of the year’ would be classified as an early Australian play that was very much ahead of it’s time in relation to it’s views about Anzac day and at the time was quite a controversial play because of this. The play was considered a milestone in Australian’s playwriting history and assisted in people beginning to question the typical schools of thought associated with the 1950’s. The main identifiable features associated with the late 1950’s was the idea that woman’s only role should be to raise children and serve their husbands and the great glorification placed upon war, in particular Anzac day.

In writing ‘One day of the year’ I think that Seymour’s main intension was to give his readers a different insight about the issues of the hollowness of Anzac day, different generational meanings of Anzac day, social class, the value of education and woman returning to the workforce. By combing these issues into a storyline that is both realistic and easy to relate to the reader is challenged to question the values and attitudes they hold towards these issues. The play clearly addresses the two schools of thought about the issues presented and these two points of view can be seen through the clashing of the father and son characters Hughie and Alf. Hughie is the educated son of Alf, a digger that was in the Second World War, Alf represents the typical stereotype of an Australian and Hughie represents the second generation Australian that followed the Second World War. Alf’s attitude towards war is one typically held by his generation;

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            ‘well! That’s nice. That’s real nice. We’re pretty strong on Anzac day in this house….’

Hughie on the other hand is the character the represents the attitude towards war that is typically seen in today’s society;

‘All that old eyewash about national character’s a thing of that past. Australians are this, Australians are that, Australians make the best soldiers, the best fighters, it’s all rubblish.         

The Europeans here force us to see that we’re pretty much all the same, and that’s the best thing that’s ever happened to this country, ...

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