The Slaughter of St Teresa’s Day

Summary

1962 BBC production of The Slaughter of St Teresa’s Day by Peter Kenna.

Theatre play

The Slaughter of St Teresa’s Day by Peter Kenna (1930-1987) [more information]

Play synopsis

'Oola Maguire holds a party every St Teresa’s Day. The guests are the people she has quarrelled with in the past year, and there is only one rule - firearms must be parked in the hall’ (Radio Times, 29 March 1962, p. 49). The play is based on the life of Matilda Mary ‘Tilly’ Devine, a prominent English-Australian crime syndicate gang member.

Production history

Produced in Sydney in 1959.

Date of transmission

Friday 6 April 1962

Time

10.00-11.15pm

Channel

BBC Television

Production company

BBC

Credits

Producer

John Jacobs

Playwright

Peter Kenna (1930-1987)

Designer

Barry Learoyd

Cast

Vincent Ball	Horrie Darcel
Johnny Briggs	Whitey Maguire
J. G. Devlin	Paddy Maguire
Maggie Fitzgibbon	Wilma
Ethel Gabriel	Essie Farrell
Reg Lye	Barney
Madge Ryan	Oola Maguire
John Tate	Charlie
Molly Urquhart	Sister Mary Luke
Margaret Wedlake	Sister Mary Mark
Susannah York	Thelma Maguire

Additional details

Play tags

Australia, as theme or setting; Australian drama; crime

Audiovisual sources

Title

The Slaughter of St Teresa’s Day (BBC, 1962)

Archive

BBC Information and Archives [more information]

Address

White City
London
UK

Telephone

+44 (0)20 8008 2288

Website

http://www.bbc.co.uk/informationandarchives/

Access

BBC Information and Archives is not open to the public.

Print sources

Title

Radio Times, 29 March 1962 (Magazine)

Linking notes

listing, p. 49