Costume designs, 1954

D. E. Milliss designs for Reedy River

Reedy River

These designs were for the first Sydney production of Reedy River, a musical play written by Dick Diamond (1906–1984), set in the outback during the aftermath of the great shearers’ strike of 1891. David Milliss used photographs in the Mitchell Library to source authentic images of nineteenth-century working-class dress on which to base his designs.

Reedy River was first performed by the New Theatre, Melbourne, on 11 March 1953. The Sydney production opened on 5 December, and the play has been viewed by over 400,000 people around Australia.

Founded in Sydney in 1932 and Melbourne in 1936, the New Theatre’s roots lie in the UK Workers’ Theatre Movement of the 1920s and the New Theatre of America. With the performance emphasis placed firmly on class struggle, workers’ theatre groups sprang up in several Australian cities at this time. The New Theatre, Sydney, celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 2007. Its archives are held by the Library.
Display item Costume designs, 1954

 

< Previous Exhibit | Back to The Exhibits page | Next Exhibit >