A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down
| A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down | |
|---|---|
| Written by | John McKellar |
| Directed by | William Orr |
| Date premiered | November 9, 1965 |
| Place premiered | Phillip St Theatre, Sydney |
| Original language | English |
| Genre | musical revue |
A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down is a 1965 Australian stage revue by John McKellar. The title references Bex, which was a popular compound analgesic in Australia at the time. The play popularised the phrase, "A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down", which "quickly became a common Australian saying".[1]
The play premiered at Phillip Street Theatre and ran for more than 250 performances.[2][3][4] The cast included John Ewart,[2] Gloria Dawn,[5] Ruth Cracknell and Reg Livermore.[6][7] The play is McKellar's most critically acclaimed and popularly attended work.[1] The Bulletin called it "good, clean fun" with "some brilliant spots and an enlivening finale."[8]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Morgan, Clare (15 September 2010). "Comedy Writer McKellar, 80, Dies". The Age. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ a b "Prompt – Phillip Street Theatre" (PDF). National Library of Australia. February 2012. p. 7. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
Commencing 18 September. A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down. Starring: Gloria Dawn, John Ewart, Reginald Livermore, Brigid Lenihan, Kevan Johnston, Judith Roberts, Donald MacDonald, Barbara Wyndon. 7 programs
. - ^ "Social Roundabout". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. 29 September 1965. p. 11. Retrieved 21 November 2012.
- ^ "A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down". AusStage. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
There are six programmes for this production in the Wolanski file with no cast differences. The programmes contain brief biographies and photos of the cast. Programmes at the National Library of Australia indicate that this production ran well into 1966 and was performed over 250 times during its extended season
. - ^ Newton, Gloria (8 March 1967). "Gloria Dawns Anew". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. p. 2. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ Newton, Gloria (18 October 1967). "Three children, a husband, and a revue to rehearse". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. p. 12. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ Musgrove, Nan (12 October 1966). "A Fun Show for all the Family". The Australian Women's Weekly. National Library of Australia. p. 19. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
- ^ "THEATRE Good, Clean Fun", The Bulletin, Sydney, N.S.W: John Haynes and J.F. Archibald, 25 September 1965, retrieved 13 February 2024 – via Trove