The Chapel Perilous is an Australian classic, and Sally Banner is now a national heroine. A major statement on the female artist’s quest for freedom and self-realisation in a community uncertain of its standards, the epic play is full of lyricism, music, satire and self-parody. It traces Sally’s life from school days, through lovers, attempted suicide, marriage and politics to disillusion. At the end of her life, the artist’s ever-present sense of failure is ironically coupled with worldly success.
Music by Frank Arndt.
'The Chapel Perilous is a remarkable play […] It stands now like a bridge over the New Wave, linking the vision of Patrick White to the post-naturalistic, epic work of the 1980s writers such as Louis Nowra and Stephen Sewell […] Sally’s glorious embodiment of divine whore, bitch goddess, political agitator and romantic dreamer has endured through the transformations of feminism since the early 1970s.’ —John McCallum in Belonging
DOROTHY HEWETT achieved distinction as a playwright, poet and novelist. Her stage works include The Chapel Perilous, Mrs Porter and the Angels, Bon-Bons and Roses for Dolly, The Golden Oldies, Pandora's Cross, The Man from Mukinupin, Golden Valley, The Fields of Heaven and Nowhere. The plays range in style but all exploit the imaginative possibilities of language, music and theatrical effects. Many of her early plays in particular shocked audiences with their explicit female sexuality, and she retained a maverick image and an ability to polarise audiences and critics through her life. Hewett also published eleven volumes of poetry, with three novels, a collection of short stories and an autobiography.
| Cast Info | 5F, 5M, (doubling available) |
| Genres | Drama |
| Themes | Gender diverse themes, Significant female roles |
| Audiences | Adult, Primary: up to Year 6 |
| Extent | 96 |
| Edition | Fourth |
| Size | 210 x 137 |
We have compiled a list of resources for this book.
Stay connected and updated to the happenings at Currency Press
We will never share your email with others
