Theatre Animals: Sumner Locke Elliott's Invisible Circus

Abstract

Sumner Locke Elliott is remembered in Australia primarily for his novels and their popular screen adaptations. He is also known for his play 'Rusty Bugles', first produced in 1948. In the USA, he is known for his television writing. In spite of Locke Elliott's immense achievements as a writer who successfully wrote in so many genres and quickly adapted his craft to the rapidly expanding medium of television, there is little scholarship about his contribution to drama on stage, radio or television, with the exception of commentary on Rusty Bugles. Moreover the network in which he worked from 1934 until 1948 has also suffered critical neglect. This article examines Locke Elliott's formative years working at the Independent Theatre in Sydney, the influence of Doris Fitton on his work in the theatre, and two of his plays written at this time, 'Interval' (1938) and 'The Invisible Circus' (1946). Both plays draw on Locke Elliott's personal experience of the theatre and of radio and enjoyed great success when they were first produced at the Independent Theatre. Elliott's experience both in acting and writing during the years at the Independent discussed here, helped him to develop his skill as a playwright that culminated in his landmark Australian play 'Rusty Bugles'. The article reflects on the transformational qualities of the play and its place in Australian theatre history in light of its neglect by scholars and practitioners.