Photo Flash: In Rehearsal for THE ONE DAY OF THE YEAR at Finborough Theatre

Defibrillator presents Alan Seymour's The One Day of the Year at Finborough Theatre. Wayne Harrison, former Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company, will direct Mark Little, Fiona Press, Adele Querol and James William Wright in the first UK production in over fifty years of the iconic Australian play. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in rehearsal!

Seymour, who passed away last month at the age of 87, became known in Britain for his contribution to BBC television drama but made his name with The One Day of the Year. It generated huge controversy in Australia following its opening in 1960 with a policeman stationed at the stage door to ward off the angry public, while death threats were sent to the author. Last seen in the UK at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1961, this production rediscovers an Australian theatre classic.

The production, commissioned by the Finborough Theatre as part of its GreatWar100 series to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli campaign, opens on 21 May, with previews from 19 May, and runs until 13 June.

Is ANZAC Day just an excuse for "one long grog-up" or is it a day when Australians reflect on those who have paid the ultimate price? One of Australia's most popular plays, The One Day of the Year explores the universal theme of father-son conflict against the background of the beery haze and the heady, nostalgic sentimentality of ANZAC Day -- Australia's equivalent of Remembrance Sunday -- and a sacred cow among Australian annual celebrations.

For war veterans like Alf and his friend Wacka, ANZAC Day is an opportunity to commemorate history and the forging of Australia's national identity.

For Alf's son Hughie, reacting against everything his father stands for, ANZAC Day is a just an out-of-date nationalist nostalgia fest, so he decides to do a photo-essay for a magazine portraying the "real" celebration of the day: ex-servicemen passed out in the gutter in an alcoholic stupor...

Marking the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign and taking place during a year of world-wide ceremonies commemorating the battle, the production is presented as part of the annual Australia and New Zealand Festival of Literature and Arts.

Mark Little plays Alf. Fiona Press plays Mum/Dot. Adele Querol plays Jan. James William Wright plays Hughie.

The One Day of the Year plays Finborough Theatre, located at 118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED, from 19 May to 13 June 2015. Box Office 0844 847 1652 or online at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk.

Photo Credit: Mark Douet

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