A Happy Family

The Society’s first Australian play was a production of A Happy Family by Bundaberg-born playwright Vance Palmer, directed by Rhoda Felgate with herself and Jean Trundle in leading roles.

This production marked the beginning of Brisbane Repertory’s support for Queensland writing, support which it found difficult to sustain and which suffered long periods of neglect, but would eventually became a powerful feature of the future La Boite’s repertoire.

The following short article urged the public to go see a "purely Australian" play:

 Brisbane Courier, Saturday 9 October 1926

The opportunity of seeing a play with more than just an Australian background is rare, particularly in Brisbane, and there are few plays purely Australian of greater interest to the Queenslander than Vance Palmer's comedy "A Happy Family". A visit in a rehearsal of the next production of the Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society convinces one that the society has made an excellent choice. The play is full of life, and gives a picture of life in Western Queensland. A quarrel arises between neighbouring families, and in the heat of the meeting  between the paternal readers one reaches for his tobacco pouch; the other automatically offers his. The result shows in the author a knowledge of human nature that characterises the play. "A Happy Family" will be played at the Theatre Royal, on October 22 and 23. Box plans open at Paling's on Wednesday next.