Reedy River is a 1953 Australian folk musical about the 1891 Australian shearers' strike. The libretto was written by Dick Diamond with songs chosen by John Gray. Two new songs were written for the musical by Diamond with music by Miles Maxwell. Background
Reedy River had a part in the birth of the Bushwhackers folk group, and the revival of Australian folk music. It is a piece of historical drama celebrating the birth of the Australian trade union movement,
There was no mention of the early productions of Reedy River in the Sydney Morning Herald or the Age even though it broke the record for the longest running non-professional show in Sydney. "But", philosophised Bushwhacker Chris Kempster," it was pointed out to us we were bloody lucky to get even a mention".
The musical was previewed in 1952 in Melbourne.
Production history The play premiered at the Melbourne New Theatre on 11 March 1953. The Sydney production featured a band, The Bushwhackers, instead of an orchestra. Reedy River played throughout Australia over three years, was seen by over 450,000 people during its first run, and has been revived several times.Angela O'Brien, 'Diamond, Richard Frank (Dick) (1906–1989)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, accessed 10 January 2013. Contemporary reviews were mixed. London's Unity Theatre mounted a production in 1954, describing it as "the working man's Oklahoma". Musical direction was by John Hasted.
Selected songs "Widgeegoweera Joe" "Reedy Lagoon" "Banks of the Condamine" "Old Black Billy" "Reedy River" "Eumerella Shore" "Click Go the Shears" "Four Little Johnny cakes" composed by Louis Lavater These songs were issued on an Australian 10" LP Diaphon DPR-8 in the mid 1950s. A further song "Ballad of 91" was also included on the record.
References
External links Listing of Australian productions at AusStage Complete copy of original song book at State Library of Victoria