First Australian Melodrama Play Analysis

In the 1800s the first Australian Melodramas contained Actor-directors who directed the play whilst typically filling the main acting role, first Australian melodramas were written in the 1830s with the first melodrama being written in Tasmania in 1834. Early Australian Melodramas aimed to convey early Australia’s independence, whilst also being both source of entertainment and personal connecting the Australian audience with the actors which appealed to many early 19th century Melodrama audiences.

Australian Melodramas in the 19th century aimed to portray early Australian convict history to show the independence and uniqueness of the newly established colony. The Australians in the 19th Century enjoyed the new and original Australian melodramas as their plots and dramatic structures began to revolve around the idea of Australia's new independent history compared to European adaptations. The melodramas portrayed exaggerated Australian characters such as Ned Kelly and Captain

Through the director's instruction variations of local Australian settings such as deserts, bushland and Billabongs where portrayed, this allowed the audience to communicate with the actors and understand them as a fellow Australia’s rather as the actors and audience shared the same local Australia environment. The actors typically represented an average
Australian through costuming such as police uniforms, Akubra hats and taffeta skirts. This likeness to an average Australian allowed the audience to relate to the actors in the melodramas as they too would be wearing typically Australian clothes like the audience this allowed for a deep relationship to form between the audience and actors on stage. Further, the in early Australian melodramas local setting and common costumes allow for equality and understanding between the actors and the