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Sara Hardy

SARA HARDY

  
Nationality:    British/Australian
email:    Click here to contact     Website:    Click here

Literary Agent:    n/a

Sara Hardy is a biographer and playwright. She was born in Devon, england and trained in Drama and Dance at Dartington College of Arts. Sara began her professional acting career with a conventional touring rep then worked with fringe Theatre companies in London. It was while working with these groups that Sara developed as a playwright. Sara went to Australia in 1981 and after a variety of Theatre projects in Sydney and Adelaide she moved to Melbourne where she acted with various Theatre companies. Sara has gradually shifted her focus from acting to writing. Her plays have been produced in Britain, usa, Canada and Australia and some of her work has been published in anthologies and magazines. Sara is the author of two biographies: the unusual life of edna Walling and Dame Joan Hammond - Love and Music, both published by Allen & Unwin.

Research:    http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/294

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below is a list of Sara Hardy's plays - click on a Play Title for more information

         Gertrude Has A Tender Button         More Female Parts         Queer Fruit         Radclyffe         Radclyffe And Una 'live' From Heaven         She Of the Electrolux         Virtually Ethel         Vita! - A Fantasy         Who Knows?

Gertrude Has A Tender Button

Synopsis:
A bag of buttons - all undone -a hands on exploration

Notes:
Written by Lois llis and Sara Hardy. Part of Software '92

1st Produced:
Universal Theatre, North Fitzroy, VIC    21 Jan 1992

Organisations:
Midsumma Festival

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

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Genre:
Lesbian, one act

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/13506

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More Female Parts

Synopsis:
The monologues each have their own distinct style: 'Can't Sleep, Can't Sleep' - where Julie is caught between conflicting needs, none of them her own. Recently divorced and reduced in finances, she's having to deal with social security (dole) payment hassles, no-hope job interviews, her ageing mother, and extensive grandchild duties. She also has the feeling she's losing her memory if not her mind - and she's lost her keys. 'Penthouse Woman 2044' - Veronica lives in luxury on the 99th floor with a controlling robot-computer and cameras watching her every move. Obsessed with body-image, she appears to have all she needs but her husband is a tyrant and she's a prisoner in her own home. Can she escape? The style is heightened, futuristic, tense, and comically grotesque. 'Hip Op' - Emily is in an anaesthetized haze after a hip operation. She's a single-minded highly qualified career woman who's been unable to push through the glass ceiling to CEO status. She hallucinates a bizarre fairytale-nightmare where her work and family issues come to a head. Her plans are thwarted by a Garden Gnome called Graeme. See five minute Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/92913858

Notes:
More Female Parts is a virtuoso one-woman theatre piece full of humor, depth and vigor. The piece, comprising of three monologues, celebrates the "older woman" with wit, ardor and positivity. Issues are explored from the perspective of a 60-something woman and her barely recognized place in the community. It can be done conventionally (realistically) but the first production was presented in a lean, heightened, highly physical theatrical style using a 'complexity within simplicity' approach that utilized all the senses, revealing meaning, imagery and subtext through playfulness.

1st Produced:
Studio One, Northcote Town Hall, Northcote, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia    08 Feb 2014

Organisations:
LOL - Laugh Out Loud theatre in collaboration with Speakeasy

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Three witty mono-dramas for an older female (NB not lesbian/gay specific). 1 hour 30 minutes

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  1 (or 3 if each monologue done by different actresses)            Other:  3 male voice over, 1 female voice over, pre-recorded.

Further Reference:
-

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Queer Fruit

Synopsis:
Queer Fruit shows three women from three different times and places in history. each tells a story about her trials, triumphs and sexy encounters with another woman. Willa, the youngest, in the 21st century, has an outrageously sexy encounter playing with fountains, fruit and loose lips. eddy, the oldest, in the 1970s, recounts her love life and a certain experience with buttoned up nighties during World War 2. Margaret, 40, in the early 19th-century, tells of the love life that got her transported as a convict to Australia and how a poached egg was the ruin of her. emotive, witty and great fun.

Notes:
a One Act performance piece. Three intertwining monologues united by the Queer Fruit Chorus. Also performed by Vitalstatistix in Adelaide And Radclyffe theatre productions Melbourne in 1998. An extract from Queer Fruit Appears in 'still More Monologues for Women By Women', Heinemann Books (USA), 2001.

1st Produced:
Baltimore    1998

Organisations:
Baltimore Theatre Project, USA

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
40 mins One act. - - Gay/Lesbian, of interest

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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Radclyffe

Synopsis:
a stylish and stylized account of the amusing, touching and courageous life of Radclyffe (call me John) Hall and her stunning partner in all things: Una, Lady Troubridge. Based on true events.

Notes:
Written by Adele Saleem And Sara Hardy And Adapted, with permission, from Adele Saleem's original play 'John'.

1st Produced:
La Mama, Melbourne, Australia (as 'Radclyffe, the Well of. . .', title shortened for subsequent productions).    01 Apr 1987

Organisations:
Radclyffe Theatre Productions

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay/Lesbian, of interest

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/166

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Radclyffe And Una 'live' From Heaven

Synopsis:
a compilation celebrating Radclyffe and Una, Vita and Virginia, Gertrude and alice, and other ruby fruit concoctions.

Notes:
Devised And performed by Sara Hardy And Lois Ellis. A follow up production in similar vein presented 'Radclyffe Hall Gaily Invites', 1999.

1st Produced:
La Mama, Carlton, VIC    03 Jun 1992

Organisations:
Radclyffe Theatre Productions

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Gay/Lesbian, of interest

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/16108

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She Of the Electrolux

Synopsis:
She of the electrolux is about the Australian author and historian Marjorie Barnard and her relationship with fellow writers Flora eldershaw and Frank Dalby Davison and the extraordinary artist Margaret Preston. Based on true events. Circa 1930s.

Notes:
the radio Adaptation was broadcast in 1996 by ABC Radio National (Australia) 1996.

1st Produced:
La Boite Theatre, Milton, QLD    15 Jun 1995

Organisations:
La Boite

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay/Lesbian, of interest

Parts:
Male:  1            Female:  3            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/27731

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Virtually Ethel

Synopsis:
about the composer ethel Smyth

Notes:
-

1st Produced:
-    1997

Organisations:
-

1st Published:

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Full-Length 75 mins Play/Drama. - - Gay/Lesbian, of interest

Parts:
Male:  12            Female:  13            Other:  flexible casting

Further Reference:
-

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Vita! - A Fantasy

Synopsis:
Vita! - a fantasy explores the relationship between the two famous authors Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. In Virginia's eyes Vita becomes the fantasy character 'Orlando' - who is boy, woman and man in different times in history.

Notes:
there Are two roles, Vita And Virginia, the Actress playing Vita Also plays Orlando who Appears As A male And female in different periods in history. Inspired by Virginia Woolf's 'Orlando - A biography'. the Adelaide production won the Oscarts Award for Best New Play 1992.

1st Produced:
Universal Two, Fitzroy, VIC    15 Aug 1989

Organisations:
Radclyffe Theatre Productions

1st Published:
Penguin anthology: 'Heroines, a contemporary anthology of Australian women writers' (1991)   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay/Lesbian, of interest

Parts:
Male:  -            Female:  2            Other:  -

Further Reference:
http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/1927

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Who Knows?

Synopsis:
Who Knows? is about a group of teenagers dealing with the process of Coming Out to their family and peers.

Notes:
written by Sara Hardy, Philip Timmins And Bruce Bailey. This play was commissioned by the Royal Court for its Season on Sexism for young people. It toured Britain with Gay Sweatshop theatre company (though was banned from schools).

1st Produced:

Organisations:
Royal Court and Gay Sweatshop, UK

1st Published:
-   -

Music:
-

To Buy This Play:
If Publisher (above) is underlined then the play may be purchased by direct click from the Publisher, otherwise (below) are AbeBooks for secondhand, signed & 1st eds and other Booksellers for new copies

Booksellers:

Genre:
Play/Drama. - - Gay/Lesbian, of interest

Parts:
Male:  4            Female:  5            Other:  -

Further Reference:
-

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