Mischief in the Air

by Max Afford

THEMES: Business, International Relations, Show Business
CHARACTER AGES: 18+
LENGTH: 2 Hours
SUITABLE FOR: Adult
CAST SIZE: 9+ Cast Members

It’s a big day at Rex Studios. The executives are getting ready to sign a deal, a big deal.

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Categories: Digital Publications, New Vintage

Description

It’s a big day at Rex Studios. The executives are getting ready to sign a deal, a big deal. Their new potential sponsor has come by to inspect the operation and sign a contract. Everything is running smoothly until the sponsor drops dead. Murder is afoot and mischief is in the air.

Mischief in the Air is a thrilling who-done-it that is full of comedy and ridiculous twists. Everything from exotic weapons to international espionage will leave you laughing and guessing until the murderer is finally exposed.

Historical Significance

Murder isn’t usually a farce, but it’s the most fun you can have with Nazis around.

One of Adelaide’s finest, Malcolm (Max) Afford was a prolific writer. He penned over sixty radio and stage plays, eight crime novels and many more articles during his time as a reporter. He was a master of radio producing, and carved out a name for himself writing radio-plays. This reputation may have been what allowed him to get his plays produced at a time when even Australians weren’t interested in Australian-made theatre.

Mischief in the Air continues his theme of comedy-thrillers and success within theatre as a medium. This is a play which shows the stylistic conventions of the genre at the time, as well as giving an insight into life at a radio studio during the 40s. Bearing in mind this play was written and produced during the second World War will lend some understanding to its inclusion within Playlab’s New Vintage collection. The subject matter is farcical and the tone light hearted, but when the world is crumbling this is what people craved. Theatre gave audiences a refuge from the air raids, the absent family members, the rations, and the realities of living through the most horrific war our global community has experienced.

Production History

Mischief in the Air premiered at Theatre Royal, Sydney on 27 July 1944 following a highly successful run of Afford’s earlier play, Lady in Danger.

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