A Cheery Soul

A Cheery Soul is a 1963 play by Australian writer Patrick White^[1] set in the fictional Sydney suburb of Sarsaparilla at the end of the 1950s. White described it as being about "the destructive power of good."^[2][3]

Productions

A Cheery Soul premiered at the Union Theatre Repertory Company in Melbourne in November 1963 directed by John Sumner, with Nita Pannell as the 'cheery soul' Miss Docker.^[4]

Other major productions have included:^[5]

• 1979 Sydney Theatre Company directed by Jim Sharman starring Robyn Nevin
• 1992 Royal Queensland Theatre Company (Brisbane) directed by Neil Armfield starring Carole Skinner
• 2000 Company B Belvoir and Sydney Theatre Company directed by Neil Armfield starring Robyn Nevin
• 2018 Sydney Theatre Company directed by Kip Williams starring Sarah Peirse^[6]

In popular culture

The play's chief character Miss Docker, as portrayed in 2018 by Sarah Peirse, was the subject of a portrait by Jude Rae, entered into the 2019 Archibald Prize. The artist had many sittings with the actor and has said of it: "Miss Docker's moments of isolation on stage also suggested a formal structure [for the painting] based on a famous 17th century portrait by Diego Velásquez of the actor Pablo de Valladolid, a buffoon in the court of King Phillip IV of Spain."^[7] The artist also said: "perhaps this painting is something of an anti-portrait, a reminder that we are to some degree actors, projecting various versions of ourselves..."^[7]

1966 TV adaptation

It was adapted for British TV in 1966 on the BBC.^[8][9] The Daily Mirror called it tedious.^[10]