Summary
Summary Scene by Scene Synopsis for Our Country's Good
Scene by Scene Synopsis for Our Country's Good with some analysis and quotes.
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SCENE BY SCENE SYNOPSISACT ONE
Scene 1 - The Voyage Out [on convict ship]
Robert Sideway is flogged.
Ralph Clark counts the lashes (starts with ‘Forty-four’).
Sideway untied and dumped with other convicts.
Wisehammer monologue, talks about remembering England through a vulgar metaphor of sex.
Ascott talks about hunger, says it starts in the mind not the stomach.
Mary Brenham one line ‘I don’t know why I did it. Love, I suppose.’
Scene 2 - A Lone Aboriginal Australian Describes The Arrival Of The First Convict Fleet In
Botany Bay On 20 January 1788 [Botany Bay]
Three sentences, one character.
Aborigine sees the ship come in, calls it ‘a dream which has lost its way’.
Scene 3 - Punishment [Sydney Cove]
Phillip, Collins, Tench, Harry Brewer.
They’re shooting birds and discussing the decision of the First Fleet.
Sets up each character’s opinion on justice and rehabilitation vs punishment.
Order of extremity: Phillips, Collins, Tench
Scene 4 - The Loneliness Of Men [Ralph Clark’s tent]
Our introduction to Raph Clark.
He is composing and speaking his diary entry about his wife Betsy Alicia.
Brief mention of Liz being in trouble and Major Ross ordering her to get flogged.
Sets up Ralph for a character arc, as he starts here being supportive of the convicts’ punishment.
Harry comes in and speaks to Ralph about the guilt he feels about hanging convicts.
Reveals he used to embezzle and is only a midshipman due to Phillip’s kindness.
Mention of Duckling’s anger at him killing Handy Baker.
Scene 5 - An Audition [Assumed - in a tent]
Metatheatre comic relief with character Meg Long (Shitty Meg).
Sideway is introduced properly, talks about pickpocketing and demonstrates discreetly on Ralph.
Dabby and Mary introduced and they audition, Ralph soon realises Mary is well-spoken.
First entrance for Liz, Dabby and Liz tension established.
Scene 6 - The Authorities Discuss The Merits Of The Theatre [In a tent]
Phillip, Ross, Collins, Tench, Campbell, Reverend, Dawes, Ralph, Faddy.
They’ve been drinking.
Ross established as the primary one aggressively opposing the play.
Ralph sticks up for the play and says there is hope for the convicts through doing it.
Phillips speaks on how ‘The theatre is an expression of civilisation’.
Ross has a speech about how it’s all wrong and then storms out angrily.
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