They Never Come Back (play)

Never Come Back
Written byMaurice Francis
Date premieredFebruary 16, 1945 (1945-02-16)
Place premieredAssembly Hall, Margaret St, Sydney
Original languageEnglish
Genredrama

They Never Come Back is a 1945 Australian play by Maurice Francis. Francis was Australia's most prolific radio writer, regularly working for George Edwards. He decided to produce his own stage play, They Never Come Back and put it on in opposition to J.C. Williamson's. It was a rare Australian play to deal with a contemporary issue at the time, in this case trauma of returned servicemen.[1]

The play was a financial disaster and led to Francis having to declare bankruptcy.[2] The court ordered no action be taken against him.[3]

Francis said "Although the critics reported it as a good play, the public wouldn't go to the Assembly Hall. After three weeks, the Chief Secretary closed the show, as there were no fire curtains. I was glad, because money was going down the drain."[4]

A copy of the play is at the University of New England library.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference smh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "RADIO WRITER 'BROKEN' BY PLAY FLOP". Truth. No. 2998. New South Wales, Australia. 6 July 1947. p. 45. Retrieved 22 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ "REPORTS FROM THE LAW COURTS". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 34, 318. New South Wales, Australia. 18 December 1947. p. 9. Retrieved 22 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "They Wouldn't Go To They Never Came Back'". The Sun. No. 11, 679. New South Wales, Australia. 1 July 1947. p. 3 (LATE FINAL EXTRA). Retrieved 22 February 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ They Never Come Back at UNE library