A Rum Affair
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 | |
| Genre | Comedy fantasy play |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Country of origin | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Written by | Alec Coppel |
| Original release | 1940 – 1958 |
A Rum Affair is a 1940 Australian radio play written by Alec Coppel. It premiered on the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) as part of a series of Australian plays. Though Coppel spent most of his career overseas, A Rum Affair was one of the rare works he debuted in his home country.
Although Coppel was Australian, the majority of his career took place abroad. A Rum Affair was among the few works he premiered in Australia, airing on the ABC in 1940 as part of a series showcasing Australian plays.
Coppel may have later adapted the play as The Story of an Inn, a stage comedy dealing with social regeneration that he announced in the 1940s but which does not appear to have ever been produced.[1][2] The production was reportedly postponed due to its large cast.[3][4] A 1943 article urged Coppel to finally stage the work, writing that audiences had long heard about it but never had the opportunity to see it.[5]
Premise
A young traveling man named Peter stops for the night at an inn in a Kentish village that was once on the sea but is now inland, as the sea has receded over time. The inn is haunted by a female ghost named Helene. Peter also encounters a man named Clifford and a local yokel.