A Toast to Melba

A Toast to Melba
Written by	Jack Hibberd
Characters	Dame Nellie Melba Caruso Treacle O'Kane Madame Marchesi Buffalo Bill Lady de Grey George Bernard Shaw The Duke of Orleans Sir Thomas Beecham Neville Cardus Oscar Wilde Frank Wedekind Mayor of Brisbane
Date premiered	1976
Place premiered	Adelaide Festival
Original language	English
Genre	Drama

A Toast to Melba is a 1976 Australian play by Jack Hibberd which was written in 1975. Hibberd described it as:

Another 'Popular Play' like The Les Darcy Show. Using the Epic Theatre techniques of Bertolt Brecht (without politics), the play encompasses the life of diva Nellie Melba from childhood in Melbourne to her death in Egypt (alleged dying words: "I never did like Aida.")... The actress who plays Melba must be able to sing a few arias and parlour songs. There is a selection of recorded music that is essential to the work.^[1]

The play is one of Hibberd's personal favourites.^[2]

Adaptation

A Toast to Melba
Directed by	Alan Burke
Written by	Jack Hibberd
Based on	play by Jack Hibberd
Starring	Robyn Nevin Michael Aitkiens
Release dates	1980
Running time	85 mins
Country	Australia
Language	English
Budget	around $5,000[3]

The play was adapted by the ABC in 1980 as part of the Australian Theatre Festival.^[4][5]

References

1. "A Toast to Melba" at Jack Hibberd site accessed 30 July 2013
2. Interview with Jack Hibberd, Stage Whispers accessed 30 July 2013
3. A Toast to Melba at AustLit
4. Ed. Scott Murray, Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995, Oxford Uni Press, 1996, p. 154
5. Contemporary review in The Age, accessed 30 July 2013

External links

• A Toast to Melba at Ausstage
• A Toast to Melba at the Internet Movie Database