Chris Gardner (writer) explained

Chris Gardner was the pen name for Marjorie Gardner, an English-Australian writer of television, radio and theatre.^[1]

She was born in England and emigrated to Australia in the 1950s, settling at Woody Point, Queensland. Gardner started writing when briefly bed-ridden due to a slipped disc then became more serious about it when she joined a Brisbane radio group in 1956.^[2]

Her radio plays were produced by the ABC. She also wrote for stage and television.^[3] Her stage play The Pub at Pelican Creek was commended in the 1958 General Motors play competition.^[4] Her television play Dark Under the Sun featured one of the first interracial romances on Australian television.^[5]

Select credits

• The Masterpiece (1957) - short story
• A Gift for George (1957) - short story
• The Pub at Pelican Creek (1958) - stage play^[6]
• Conflict (1958) - short story
• Dark Under the Sun (1960) - television play, also adapted for radio
• The House of Mancello (1962) - television play, also adapted for radio^[7]
• A Private Island (1964) - television play, also adapted for radio in 1965^{[8] [9]}
• A passage in the life of Mr Watkins Tottle - radio play
• Who's Perfect? - radio play
• Kate's Journal - radio play

External links

• Chris Gardner at IMDB
• Chris Gardner at Ausstage

Notes and References

1. Book: Rees, Leslie. 381. Australian drama, 1970-1985 : a historical and critical survey. 1987 . Angus & Robertson. 978-0-207-15354-9.
2. Q'land housewife writes TV drama. TV Times Qld. 4 February 1960. 5.
3. News: The Age. Untitled. 12 April 1962. 15.
4. News: Talent without experience in play contest. Kylie. Tennant. The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 December 1958. 2.
5. News: The Age. 1 April 1960. 31. Excellent drama lacked viewers.
6. 'Place in Australian Plays' Eunice Hanger The Australian Quarterly Vol. 34, No. 2 (Jun., 1962), pp. 67-73 (7 pages)
7. News: In evening gown, she bottled peaches . . 29 . Australia . 16 May 1962 . 31 January 2017 . 13 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Drama on radio. The Age. 29 April 1965. 25.
9. News: ABC-TV finds the road to Asia . . 39 . 11,021 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 7 December 1964 . 11 September 2023 . 17 . National Library of Australia.