| Series: | Wednesday Theatre |
| Season: | 1 |
| Episode: | 18 |
| Director: | Patrick Barton |
| Teleplay: | John Warwick |
| Length: | 75 mins[1] |
| Prev: | The Tower |
| Next: | Cinderella |
"Daphne Laureola" is a 1965 Australian television play based on Daphne Laureola by James Bridie. It screened as part of Wednesday Theatre.[2]
Australian TV drama was relatively rare at the time.[3]
It was dedicated to Dame Edith Evans, who had played the part on stage.[4] [5]
A young Pole, Ernest, falls in love with the older, alcoholic Lady Pitts, when they meet in a London restaurant.[6]
The TV critic for the Sydney Morning Herald thought it was "the kind of play which, if anyone cares then, will be a period piece in 30 years' time... It is not a particularly good or compelling play and while it was given an excellent performance from the ABC Melbourne studios... it emerged as pretty dated... [even though it was made] rather unconvincingly contemporary."[7]
The play itself was described by critic Alan Riach as having "Egalitarianism.. at the heart of this vision, but idealism may be just a liability."[8]