Patricia Hooker Explained

Patricia Hooker (17 February 1933 – 2001) was an Australian writer who worked extensively in England. She wrote for TV, radio and the stage.^[1]

She wrote The Golden Road, the first play on British television that was both written by a woman and about a lesbian relationship.^{[2] [3]} Hooker also wrote A Season in Hell the first Australian television drama to focus on a queer relationship.^[4]

Biography

She grew up in the town of Port Lincoln in South Australia and trained as a stenographer.^{[5] [6]} She began writing in her spare time and her work began appearing in amateur theatres. She worked as a secretary at the Stevedoring Commission in Sydney and also as a court reporter.^[7]

Hooker was working as a shorthand typist in a city office in 1959 when she wrote the story for The Little Woman at home in the evenings. She wrote it as a stage play and it was included in a night of one-act plays at the Genesian Theatre. To help it reach a wider audience, Patricia studied a book on TV technique and decided to revise the script as a TV play. The ABC produced it in 1961 by which time she was at the ABC as a script assistant.^{[8] [9]}

She moved to London in 1964 and worked as a court reporter as well as writing for TV and radio.

Select credits

• A Bird in a Gilded Cage (1957) – TV play
• The Little Woman (1961) – TV play
• Twilight of a Hero (1962) – radio play about King David's love for Absalom
• Poet's Corner (1962) - radio writer^[10]
• Concord of Sweet Sounds (1963) – TV play^[11] and adapted for radio
• George (1964) - lunch hour play from short story by Anthony West^[12]
• A Season in Hell (1964) – TV play – later adapted for radio
• Man of Blood (1964) - play^[13]
• The Winged Chariot (1967) - radio play about Socrates
• The Lotus Eaters (1968) – play^[14]
• Counterstrike (1969) – TV series
• A Fit and Proper Person (1970) - TV play
• Kate (1971–73) - TV series
• Last Seen Wearing (1972) - radio play
• Harriets Back in Town (1972–73) - TV series
• Harriet's Back in Town (1973) – TV series
• Armchair Theatre - "The Golden Road" (1973) - TV play
• Crown Court (1973) - TV series
• The Beauty of the World (1973) - radio play
• Simon Fenton's Story (1973) - TV play
• "Going to St Ives" (1973) - TV play
• Six Days of Justice (1973–75) – TV series
• The Carnforth Practice (1974) – TV series
• Rooms (1975) – TV series
• Angels (1976) – TV series - episode "Off Duty"^[15]
• The Gentle Touch (1980) – "Chance", "Rogue"
• Plays for Pleasure – "The Concubine" (1981) – Tv episode^[16]
• Survival (1989) - radio play
• Right Ho Jeeves (1989) - radio play
• Seven Against Reeves (1989) - radio play

External links

• • Patricia Hooker at AustLit
• production of Pat Hooker's plays at AusStage
• Biographical information

Notes and References

1. News: Worth Reporting . . 28 . 20 . Australia . 19 October 1960 . 18 February 2019 . 22 . National Library of Australia.
2. News: Edinburgh orders an Australian play. Sydney Morning Herald. 3 December 1967. 55.
3. Web site: 'Armchair Theatre: The Golden Road' (1973): Representing lesbianism in the 1970s. Spaces of Television. September 26, 2013. billysmart.
4. Forgotten Australian TV Plays: A Season in Hell. Filmink. Stephen. Vagg. 14 June 2021.
5. News: Port Lincoln Girl, 19 In Miss S.A. Quest. . . Adelaide . 15 November 1951 . 5 June 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: KITCHEN EVENING TENDERED MISS PATRICIA HOOKER. . . SA . 14 January 1954 . 5 June 2015 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: Leisure TV Drama Music Art Books Radio The Arts . . 40 . 11,370 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 21 January 1966 . 18 February 2019 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Sydney Morning Herald. September 18, 1961. STENOGRAPHER'S PLAY ACCEPTED. 12.
9. News: Sydney Morning Herald. Classifieds. February 2, 1963. 24.
10. News: The Age. Radio Guide. 13 September 1962. 32.
11. News: Sydney Writer's. . . 18 December 1963 . 5 June 2015 . 45 . National Library of Australia.
12. News: Lunch Hour Play Opens the AMP Theatre. Sydney Morning Herald. 30 January 1964. 9.
13. News: £1,000 award for play. 4 May 1964. 13. Sydney Morning Herald.
14. News: 3 December 1967. Sydney Morning Herald. Edinburgh orders an Australian play. 106.
15. News: The Guardian 29 Sep 1975, page 4 . 29 September 1975. 4. The Guardian.
16. News: TV Guide. The Guardian. 26. 28 April 1981.