Brief
Melbourne Fringe revives banned 1930s anti‑fascist play on flat‑bed ute
The production, directed by Katie Sfetkidis and Mark Wilson, mirrors the 1936 staging that evaded police by performing on a moving truck.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Melbourne Fringe Festival is staging Clifford Odets' 1935 anti‑fascist play Till The Day I Die, a work that was banned in 1936 for its depiction of Nazis. The revival, directed by Katie Sfetkidis and Mark Wilson, will include performances on a flat‑bed ute, echoing the original 1930s workaround that used a truck to avoid police intervention.
In 1936, the German Consulate complained to the Australian federal government, prompting a ban on the play. The New Theatre group circumvented the restriction by staging the drama on the back of a flat‑bed truck that could be moved if police approached. The ban was lifted recently, allowing the Melbourne Fringe production to proceed.
Sfetkidis said the play’s themes feel "scary and absurd" today, while Wilson noted the urgency that sparked the project during a New Year’s Eve conversation. Both directors highlighted the script’s blend of humor and horror, and its exploration of contradictions within far‑right ideology.
Odets, an American playwright, is rarely performed in Australia, according to the directors, who praised his control of tone and content.
Key facts
- Till The Day I Die was banned in Melbourne in 1936 after a German Consulate complaint (smh.com.au)
- The original ban was evaded by performing the play on a moving flat‑bed truck (smh.com.au)
- Melbourne Fringe Festival will restage the play in 2026, using a flat‑bed ute for part of the performance (smh.com.au)
- Directors Katie Sfetkidis and Mark Wilson say the play’s anti‑fascist message feels relevant today (smh.com.au)
Sources
- [1] smh.com.au — originally reported as “Melbourne Fringe Festival: the play Till The Day We Die, a protest against the rise of facism, was banned in Melbourne in the 1930s and will be restaged as part of the festival”
