Edmund Duggan (playwright)

Edmund Duggan (1862 – 2 August 1938) was an Irish-born actor and playwright who worked in Australia. He is best known for writing a number of plays with Bert Bailey including The Squatter's Daughter (1907) and On Our Selection (1912). His solo career was less successful than Bailey's.[1] His sister Eugenie was known as "The Queen of Melodrama" and married noted theatre producer William Anderson, for whom Duggan frequently worked as an actor, writer and stage manager.

Edmund Duggan
Duggan c. 1905
Born	1862 Lismore, County Waterford, Ireland
Died	2 August, 1938 (aged 75–76) Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Resting place	Boroondara Cemetery
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Playwright, actor
Spouse(s)	Beatrice Ann Hamea ​ (m. 1899)​
Children	Rosalind Duggan Eugenie Duggan
Parent(s)	Dennis Duggan Mary Ann Walsh
Relatives	Eugenie Duggan (sister) Patrick (P.J.) Duggan (brother) Kathleen Duggan (sister)

Between 1892 and 1895 Duggan and South's "Her Majesty's Dramatic Company", toured New South Wales with (inter alia) La Tosca,[2] All for Gold,[3] Greta.[4] His Natural Life and Robbery Under Arms.[5] consistently receiving good notices.

Duggan's wife died two years before he did and he was survived by two daughters.[6][7]

Select theatre credits

• The Democrat (1891) – writer (later revived as Eureka Stockade)
• For the Term of his Natural Life (1897) – writer (adapting the novel), (1909) acted (played Maurice Freere)[8]
• Cyrano de Bergerac (1902) – acted (played Capt. Carbon de Castel Jaloux)[9]
• Lady Audley's Secret (1906)
• The Squatter's Daughter, or, The Land of the Wattle (1907) – wrote with Bert Bailey as 'Albert Edmunds'
• The Southern Cross (1907) – writer[10]
• Man to Man (1908) – actor[11]
• The Bushwoman (1909) – acted (played Ned Brandon)[12] and directed
• The Man from Outback (1909) – wrote with Bert Bailey as 'Albert Edmunds'
• The Chance of a Lifetime (1910) – acted (played trainer Mat Lawson)[13]
• The Christian (1911) – acted (played Father Enderby)[14]
• My Mate, or a Bush Love Story (1911) – writer[15]
• On Our Selection (1912) – wrote with Bert Bailey as 'Albert Edmunds'
• The Native Born (1913) – wrote with Bert Bailey as 'Albert Edmunds'
• Duncan McClure and the Poor Parson (1916) – acted (played Duncan McClure) (1918) – acted (played Jacob Wattleton)
• Gran'dad Rudd (1917) – acted (played Denis Regan)[16]
• On Our Selection (1920) (revival) – produced
• The Rudd Family by Steele Rudd (1928) – produced, acted

References

1. "When They Paid A Shilling To Hiss The Villain." The Sunday Herald (Sydney) 14 Dec 1952: 14
2. "La Tosca". The Cootamundra Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 20 July 1892. p. 5. Retrieved 11 March 2020 – via Trove.
3. "All for Gold". The Riverine Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 10 October 1892. p. 2. Retrieved 11 March 2020 – via Trove.
4. "Greta". The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser. New South Wales, Australia. 3 June 1893. p. 7. Retrieved 11 March 2020 – via Trove.
5. "Victoria Theatre, Bewcastle". Truth (Sydney newspaper). New South Wales, Australia. 29 December 1895. p. 2. Retrieved 11 March 2020 – via Trove.
6. "Mr. Edmund Duggan." The Argus (Melbourne) 3 Aug 1938: 11
7. "The Passing of Ned Duggan". The Newcastle Sun (6438). New South Wales, Australia. 4 August 1938. p. 12. Retrieved 6 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "For the Term of His Natural Life". State Library Victoria Australia (Theatre Programmes Collection). J. L. Anderson & sons Printers 1909. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
9. "Advertising". Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW : 1883 - 1930). 1902-11-01. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-09-17.
10. Copy of script at National Archives of Australia
11. "THE KING'S". Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939). 1908-07-16. p. 18. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
12. "KING'S THEATRE". Table Talk (Melbourne, Vic. : 1885 - 1939). 1909-09-02. p. 24. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
13. "The Chance of a Lifetime". State Library Victoria Australia (Theatre Programmes Collection). J.L. Anderson & Sons. 1910. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
14. "The Christian". State Library Victoria Australia (Theatre Programmes Collection). Melbourne: Fred Lory. 1911. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
15. Extensive description of play at AustLit (subscription required)
16. "Gran'dad Rudd / by Steele Rudd". State Library Victoria (Australia) (Theatre Programme Collection). Troedel & Cooper Pty Ltd. 1917. Retrieved 3 October 2020.

External links

• Edmund Duggan biography at Australian Dictionary of Biography
• Edmund Duggan Australian theatre credits at AusStage
• Edmund Duggan at AustLit (subscription required)
• Papers of Edmund Duggan at National Library of Australia
• Complete copy of The Southern Cross at National Archives of Australia