The Hanging of Jean Lee

Andrée Greenwell
DCA Candidate
Faculty of Creative Arts
University of Wollongong

THE HANGING OF JEAN LEE (Composer and music director: Andrée Greenwell) will be broadcast by ABC Radio National on the “Poetica” programme on April 11, 2:05 pm. A reduced version of this broadcast will be repeated on Thursday April 16, at 3pm.

THE HANGING OF JEAN LEE is inspired by the verse history by Jordie Albiston, that reveals the little known story of Jean Lee, the last woman to be hanged in Australia in 1951. Her capital punishment with Robert David Clayton and Norman Andrews was controversial in post-war Melbourne.

THE HANGING OF JEAN LEE is a music-theatre work produced by Green Room Music that premiered at The Sydney Opera House in 2006.
This will be the first full length broadcast of the work, recorded by the ABC Radio Drama and Music Units at the ABC studios, Ultimo. The recordings were made in 2004 and 2007.

Composer and music director: Andrée Greenwell
Writers: Jordie Albiston and Abe Pogos and based upon Jordie Albiston's verse biography "The Hanging of Jean Lee" (Black Pepper)
Music Producer: Andrée Greenwell
Executive Producer: Anna Messariti
Engineer: Russell Stapleton

Cast
Young Jean, Chorus: Amie McKenna
Jean Lee: Pippa Grandison
Narrator, Policeman, Robert Clayton, Warden, Chorus: Hugo Race
Pop Kent, Judge, Chorus: Jeff Duff
Norman Andrews, Policeman, Coroner, Chorus: Josh Quong Tart
Morrie Dias, Chorus: Mark Seymour
Additional Chorus: Simon Maiden

Musicians
Violin: Naomi Radom
Trumpet: Phil Slater
Woodwind: Paul Cutlan
Electric guitar: Michael Sheridan
Keyboards: Tom O'Halloran and Alexander Nettlebeck
Bass Guitar: Greg Royal and Cameron Undy
Drumkit and percussion: Jared Underwood

For additional info check out “Wings Up to the Light”, a feature length documentary radio programme beautifully produced by Robyn Ravlich, that was broadcast in 2008, about the production of “The Hanging of Jean Lee”. http://www.abc.net.au/rn/intothemusic/stories/2008/2246039.htm

Last reviewed: 20 March, 2009

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