Story: Plays and playwrights

The tree, 1959

The tree, 1959

Stella Jones's 1957 family drama, The tree, was rejected by numerous New Zealand theatres before being accepted by a London agent. After several well-received performances in the UK, it was toured nationally by the New Zealand Players (who had earlier rejected it). This is the programme cover for the first New Zealand production. The tree was one of the first full-length New Zealand plays to reach a wide local audience. 

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: Eph-A-NZ-Players-1959-02-front
Artwork by Dennis Beytagh

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page:

Murray Edmond, 'Plays and playwrights - Plays of the mid- and later 20th century', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/ephemera/43950/the-tree-1959 (accessed 27 April 2024)

Story by Murray Edmond, published 22 Oct 2014