Picnic at Hanging Rock

by Tom Wright (Adapter), Joan Lindsay

‘I know you’re there… Miranda? Miranda!’

On a summer’s day in 1900, three Australian schoolgirls on a picnic expedition to the remote Hanging Rock abscond from their group. They are last seen heading towards the beckoning Rock…

In Tom Wright’s chilling adaptation of Joan Lindsay’s classic novel, five performers struggle to solve the mystery of the missing girls and their teacher. Euphoria and terror reverberate throughout the community, as the potential for history to repeat itself becomes nightmarishly real.

This adaptation of Picnic at Hanging Rock was first co-produced by Malthouse Theatre and Black Swan State Theatre Company, Perth, and first performed at Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, in 2016. The play received its European premiere at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, in 2017.

Genres: Plays, Classics

113 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 12, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Rock is a nightmare, and nightmares belong in the past."

Hmmmmm..........I generally REALLY enjoy plays, but reading the script for PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK was a bit confusing. Perhaps the novel first published in 1967 would have been a better choice.

The setting is 1900 Australia, Valentine's Day when a group of young girls from Appleyard College set out on a day trip to have a picnic lunch at HANGING ROCK......"a geological marvel." The girls are properly warned of the various dangers of venomous snakes and poisonous ants nearby, and to stay away from the ROCK itself, but are informed they will be required to write a brief essay upon their return.

Four teens, of course, wander off for a closer look gibbering, dancing and acting foolish promising not to go far....knowing they should turn around at one point, but continue on....and vanish....but where?

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK is a bit of a sci-fi type mystery with nightmares, visions, lost memories and a mysterious conclusion that makes for an intriguing....and baffling read. Not my idea of "chilling" though.

[Jessaka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written. The 1st half of the book was the best part of the book because that is where The mystery comes in to play, but the last half of The book was rather boring.

Knowing that the mystery would never be solved, I decided to try to solve it myself. Of course, I really couldn't do a good job of it. The story takes place in the 1,900s, in Australia.19 girls and 2 teachers from a nearby college decide to have a picnic at Hanging Rock. FOUR of the girls decide that they wanted to take a hike behind the rock. Only 1 of them returned. She stated that 3 of the girls wanted to climb up to the top of the rock, but she became frightened and Came back to the picnic ground. She forgot what had frightened her. When I read the account, I noticed that the 3 other women were in somewhat of a trance when going up the rock. It was as if They had no choice. Shortly after this, I decided that they were taken away by UFO's.

Note. After reading this book, and I would not do it before reading the book, I found a YouTube video that explained this mystery wonderfully. It is titled the mystery of hanging rock Analyzing The Australian Icon. It was almost more interesting than the book.

[abby j · Rating 4 out of 5]

chilling, twisting, a brilliant capture of what it is like to be a teenage girl. a good adaptation in the sense that it builds on the source material.

[James Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stage version of the story. It is acted with five women who play all the parts. There are fourteen sections which cover the events, the questioning of Michael and Albert, the confrontations between Mrs. Appleyard and Sara, Irma and Michael having tea, the scene where Irma leaves the school, the spirit/ghost of Sara saying goodbye to Albert and the death of Mrs. Appleyard.

There is one extremely interesting point in the story, though, and that's when Irma says she thinks she a 'replacement.' This would imply that the missing women were taken by some advanced intelligence. For some reason only Irma was given a replacement body. Why? Who knows.

I've never seen this play but it would be interesting to see how just five people could do all the characters.

[Mackenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

great play! living for sara (gay)

[Miki · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting interpretation and re-telling of Joan Lindsay's Australian classic, Picnic at Hanging Rock. However, I prefer Lindsay's novel.

[Neffa 🍑✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this play script for my Year 12 Theatre Studies Class (I know, majority of the books I’ve read are all for school XD)
The play was slightly confusing at times, but I managed to get my head around it and kind of understand it better (but after I go see the play for my class and study it, I’m sure things will make more sense)
I binged this script in a couple of hours and I was overall engaged as the more dark, mystery elements occurred. I absolutely love anything mystery so I highly enjoyed it, and will definitely be reading the original book later down the line.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the year 1900 on Valentine's day in Australia, a group of 20 some girls and 2 governesses set out from the Appleyard College for a special picnic at Hanging Rock. They were also to write an essay about what they've learned about this iconic structure. Hanging Rock is a spectacular volcanic uprising on the plains below Mount Macedon - a unique rock formation with monoliths and reputedly bottomless holes and caves.
4 of the girls and 1 governess disappeared that afternoon to do a bit more exploring of the rock. They didn't return when the driver and coach was ready to take them back. One of the girls was found a couple of days later, but was forever unable to recall what had happened. The others were presumed dead as the bodies were never found.
The college suffered bad press from this incident and the mystery of the missing girls remains unsolved and this hung over the college like a dark shadow.
I found this to be a very interesting story. The author says "Whether Picnic at Hanging Rock is fact or fiction, my readers must decide for themselves. As the fateful picnic took place in 1900 and all characters who appear in this book are long dead, it hardly seems important."

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up.
As the script to the play, this could be considered the abridged version of the novel. It caught the gist of the story and delivers the creepy, chilling factor. Are the disappearances and hysterics of the young women caused by the hallucinogenic effect of heat in the Australian wilderness? Or was it murder? Or the paranormal?

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creepy AF but delicious, too. I haven’t read the original novel, nor have I watched the movie (1975) or series (2018). Don’t think I ever will after experiencing the tightness and brevity of Wright’s adaptation.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't get who was who most of the time. Another one I'd have to see.

[Ashley G · Rating 4 out of 5]

And she sprints
To the edge
To the vast darkness
Sprints
Into the abyss
As we all should
Blackout.
End.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED.

[Milie · Rating 5 out of 5]

be whOooO you arReeEeE @sara

[Novella · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ben scritto, una specie di giallo. Molto accurate le descrizioni dei paesaggi e della natura.

[Sophia M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disorienting and scary, but in a good way.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can i say about this play… it’s definitely a play!
I performed in this play and it definitely helped me to understand the majority of the language and different perceptions of it. Without that i fear i would have got the general gist but would have struggled.

[Kiki]

I don't rate play scripts unless I've seen a production.