Peter Pinne
Encyclopedia
Peter Pinne is an Australian-born writer and composer.
Pinne started working as a television executive for the Reg Grundy
organisation. Firstly, as Head of Production from 1980, later rising to become a Senior Vice President of the company. During this period, he worked on numerous shows including The Young Doctors
, The Restless Years
and Neighbours
. He also co-composed the theme tune to Sons and Daughters (Australian TV series)
. In 1992, he was responsible for overseeing the production of Dangerous Women
, an American series based loosely on the popular Prisoner
. The show was not a huge success running to only 52 one hour episodes.He also travelled to a number of Latin American countries where he was responsible for overseeing the production of local versions of some of Grundy's most successful hits. He left the Grundy organisation in the late 1990s in order to set up his own record label, Bayview, with fellow former Australian television producer, Don Battye
and now writes and composes music. He currently resides in the Brisbane
area of Australia
.
Most of these musicals were originally performed as amateur or semi-professional productions. Although private demonstration recordings of the scores are known to exist, few of the shows had commercial cast albums released. A song from A Bunch of Ratbags was released as a single, cover versions of two songs from The Computer and Love's Travelling Salesman were included on a 1970 compilation LP entitled Australian Musicals Now, and a studio recording of selections from Red, White and Boogie and Sweet Fanny Adams was released in 1983 on Don Battye's Trigpoint label. The only stage production to generate a complete original cast recording was Caroline; the original LP was released in 1971 and subsequently re-issued on CD (by London-based label Dress Circle Records) in 1998.
Although all of Pinne's musicals were successful in their original productions, few of them have been mounted since. As mentioned above, the 1968 show It happened in Tanjablanca was revived in 1974, in a substantially revised version entitled Red White and Boogie. The following year, a suburban amateur theatre company in Melbourne staged a production of Caroline. More recently, A Bunch of Ratbags was revived in 2005 by Magnormos
, which resulted in the release of a "premiere" cast recording. In 2007, Magnormos
staged a 30-minute workshop production of Pinne's latest musical, Suddenly Single, which was written in collaboration with Paul Dellit.
In the mid-1990s, Pinne and Battye also wrote a stage musical adaptation of the cult 1970s Australian television series, Prisoner: Cell Block H
. Ironically, the show was first produced in England (where the original programme had become more popular than it was in its native land), in a lavish West End production that starred Lily Savage and original TV cast member Maggie Kirkpatrick
, reprising her role as Joan "The Freak" Ferguson.
In addition, Pinne and Battye co-wrote a number of pantomime-like musicals especially for children, which were produced at the Alexander Theatre at Monash University
during the 1970s. Mostly based on popular fairy tales, these shows included:
Pinne started working as a television executive for the Reg Grundy
Reg Grundy
Reginald Roy "Reg" Grundy, AC, OBE is one of the most successful Australian entrepreneurs, and media and television moguls of his generation.He was the only child born to Roy Grundy and Lillian Lees...
organisation. Firstly, as Head of Production from 1980, later rising to become a Senior Vice President of the company. During this period, he worked on numerous shows including The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors is an Australian early evening soap opera. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March...
, The Restless Years
The Restless Years
The Restless Years is an Australian soap opera which followed the lives of several Sydney school-leavers and young adults. It was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for Network Ten. It debuted December 1977 and ran until late 1981. It was not renewed by the network due to declining ratings...
and Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
. He also co-composed the theme tune to Sons and Daughters (Australian TV series)
Sons and Daughters (Australian TV series)
Sons and Daughters was a Logie Award winning Australian soap opera created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation between 1981 and 1987. The first episode aired in December 1981, during the Christmas/New Year non-ratings period, and the official broadcast date of the final...
. In 1992, he was responsible for overseeing the production of Dangerous Women
Dangerous Women
Dangerous Women is a syndicated nighttime American soap opera about a group of women who served time in prison together. It was created and written by Reg Watson and produced by Reg Grundy Productions.-Synopsis:...
, an American series based loosely on the popular Prisoner
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
. The show was not a huge success running to only 52 one hour episodes.He also travelled to a number of Latin American countries where he was responsible for overseeing the production of local versions of some of Grundy's most successful hits. He left the Grundy organisation in the late 1990s in order to set up his own record label, Bayview, with fellow former Australian television producer, Don Battye
Don Battye
Donald "Don" Battye is an Australian born writer composer and television producer.-Life:He was a writer, script editor, and producer on several Australian television series for Crawford Productions including soap opera The Box in 1976 & 1977, The Sullivans and police procedural drama series...
and now writes and composes music. He currently resides in the Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
area of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Stage musicals
Since the late 1950s, Peter Pinne (variously working in collaboration with Don Battye, Ray Kolle and/or John-Michael Howson) has been one of the most prolific creators of original Australian stage musicals. Examples include:- All Saint's Day (1960) – based around Australian Rules Football
- Don't tell Helena (1962) – the misadventures of a society girl employed by a department store
- A Bunch of Ratbags (1966) – a rock musical set in the 1950s, adapted from the novel by William Dick
- It happened in Tanjablanca (1968); later revised as Red, White and Boogie (1974) – a murder mystery set in the 1940s
- The Computer/Love's Travelling Saleman (1970) – a double bill of one-act "pop operas"
- Caroline (1971) – based on the life of Caroline ChisholmCaroline ChisholmCaroline Chisholm was a progressive 19th-century English humanitarian known mostly for her involvement with female immigrant welfare in Australia. She is commemorated on 16 May in the Calendar of saints of the Church of England...
- Sweet Fanny Adams (1974) – the story of two rival whorehouses in 1930s Sydney
- A bit o' petticoat (1984) – based on "The Torrents" by Australian playwright Oriel GrayOriel GrayOriel Gray is an award winning Australian dramatist and playwright who wrote from the 1940s to 1960's. The major themes of her work were "social and political issues such as the environment, Aborigines, assimilation and bush life".Gray was born Oriel Bennett in Sydney, New South Wales...
- Pyjamas in Paradise (2005) – based on the popular "pyjama parties" held in Surfers Paradise in the 1950s
- Suddenly Single (2007)
Most of these musicals were originally performed as amateur or semi-professional productions. Although private demonstration recordings of the scores are known to exist, few of the shows had commercial cast albums released. A song from A Bunch of Ratbags was released as a single, cover versions of two songs from The Computer and Love's Travelling Salesman were included on a 1970 compilation LP entitled Australian Musicals Now, and a studio recording of selections from Red, White and Boogie and Sweet Fanny Adams was released in 1983 on Don Battye's Trigpoint label. The only stage production to generate a complete original cast recording was Caroline; the original LP was released in 1971 and subsequently re-issued on CD (by London-based label Dress Circle Records) in 1998.
Although all of Pinne's musicals were successful in their original productions, few of them have been mounted since. As mentioned above, the 1968 show It happened in Tanjablanca was revived in 1974, in a substantially revised version entitled Red White and Boogie. The following year, a suburban amateur theatre company in Melbourne staged a production of Caroline. More recently, A Bunch of Ratbags was revived in 2005 by Magnormos
Magnormos
Magnormos is an independent musical theatre production company based in Melbourne, Australia, that specialises in producing musicals written by Australian writers, and landmark international works....
, which resulted in the release of a "premiere" cast recording. In 2007, Magnormos
Magnormos
Magnormos is an independent musical theatre production company based in Melbourne, Australia, that specialises in producing musicals written by Australian writers, and landmark international works....
staged a 30-minute workshop production of Pinne's latest musical, Suddenly Single, which was written in collaboration with Paul Dellit.
In the mid-1990s, Pinne and Battye also wrote a stage musical adaptation of the cult 1970s Australian television series, Prisoner: Cell Block H
Prisoner (TV series)
Prisoner is an Australian television soap opera which was set in the Wentworth Detention Centre, a fictional women's prison. The series was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation and ran on Network Ten for 692 episodes from 27 February 1979 to 11 December 1986.The series was inspired by the 1970s...
. Ironically, the show was first produced in England (where the original programme had become more popular than it was in its native land), in a lavish West End production that starred Lily Savage and original TV cast member Maggie Kirkpatrick
Maggie Kirkpatrick
Maggie Kirkpatrick is an Australian actress, who is best known for her portrayal of the iconic character Joan Ferguson, a sadistic and corrupt lesbian prison officer known to the prisoners as "The Freak" in the popular Australian television soap opera, Prisoner...
, reprising her role as Joan "The Freak" Ferguson.
In addition, Pinne and Battye co-wrote a number of pantomime-like musicals especially for children, which were produced at the Alexander Theatre at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
during the 1970s. Mostly based on popular fairy tales, these shows included:
- The Shoemaker and the Elves (1975)
- Jack and the Beanstalk (1976)
- Billabong Bill' (1976)
- The Little Tin Soldier (1977)
- The Emperor's New Clothes (1978)
- Rumpelstiltskin
- Beauty and the Beast
Books
- Australian performers, Australian performances : a discography from film, TV, theatre, radio and concert, 1897–1985 (1987) (ISBN 0-72418208-X)