One Morning Near Troodos (1956) was a British TV play by Iain MacCormick which aired on the BBC as part of Sunday Night Theatre. It was the first British TV play about the Cyprus Emergency.^[1][2]

A journalist in Cyprus is captured by EOKA guerillas. British troops track down the guerrillas and the journalist leads them into a rebel ambush. A woman is attracted to a British soldier.

Iain MacCormick was Australian and a number of his plays, originally written for British TV, were adapted for Australian television. The play was performed live on Australian TV in 1959.^[5][6]

It was the ABC's 22nd live drama made in Melbourne.^[7]

In Cyprus there has been terrorist activity near Mt Troodos, leading to a large scale operation of British troops and police. Two British journalists arrive in the area: James Stark, is an unscrupulous and influential former MP, and Walters, his hard-drinking offsider. Walters does the work while Start takes the credit. They are not allowed into the fighting zone so make their headquarters in a nearby village. Start decides to deal with the terrorists himself, thereby bringing bloodshed to the village.

• Edward Brayshaw
• Syd Conabere
• Carol Armstrong as Lena, the Greek girl attracted to a British soldier
• Lloyd Cunnington
• Frank Gatliff
• Judith Godden
• Ken Goodlet
• Edward Howell
• Robert Peach
• Jennifer Clare

The play had been performed on Melbourne radio in 1957 and repeated in 1959.^[8][9]

It was rehearsed and filmed at ABC's studios at Ripponlea. There was some location filming on Melbourne streets. It had a cast of fifteen.^[10]

A segment of the script was published in The Age as an example of TV scripts. The article said that Australian writers were typically paid between £60-£80 a script.^[11]

Alexandra Atanassious was the Greek text adviser.^[12]

• List of live television plays broadcast on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1950s)

• 1956 British TV play at IMDb
• 1959 Australian TV play at IMDb
• One Morning Near Troodos at AustLit