It won a National Playwrights Competition in 1958 and was produced in Sydney the following year by the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust.

[1][2] Judge Kylie Tennant called it "a witty commentary on human behaviour, passion, pride and vanity and the curious innocence which keeps people lovable for all their cunning and downright wickedness.

"[8] The Sydney Morning Herald said the play "has the kind of power and color to give much incidental excitement immediately to an audience.

"[12] Reviewing it years later, Filmink magazine said the play "has a brilliant core character, a fascinating world, a rogue's gallery of colourful support players, clever dramatic set-ups that you know are going to be paid off in exciting ways (“guns left at the door”, “no drinking”), and a very solid dramatic situation (a gangster tries to seduce a criminal mother and convent-educated daughter).

Kenna writes with a wonderful compassion, humour and empathy for these outsiders; he seems to like, and understand, all his characters, be they prostitutes, murderers or nuns.

"[13] See The Slaughter of St. Teresa's Day (1960 film) Kenna adapted the play for radio in a version which broadcast in 1960 and 1961.