By extension, the term melodrama has come to be applied to any play with romantic plot in which the author manipulates events to act on the emotions of the audience without regard for character development or logic.
Melodrama had very 'stock' characters, in other words they were very stereotypical characters, and all the action happened on stage. Melodramatic plays were also morality based - that is Right Vs. Wrong.
Before The Touch of Silk by Betty Roland was written in 1928, Australian drama was very melodramatic.
The Touch of Silk overtly draws on some of the dramatic conventions of 19th century melodrama, but Roland tried to steer away from melodrama and instead has based The Touch of Silk on naturalism.
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