Ruth Cracknell

Ruth Cracknel with Noman McVicker

This photograph of Ruth Cracknell and Norman McVicker was taken in Robertson Park, Mudgee, in September 1994. It was the morning after the world premiere of the Australian film “Spider and Rose” in which Ruth had played the leading role of “Rose”. She had just planted a rose named in her honour.

Her co-star, Simon Bossell was also present as was well known local actor Harry Tritton who had played her dead husband in the film. Members of the Gallery First Nighters were in attendance.

Ruth and Norman had known each other for many years. He first saw Ruth on stage when she played “Goneril” in “King Lear”. They met on Gwen Plumb’s radio programme at 2GB. Norman had attended the Shire President’s welcome reception for her the afternoon before, the dinner prior to the film showing at the Regent Theatre and the red carpet premiere.

Ruth wrote her best selling autobiography “A Biased Memoir” in 1997. She died in 2002.

Anna Russell

Anna Russell as she appeared in the programme for “The Last Gasp of Anna Russell with Resuscitation by Colin Croft”.

Anna Russell was a ‘top of the bill’ performer before she came to live in Australia. London Born Anna attended the Royal College of Music for five years, majoring in voice, piano, composition and cello.

With the outbreak of World War II, Anna and her mother moved to Toronto, Canada, where she performed on radio, entertained army personnel, wrote and composed her own material, and appeared with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.

A year later she set off to conquer New York. She did! Major critics hailed her as one of the truly great artists of her generation. Anna starred in every important music festival in North America, and was a featured soloist with major symphonic orchestras. She appeared with the New York City Opera Company and starred in her own Broadway show.

On her second visit to Australia for the ABC Anna bought a large house on the waterfront at Sylvania Waters, Sydney in 1968.

In 1970 she toured NSW country towns with Colin Croft in their own show “The last gasp of Anna Russell with Resuscitation by Colin Croft” in which she performed the piece for which she was renowned “Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelung”. During a run in season at the Pocket Playhouse she presented me with (inscribed and autographed on the cover) a copy of her LP that includes her “Ring” piece. It is hilarious!

The last time I saw and talked to Anna Russell was in Brentano’s Bookshop in San Francisco where she was “holding court’ as a guest speaker. In her last years Anna lived at Rosedale near Bateman’s Bay where she died on 18th October, 2006, aged 94 years.

Colin Croft

Studio portrait of Colin Croft used for publicity purposes

Colin Croft started his stage career at the age of seven with the Young Australia League. I first saw him with this company in a performance at the Prince Edward Theatre. I was about seventeen at the time and Colin and I were about the same age.

During World War II I caught up with him again when he was a comedian, actor and dancer with an Australian Army Entertainment Unit in which he did a comedy act on roller skates.

After the war years Colin’s career blossomed and it took him all over the world in practically every branch of show business and he was equally at home in drama, variety, cabaret, films, television, radio, ballet and light opera as well as the concert platform.

He toured the Orient and South Pacific for four months making an extensive study of Japanese drama, Chinese opera and Polynesian dancing. He was also a writer and director.

At one stage in his career Colin was resident comedian at Sydney’s Menzies Hotel in a series of famous Broadway musicals, where the critics lauded him from ‘virtuoso’ to ‘tour de force’.

In 1970 before starting a 2 months tour of NSW country towns with Anna Russell in “The last gasp of Anna Russell with resuscitation by Colin Croft”, they did a run-in of their show at the Pocket Playhouse.

Sadly, Colin Croft died some years ago.

Noeline Brown

Noeline Brown

Noeline Brown first appeared at the Pocket Playhouse, Sydenham in “Roundup on the Moon” in 1961 for the Pocket Children’s Theatre. This role was quickly followed by roles in “Major Barbara” (1962), “My Sister Eileen” (1962), “Hansel and Gretel” (1963) and “Bell Book and Candle” (1963.

In 1961 Noeline Brown was acclaimed for her leading female role in “The Sleeping Prince” at the Pocket Playhouse, Sydney’s Unique Little Theatre, and her professional career began the next year. Since then Noeline has become a renowned actress and comedienne winning both popular and critical acclaim including a Logie award in 1978 for the most popular NSW female personality.

She is married to writer/producer Tony Sattler. Together they run a production company -Wintergreen Productions, live in the Southern Highlands and Noeline continues to write, act and do community work. She has been interested in social, political and community issues throughout her career and has worked for arts organisations and institutions including the Actors Benevolent Fund.

In 2006, she received a “Children’s Week Community for Children Award” for “volunteering to improve the
lives of children”.

On 12th April 2008 she was appointed Ambassador for the Ageing. Also in 2008 she was the recipient of The Glugs Norman Kessell Memorial Award for her performance in “Glorious”.

In 2005 she wrote her autobiography, Noeline Brown – Longterm Memoir.

For further information her web site is http://www.noelinebrown.com.au

Vivien Leigh

Vivien Leigh accepting a gift of orchids from Norman McVicker at Pocket Playhouse, 1961.

Vivien Leigh came to the Pocket Playhouse on Sunday October 22, 1961 escorted by fellow actor John Merivale. Yes, the same stage actress and famous film star who played ‘Scarlett’ in the block buster ‘Gone With the Wind’. She came to a performance of ‘The Sleeping Prince’ (she had created the stage role in London) with Noeline Brown and Edward Lansdowne in the featured roles. We became good friends and I visited her backstage at the old Theatre Royal. The full story of her visit to the Pocket Playhouse is recorded in ‘Encounters With Rainbows’ published privately and presently unavailable.

Doris Fitton

Dame Doris Fitton, OBE, CBE, DBE (1897-1985)

I have no idea when I first met Dame Doris Fitton OBE, CBE, DBE. She always seems to have been part of my life in the theatre. I remember her name from the 1930s and I believe the first time I saw her on stage was in 1947 when she played the leading role in ‘Mourning Becomes Electra’. When the Pocket Playhouse opened in 1957 she was there, and on stage after performance to praise, encourage and offer advice. Theatre stories about her are legendary. You can read about her life in ‘Tales from along the Wallaby Track’. She was the grand dame of the Australian Theatre for nearly fifty years.

Roger Barratt

Roger Barrett

Roger Barratt was an extraordinary man. He came to the Pocket Playhouse in 1966. He was 17 years of age and had just left school. He said “I want to learn about lighting”. He learnt quickly—and the extraordinary man he was never forgot where he made his start in theatre lighting. He was always there when a special effect was needed.

In 1966 he designed the lighting for “Five Finger Exercise” and “Blithe Spirit”. In 1967 “Our Town” and “The Business of Good Government” performed by the Pocket Playhouse in St Brigid’s Church, Marrickville were added to his list of achievements. His lighting of the arrival of the arch angel Gabriel in a pool of shimmering gold light was memorable. He made a special colour wheel for the finale of “The Limelighters” in 1970 and simulated blood running under a door in “Heloise” (1971).

1968 was a vintage year for Roger at the Pocket. He was the recipient of a prestigious Pocket Award for Lighting Effects for “The Killing of Sister George”, “The Little Foxes” and “Exit the King”. In 1969 he designed the lighting for ‘The Came to a City” and was engaged by The Australian Opera for “Un Ballo in maschera”.

From that point during the next twenty odd years he became a top lighting designer and worked on over 300 productions and for every major management in Australia and “Sugar Babies” both in Australia and London with Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney.

Nothing was impossible in Roger’s world. It just took a little longer and patience to achieve. Even when Norman retired to Mudgee he kept in touch with him. Sadly, he died on June 13, 1995 following a courageous battle with leukaemia, aged 47 years.