Doreen Warburton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Actress
- artistic director
- theatre co-founder
Doreen Warburton | |
|---|---|
 Warburton in 1953 | |
| Born | 22 March 1930 London, England |
| Died | 19 July 2017 (aged 87) West Gosford, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1948-2006 |
| Employer | Q Theatre |
| Spouse | Ben Gabriel |
Evelyn Doreen Warburton OBE (22 March 1930 – 19 July 2017) also known as Evelyn Ward[1]was an English-born Australian actress, director, producer, singer and theatre co-founder.
Evelyn Doreen Warburton was born in London, England on 22 March 1930.[2] At 18 she began her theatre career with the Theatre Workshop, a company where all performers received equal pay and which toured, not just England but also to Scandinavia and Germany.[3]
In 1953 she migrated to Australia to join her family, who had arrived in 1949 and seeking radio work.[4] She made her Australian stage debut in The Shop at Sly Corner at the opening of the Apollo Theatre in Manly[5] and then toured New South Wales in Love From a Stranger.[6][7]
Warburton became a full-time actress in 1959 when she joined the Young Elizabethans and toured Australia for three years bringing Shakespeare's plays to school children.[4]
With actors Ben Gabriel, Edward Hepple, Robert McDarra, Terry McDermott and Walter Sullivan, she was co-founder of the Q Theatre in 1963. Initially giving lunchtime performances at Circular Quay, the company also visited building sites and factories across Australia to bring theatre to the workers.[4] In 1977 the company moved to a permanent venue in Penrith, opening with the musical Lock Up Your Daughters.[8]
As artistic director, Warburton oversaw 81 productions for Q Theatre from 1977 until her retirement in 1989.[4] In 1979 she was the first woman to direct a play at the Sydney Opera House.[9]
Warburton was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1979 Birthday Honours for service to theatre.[10]
Personal
Warburton married fellow actor Ben Gabriel in 1969, who predeceased her in 2012.[11] She died at West Gosford on 19 July 2017.[2]
