John Derum

Screen

Derum first appeared on Australian television in the first episode of Homicide in 1964 – a serious role as the delinquent son of a bank security guard. Later, he appeared in another Australian police drama Division 4 (1970–1972). He became well known for his role as Narrator Neville in the first season of the ABC's irreverent satire/comedy The Aunty Jack Show (1972).^[6][7] Derum appeared in a number of comedy and revue series including The Thursday Creek Mob (1971), The True Blue Show (1975), Doctor Down Under (1979) as Doctor Maurice Griffin,^[8] and Ratbags (1981). He appeared in the final edition of The Mavis Bramston Show in 1975.

He played B. A. Santamaria in the ABC miniseries True Believers (1988) and Francis James in The Gadfly (1994)^[9] and appeared in G.P. and Mother and Son.

For ABC Television, he hosted more than 200 editions of the national quiz The Oz Game and more than 50 episodes of the Australian music and folklore program That's Australia.

Derum lent his voice to the ABC children's animated television series The Adventures of Sam, the animated film Dot and the Kangaroo (1977) and a tv movie version of Wind in the Willows (1988). He also narrated the audio book Sanctuary by Judy Nunn.

His film appearances include Mad Dog Morgan, The Trespassers (1976; as Richard),^[6][10] Kazzam International, and The Night the Prowler (1978; as John).^[6][11]

John Derum has become widely identified with his interpretation of the work of Australian writers, particularly C. J. Dennis. He performed More than a Sentimental Bloke, his tribute to Dennis, more than 500 times around Australia between 1979 and 1994. He has also recorded and performed The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke and the Dennis masterpiece The Glugs of Gosh.

He was twice held offices for Actors Equity and founded an actors support group called "Actor's Forum".

Theatre and radio

Derum first appeared in theatre the same year he made his TV debut in 1963, after being cast in a production of the George Whaley play Billy Liar at Wal Cherry's Emerald Hill Theatre. Within six months, he was working alongside Googie Withers and Keith Mitchell in a nationwide Shakespeare tour called The First Four Hundred Years. The young actor continued to work and mature and play roles in such productions as The Seagull (Adelaide Festival, 1970), Peer Gynt (Sydney Opera House) and several roles in The Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Sydney Theatre Company, 1983–1985), and The Crucible (Sydney Theatre Company) and numerous other revues, musicals and variety performance.

Derum was artistic director of the Canberra Theatre Company in 1985 and 1986.

He was awarded a Literary Fellowship by the Australian Defence Force Academy, which enabled an expanded script of More than a Sentimental Bloke.

Derum served as Manager of the Independent Theatre, from 1996 and 1999, overseeing the restoration and re-opening of the historical theatre.

After his return from the Blue Mountains to Sydney in 2007, he resumed his career as an actor and director. He has directed many rehearsed readings of new scripts, including Waiting for Goterson by Sam Atwell. He played Oscar Wilde in Lady Windermere's Fan and Aiden Turner and David Marsh in David Hare's The Power of Yes in 2010.

Film

Television

As actor

As crew

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