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John Gaden

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John Gaden
Gaden at the 2012 AACTA Awards
Born (1941-11-13) 13 November 1941 (age 82)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Occupation(s)Actor, director
Years active1960–present

John Stuart Gaden AO (born 13 November 1941) is an Australian actor and director known particularly for his stage career, although he has also made some film and television appearances.

Career

[edit]

John Gaden was born in Sydney where his father owned a successful legal practice, Gadens. He attended Cranbrook School, Sydney, where he performed in various school plays. After school he studied arts and law at the University of Sydney. After appearing with the Sydney University Dramatic Society, he decided to pursue a theatrical career in lieu of a legal one.[1]

His professional career started in the early 1960s.[1] In 1970 he appeared in a production of Hadrian the Seventh in Perth, directed by Sir Tyrone Guthrie, and with fellow actors Arthur Dignam and Judy Nunn.[1][2] Guthrie was impressed enough with Gaden to recommend him to Robin Lovejoy, who cast him in a production of The Crucible, which resulted in a positive review from The Sydney Morning Herald's theatre critic Harry Kippax, which in turn led to a three-year contract with the Old Tote Theatre Company (the precursor of the Sydney Theatre Company).[1] He has also recorded audiobooks of British children's series Fireman Sam and Australian children's series Magic Mountain.

He performed many roles with Sydney's Nimrod Theatre Company in the 1970s. For three years he was associate director of the Sydney Theatre Company with Richard Wherrett, during which time he directed and co-directed the notable production of The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickleby.[1]

From 1986 to 1989 Gaden was artistic director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia based in Adelaide.[1][3] In Adelaide he co-directed various productions with Gale Edwards. He has also appeared with the Belvoir St Theatre and the Queensland Theatre Company.

Gaden had a strong connection with novelist and playwright Patrick White. He performed in a 1980 ABC TV adaptation of White's play Big Toys, a 1985 production of his play Signal Driver: A Morality Play for the Times and the film of White's novel The Eye of the Storm.[4] As Artistic Director of the State Theatre Company of South Australia, Gaden commissioned White's final play, Shepherd on the Rocks (1987) and played the lead role in the premiere production, alongside Geoffrey Rush and Kerry Walker.[5]

Gaden would appear in ABC legal comedy Fisk, Gaden was announced to return for the third series[6]

Awards

[edit]

John Gaden was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1986 Australia Day Honours for his services to the performing arts.[7] He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) at the 2018 Australia Day Honours.[8]

He was won two Helpmann Awards for Best Male Actor in a Play: in 2001, for Yasmina Reza's The Unexpected Man, and in 2007, for The Lost Echo. In 2005 he won a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for Michael Frayn's Democracy.

Personal

[edit]

He is divorced, and has a son and three grandchildren. He lives alone.[1]

Stage

[edit]

As actor

[edit]
Year Title Role Type
1961 Twelfth Night University of Sydney
1961 Serjeant Musgrave's Dance: an Un-historical Parable University of Sydney
1962 Coriolanus University of Sydney
1967 King Lear Theatre 62
1967 Rattle of a Simple Man Theatre 62
1967 Cabbages at the Cross Roads Theatre 62
1968 The Pied Piper of Hamelin Theatre 62
1968 On Approval Theatre 62
1968 The Anniversary / Poor Bitos Theatre 62 for Adelaide Festival of the Arts
1968 Green Julia Theatre 62
1968 The Father Adelaide Teachers College Theatre
1968 Burke's Company Adelaide Teachers College Theatre with State Theatre Company of South Australia & Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust
1969 The Rope Dancers Lameshnik St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1969 Out of the Crocodile St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1969 Have You Any Dirty Washing Mother Dear? St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1970 The Haunted House Theopropides Octagon Theatre
1970 Black Comedy Harold Gorringe Octagon Theatre
1970 Twelfth Night Feste Octagon Theatre
1970 Othello Iago Octagon Theatre
1970 The Crucible Old Tote Theatre Company[9]
1970 Brecht on Brecht The Old Dolphin Theatre
1970 The Seagull Octagon Theatre
1970 Hadrian the Seventh Octagon Theatre
1970 Narrow Road to the Deep North The Old Dolphin Theatre
1970 The Voice of the Explorer Octagon Theatre
1970 The Voice of God St George's Cathedral, Perth
1970 The Voices of Reason and Romance Octagon Theatre
1970 Children's Day Tom Sutton (Emma's solicitor) St Martin's Theatre, Melbourne [10]
1971 Hoddel's Remarkable Handcart University of NSW
1971 King Oedipus Leader of the Chorus Princess Theatre Melbourne, Octagon Theatre & University of Adelaide
1971 Flash Jim Vaux James Hardy Vaux (Flash Jim) Nimrod Theatre Company
1971-72 The Man who Shot the Albatross Princess Theatre Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide & Elizabethan Theatre
1971 The Trial of the Catonsville Nine Russell Street Theatre
1972 Uncle Vanya University of NSW
1972 How Could You Believe Me When I Said I'd Be Your Valet When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life? Canberra Theatre with Old Tote Theatre Company[11][12]
1973 Arsenic and Old Lace University of NSW
1973 King Richard The Second Richard II Sydney Opera House
1973 What If You Died Tomorrow? Sydney Opera House
1974 Love for Love Sydney Opera House
1974 The Cradle of Hercules Sydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre Company
1975 You Want It Don't You Billy? Nimrod Theatre Company
1975 Peer Gynt Sydney Opera House
1975 Singles Nimrod Theatre Company
1976 Travesties Henry Carr Nimrod Theatre Company
1976 A Handful of Friends Playhouse, Adelaide
1976 Never the Twain Playhouse, Adelaide
1976 The Recruiting Officer Captain Plume Nimrod Theatre Company
1976 The Duchess of Malfi Ferdinand Nimrod Theatre Company
1976-77 Dirty Linen Cocklebury-Smythe MP Nimrod Theatre Company
1977 Young Mo Mr Sluice / Stiffy Nimrod Theatre Company
1977 Travesties Henry Carr Nimrod Theatre Company
1977 Ashes Colin Harding Nimrod Theatre Company
1978 Oedipus the King / Oedipus at Colonus Creon Playhouse, Adelaide
1978 Three O'Clock Farewell Playhouse Adelaide
1978-79 Kold Komfort Kaffee Actor / singer Nimrod Theatre Company & Space Theatre, Adelaide
1978 Pandora's Cross Mac Greene Paris Theatre, Sydney
1978 Visions President Lopez of Paraguay Paris Theatre, Sydney
1978 Jumpers Professor George Moore Nimrod Theatre Company
1979 Life of Galileo Galileo Galilei Nimrod Theatre Company
1980 The Sunny South Dick Duggan Sydney Opera House
1980 Close of Play Benedict Sydney Opera House & Theatre Royal, Sydney
1980 The Two Gentlemen of Verona Silvia / Speed / Sir Eglamour Seymour Centre
1980 Measure for Measure Escalus / Abhorson Seymour Centre
1981 The Man from Mukinupin Cecil Brunner / Max Montebello Sydney Opera House
1981 Hamlet Ghost / Player King Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1981 Innocent Bystanders Stables Theatre
1982 Amadeus Antonio Salieri Theatre Royal, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company[13]
1983 Mostly Mozart - Australian Chamber Orchestra Narrator Sydney Opera House
1983 The Way of the World Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1984 The Pillars of Society Karsten Bernick Sydney Opera House
1985 Signal Driver Theo Belvoir Theatre Company
1985 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Seymour Centre
1986 Dreams in an Empty City Wilson Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia for Adelaide Festival of Arts
1986 The Real Thing Henry Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1986 Wild Honey Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1987 Shepherd on the Rocks Reverend Daniel Shepherd Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1987 The Winter's Tale Leontes / Shepherd Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1988 1841 Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia for Adelaide Festival of Arts & Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company[14]
1988 King Lear King Lear Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1988 A Dream Play Lawyer Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company for Festival of Sydney & Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1990 The Tempest Prospero Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company
1989 Lost Weekend Space Theatre, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1989 Hedda Gabler Judge Brack Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1989 Ring Round the Moon Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1990 The Secret Rapture Tom French Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1990 Moby Dick Ahab Malthouse Theatre for Melbourne International Festival of the Arts
1990 Present Laughter Garry Essendine Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company
1991 Racing Demon Reverend Lionel Espy Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company
1991 Uncle Vanya Vanya Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
1991 A Flea in Her Ear Chandebise Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1991-92 Money and Friends Peter Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse, Adelaide & Canberra Theatre with Queensland Theatre Company
1991-92 The Wizard of Oz - The Musical Professor Chester Marvel / The Wizard / The Gatekeeper State Theatre, Melbourne with RSC [15]
1992-93 Death and the Maiden Roberto Miranda Wharf Theatre, Russell Street Theatre, Playhouse, Perth, Space Theatre, Adelaide & Sydney Opera House with Melbourne Theatre Company
1993 Coriolanus Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1993 The Visit Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1994 Furious Space Theatre, Adelaide for Adelaide Festival of Arts, Malthouse Theatre & Sydney Theatre Company
1994 Hysteria, or Fragments of an Analysis of an Obsessional Mind Sigmund Freud Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company
1995 Sydney Stories 1: The Ninth Wonder / The Price of Prayer / The Last Days of a Famous Mime / Family Running for Mr. Whippy Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1995 Picasso at the Lapin Agile Belvoir Theatre Company
1995 Saint Joan Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1995 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Glen Street Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1995 Arcadia Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia, Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Canberra Theatre & His Majesty's Theatre, Perth
1996 As You Like It Wardrobe Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1996-97 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Queens Park Theatre, Perth, Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre, Esperance Civic Centre, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Burnie Arts and Function Centre, Princess Theatre, Launceston, Canberra Theatre & Sydney Opera House
1997 Ariadne auf Naxos State Theatre, Melbourne & Sydney Opera House with Opera Australia for Sydney Festival
1997 A Hard God Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1998-2001 Cloudstreet Lester Lamb Berth 9, Darling Harbour, Playhouse, Adelaide & Malthouse Theatre, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Playhouse, QPAC, Olivier Theatre, London & Harvey Lichtenstein Theater, New York with Company B Belvoir / Black Swan Theatre
1998 Henry IV Falstaff Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre, Malthouse Theatre, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Monash University, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth & Sydney Opera House with Bell Shakespeare
1998 Love for Love Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
2000 The White Devil Cardinal Monticelso Theatre Royal, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company
2000 The Unexpected Man Persky Belvoir Theatre Company & Fairfax Studio, Melbourne
2001 No Man's Land Spooner / Hirst Queensland Theatre Company & Sydney Theatre Company
2002-04 Copenhagen Niels Bohr Wharf Theatre, Athenaeum Theatre, Glen Street Theatre, Monash University, Playhouse Canberra & Playhouse, QPAC with Sydney Theatre Company
2003 Waiting for Godot Vladimir Belvoir Theatre Company[16]
2003 Major Barbara Andrew Undershaft Parade Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2003 The Fever Belvoir Theatre Company
2004 Victory: Choices in Reaction Scrope Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2004 The Miser Harpagon (The Miser) Sydney Opera House
2005 Democracy Sydney Theatre Company
2006 The Lost Echo Tiresias Sydney Theatre Company
2005 Stuff Happens Jack Straw (British foreign minister) Seymour Centre & Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
2005 The Cherry Orchard Gaev Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2006 Mother Courage and Her Children Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2006 The Bourgeois Gentleman Philosophy Tutor Sydney Theatre Company
2007-08 The Season at Sarsaparilla Clive Pogson Sydney Opera House & Playhouse, Melbourne with Sydney Theatre Company
2007 The Art of War Patterson Blake / Emmett / Chorus Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2007 A Midsummer Night's Dream Starveling / Peaseblossom Sydney Theatre Company
2007 Tales from the Vienna Woods Leopold Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
2008 The Serpent's Teeth: Citizens Rasid Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company[17]
2009 The War of the Roses Sir John Falstaff / John of Gaunt / Edmund, Duke of York His Majesty's Theatre, Perth & STC
2009 Pericles Gower (Narrator) & others Sydney Opera House & Playhouse, Melbourne
2009 King Lear Lear Dunstan Playhouse
2010 The Trial Priest &.Herr Huld Subiaco Arts Centre, Malthouse Theatre & Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company & ThinIce
2011-12 The Wild Duck Håkon Werle (Greger's father) Belvoir Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre & National Theatre, Oslo
2011 The Seagull Pyotr Nikolayevich Sorin Belvoir Theatre Company
2011 No Man's Land Hirst Bille Brown Theatre with Queensland Theatre & Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
2012 Face to Face Uncle Sydney Theatre Company
2013 Other Desert Cities Lyman Wyeth Southbank Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
2013 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Polonius Sydney Theatre
2013 Hamlet Claudius Belvoir Theatre Company
2013-14 The Wild Duck Håkon Werle (Greger's father) MuseumsQuartier, Vienna, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam, Barbican Theatre, London & Heath Ledger Theatre
2015 Seventeen Mike Belvoir Theatre Company
2015 Orlando Elizabeth / Chorus Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
2016 Straight White Men Ed Fairfax Studio with Melbourne Theatre Company
2016 The Hansard Monologues: Age of Entitlement Malcolm Turnbull Glen Street Theatre, Seymour Centre, Bruce Illawarra Performing Arts Centre & Old Parliament House, Canberra
2016 A Life in the Theatre Robert Eternity Playhouse with Darlinghurst Theatre Company
2017 2071 Professor Chris Rapley Seymour Centre with Australian Theatre for Young People[18]
2017 The Rasputin Affair Vlad Ensemble Theatre[19]
2018 Saint Joan inquisitor / Archbishop Roslyn Packer Theatrewith Sydney Theatre Company
2018-19 Diplomacy Raoul Nordling Ensemble Theatre
2019 Packer & Sons Rupert Murdoch Belvoir Street Theatre
2023 Do Not Go Gentle Oates Roslyn Packer Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
2023 Mr Bailey's Minder Leo Bailey Ensemble Theatre[20]

[21] Source: AusStage

As crew

[edit]
Year Title Role Type
1980 The Ballad of Billy Lane Director Stables Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1981 Rare Words - Brave Deeds Playwright / Director Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1981 No End of Blame Director Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1981 Innocent Bystanders Director Stables Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1982 The Conquest of Carmen Miranda Director Sydney Theatre Company
1983 The Portage to San Cristobal Director Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1983-85 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Co-director Theatre Royal, Sydney, State Theatre, Melbourne & Festival Theatre, Adelaide with Sydney Theatre Company
1984 The Conquest of Carmen Miranda Director Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1985 The 1985 Scandals Director Belvoir Theatre Company & Universal Theatre
1986 Pravda Director Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1987 After Magritte Director Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1987 Much Ado About Nothing Director Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1987 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Director Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1988 1841 Co-director Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia for Adelaide Festival of Arts & Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company[14]
1988 Rough Crossing Director Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia & Gary Penny Productions
1989 The Tempest Director Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
2022 The Tenant of Wildfell Hall Dance Choreographer Roslyn Packer Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company[22]

Filmography

[edit]

Film

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2023 The Appleton Ladies' Potato Race Dr Holliday Featured film
2016 The Death and Life of Otto Bloom Charles Reiner Mockumentary film
2011 The Eye of the Storm[23] Arnold Wyburd Feature film
2004 Right Here Right Now Judge Doyle
2003 Excursion Narrator Short film
2001 WillFull Bill Feature film
1998 A Little Bit of Soul Dr. Sommerville Feature film
1997 Thank God He Met Lizzie Dr O'Hara Feature film
1996 Children of the Revolution Professor C.W. Wilke Feature film
1995 Mushrooms Reverend Braningan
1995 Dad and Dave: On Our Selection Reverend McFarlane Feature film
1994 Muriel's Wedding Doctor Feature film
1984 Conferenceville Ian Selfridge TV movie
1980 Big Toys Ritchie TV movie
1978 The Tichborne Affair TV movie
1977 The FJ Holden Waiter Feature film
1976 Mad Dog Morgan Extra Feature film
1976 Caddie Solicitor Feature film
1976 God Knows Why, But It Works Defence Counsel
1975 I'm Here, Darlings! TV movie
1973 The Affray at Fogg's Humpy Frank Gardiner Short film
1973 The Taming of the Shrew TV movie

Television

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes
2022 Bump Kenny 2 episodes
2021–present Fisk Anthony Fisk 7 episodes
2022 Significant Others Pastor 1 episode
2020 Operation Buffalo Swanny 3 episodes
2010–18 Rake[24] Governor General 2 episodes
2013 A Place to Call Home Dr. Stewart 1 episode
2012 Underbelly Merv Grogan 2 episodes
1994 Halifax f.p. Toser's Solicitor 1 episode
1985 Mother and Son Funeral Assistant 1 episode
1980 Players in the Gallery TV miniseries
1979 A Place in the World Warwick Lacey TV miniseries, 1 episode
1977 Beyond Reasonable Doubt Defence 1 episode
1976 Luke's Kingdom D'arcy 1 episode
1975 The Explorers Performer 1 episode
1975 Homicide George McKenna 1 episode
1975 Matlock Police Walter Anderson 1 episode
1975 Behind the Legend S.T. Gill 1 episode
1974 Flash Nick from Jindavick Sergeant Carson 1 episode
1968 Contrabandits Crowe 1 episode

Audiobooks

[edit]
Year Title Role
Fireman Sam Narrator
Magic Mountain Narrator
[edit]

John Gaden on IMDb

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Jo Litson (9 July 2011). "Taking risks keeps Gaden the centre of attention". The Australian. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  2. ^ judynunn.com Archived 27 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2 April 2015
  3. ^ Daniel Meyer-Dinkgrafe, ed., Who's Who in Contemporary World Theatre. Retrieved 2 April 2015
  4. ^ Yeo, Samuel. "People and pets". Patrick White Catalogue. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  5. ^ Yeo, Samuel. "Shepherd on the Rocks". Patrick White Catalogue. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Returning: Fisk | TV Tonight". 21 September 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  7. ^ It's an Honour. Retrieved 2 April 2015
  8. ^ "GADEN, John Stuart". It's an Honour. Australian Government. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  9. ^ "John Gaden AM, b. 1941". National Portrait Gallery people. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  10. ^ "Children's Day". Theatregold. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  11. ^ Tait, Peta (2021). Body Show/s: Australian viewings of live performance. BRILL. pp. 128–129. ISBN 978-90-04-48586-0.
  12. ^ Jones, Margaret (16 October 1972). "Who says that vaudeville is dead?". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 10.
  13. ^ "Amadeus". www.ausstage.edu.au. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 23 May 2020.
  14. ^ a b "ARCHIVE MICHAEL GOW". www.sydneytheatre.com.au. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  15. ^ "The Wizard of Oz – The Musical" (Melbourne 1991), AusStage, accessed June 4, 2018
  16. ^ "Belvoir St. Theatre - Past Shows: "Waiting for Godot"". Belvoir.com.au. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  17. ^ https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/-/media/project/sydney-theatre-company/sydney-theatre-company/pdf/2008/education/the-serpents-teeth-notes.pdf [bare URL]
  18. ^ "2071 | Stage Whispers". www.stagewhispers.com.au. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  19. ^ https://www.ensemble.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/The-Rasputin-Affair-A5-Program-vWEB.pdf [bare URL]
  20. ^ Burgess, Charlotte (14 July 2023). "John Gaden returns to Ensemble Theatre". Ensemble Theatre. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  21. ^ "John Gaden". AusStage.
  22. ^ "John Gaden theatre profile". www.abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  23. ^ "Airdate: Movie: The Eye of the Storm | TV Tonight". 29 May 2012. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  24. ^ "Returning: Rake | TV Tonight". 22 July 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2024.