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Lorraine Bayly

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Lorraine Bayly
AM
Lorraine Bayly in 2012, at the premier of Annie (musical)
Born
Lorraine Daphne Bayly

(1937-01-16) 16 January 1937 (age 87)
Narrandera, New South Wales, Australia
Occupations
  • Film television and theatre actress
  • presenter
  • pianist
  • singer
  • dancer
  • theatre founder
  • director
  • stage manager
  • writer
Years active1954–2018[1]
Known for

Lorraine Daphne Bayly AM (born 16 January 1937) is an Australian actress of film, television and theatre, narrator, presenter, singer, dancer, pianist and theatre director, stage manager and writer.[1]

Bayly has been a performer since she was a child, and became a professional actress in 1954,[1] having started as a theatre performer. She is perhaps best known to small screen audiences for her soap opera roles, especially in the World War II period-piece drama The Sullivans as matriarch Grace Sullivan, as well as roles in legal drama Carson's Law as Jennifer Carson and briefly in serial Neighbours as Faye Hudson, the sister of patriarch Doug Willis played by Terence Donovan.[2]

She is well-known also for having been a presenter of children's television series Play School as an original presenter in 1966 until 1978.[3]

Early life

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Bayly was born in Narrandera, New South Wales. Her first performance was at age 3, playing tambourine with the Salvation Army.[4][5] At ages 5–9, she wrote, directed and starred in plays in the local jail; her father being a policeman, amateur magician and ventriloquist.[6]

At age 9–10, she had her own ventriloquist act which 35 years later she performed on The Parkinson Show in 1983, using host Michael Parkinson as her dummy.[7]

At age 11–12, she played classical piano Saturday afternoons live on Radio 2UE.[6]

Career

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Theatre

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Bayly was a founder witth Hayes Gordon of the Ensemble Theatre at Kirribilli. She has appeared in professional theatre since 1954, her roles including Chase Me Comrade with Stanley Baxter, playing Linda Loman in Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller's The Last Yankee, Sheila in John Misto's Shoehorn Sonata, Mrs Patrick Campbell in Dear Liar, Margaret in Rough Justice, D H Lawrence's The Daughter-in-Law, David Williamson's Travelling North and Birthrights, Bella in Gaslight and The Male of The Species with Edward Woodward. In 2010 Bayly starred in the well known play Calendar Girls and more recently in David Williamson's When Dad Married Fury and The Sound of Music[1]

Television

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listed among Lorraine Bayly's many television credits: The miniseries 1915 (ABC), The Challenge playing Eileen Bond, in Grim Pickings (SAFC) as Betsy Tander and as Lindy Chamberlain's mother Avis Murchison in Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story. She was also a popular presenter and original cast member on the children's television show Play School from 1966 to 1978.

Bayly is perhaps best known to television audiences for her portrayal in the drama series The Sullivans (1976–1979), as the motherly Grace Sullivan dealing with life for an ordinary Australian family during the Second World War.

From 1982 to 1984, Bayly played the lead role of in another period television drama Carson's Law as progressive lawyer Jennifer Carson set in 1920s Melbourne. The episodes revolved around the cases taken on by Jennifer and the various personal intrigues of her family. The series also starred Kevin Miles as Jennifer's father-in-law Godfrey Carson and Gregg Caves, as Billy Carson. The series Carson's Law was written specifically for Bayly.

From 1991 to 1992, Bayly appeared in serial Neighbours as Faye Hudson. Faye was a "busybody" who moved in with her brother Doug Willis Terence Donovan and his family.[2]

Film

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Lorraine Bayly's film roles include Fatty Finn (AFI nominated), Ride a Wild Pony for Disney and The Man From Snowy River alongside acting legend Kirk Douglas.

Retirement

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In 2019 Bayly retired from acting due to numerous health problems.[8]

Honours & awards (selected)

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Association Award Year Work Results
Australian Government Member of the Order of Australia 2001 Honoured
Australian Variety Variety's 100 Entertainer of the Century 2006 Lifetime honour Honoured
Logie Awards Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actress 1978 The Sullivans as Grace Sullivan Won
Logie Awards Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actress 1979 The Sullivans as Grace Sullivan Won
Logie Awards Silver Logie Award for Most Popular Actress 1983 Carson's Law as Jennifer Carson Won

Bayly was made a Member of the Order of Australia by The Queen in the Australia Day Honours List 2001.

She has won 10 awards from 14 nominations including three Silver Logies in 1978, 1979 and 1983 for Most Popular Actress in The Sullivans and Carson's Law respectively. She was also named in "Australian Variety's 100 Entertainers of the Century" in 2006.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1965 Birth of Jesus Role unknown Film short
1967 Heaven Help Us Role unknown Film short
1975 Ride a Wild Pony (aka Born to Run) Mrs. Ellison Feature film
1980 Fatty Finn Maggie McGrath Feature film
1982 The Man From Snowy River Rosemary Hume Feature film
2014 Locks of Love Doris Feature film
2015 To My One and Only Doris Film short

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1965 Diary of a Plastic Surgeon Teleplay
1966 The Interpretaris Verna Balovna TV series, 6 episodes
1966–76 Play School Presenter TV series, 147 episodes
1967 Owly's School Presenter TV series
1967–71 Homicide Moira Simmons / Jennifer Tracy / Margaret Stevens / Audrey Shepherd TV series, 4 episodes
1967; 1968 Hunter Karen Savage / Sharon Reid / Diana Mannering TV series, 3 episodes
1967 Divorce Court TV series, 1 episode
1969 Division 4 Jenny Noble / Linda Szabo TV series, 2 episodes
1969 The Rovers Virginia Shaw TV series, 1 episode
1970 The Link Men TV series, 1 episode
1971 Spyforce Julia Carpenter TV series, 1 episode: "The Bridge"
1974 Silent Number Jackson TV series, 1 episode
1976–79; 1980 The Sullivans Grace Sullivan TV series, 594 episodes
1978 Case for the Defence Sister Barrett TV series, 1 episode
1979 The Wonderful World of Disney James' wife TV series, 2 episodes
1982 1915 Helen Gilchrist TV miniseries, 4 episodes
1982 Smithy's Friends TV pilot
1983–84 Carson's Law Jennifer Carson TV series, 184 episodes
1986 The Challenge Eileen Bond TV miniseries, 6 episodes
1988 The Pandas Narrator Film documentary
1988; 1990 Rafferty's Rules Gwen Forster / Audrey Shepherd TV series, 2 episodes
1989 A Country Practice Jean Richmond TV series, 2 episodes
1989 Grim Pickings Betsy Tender TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1989 Home Brew Edna Eustace TV film
1991–92 Neighbours Faye Hudson TV series, 48 episodes
1992 The Adventures of Snugglepot, Cuddlepie and Ragged Blossom Narrator TV special
1995 Toddlers and their Thinking Narrator Film documentary
1995 G.P. Pat Stoppard TV series, 1 episode
2001 Pizza The Fairy TV series, 1 episode
2004 Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story Avis TV miniseries, 2 episodes
2014 When the Queen Came to Town Narrator TV documentary special
2015 The Jewel of the Mountains Narrator TV documentary

Television (as self)

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Year Title Role Type
1966 Be Our Guest Host TV series
1968 Marriage Confidential Herself TV series
1977; 1978 Sammy Awards Guest TV special
1978 The 20th Annual TV Week Logie Awards Silver Logie Winner TV special
1978; 1979; 1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest TV series, 3 episodes
1978; 1983 ABC News Herself TV series, 2 episodes
1979 The 21st Annual TV Week Logie Awards Silver Logie Winner TV special
1979; 1997 This Is Your Life: Lorraine Bayly Special guest TV series, 2 episodes
1979 Sammy Awards Host TV special
1980 Capriccio Guest TV series, 1 episode
1980 What'll They Think of Next? Panelist TV series, 1 episode
1982; 1983 Parkinson in Australia Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1988 Life Education Television Appeal Guest TV special
1989 Accentuate the Positive Herself Film documentary
1989; 1990 In Melbourne Today Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1989 The Bert Newton Show Guest TV series, 1 episode
1989 The Great TV Game Show Guest TV series, 1 episode
1990 Burke's Backyard Celebrity gardener TV series, 1 episode
1990 Working Actor Series Herself Film documentary
1991 Play School 25th Anniversary Guest TV special
1991 The Midday Show Guest TV series, 1 episode
1991 Tonight Live With Steve Vizard Guest TV series, 1 episode
1992 New Faces Guest judge TV series, 1 episode
1992; 2012 The Morning Show Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1992 In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
1992 What's Cooking Guest TV series, 1 episode
1992 Review Guest presenter TV series, 1 episode
1993 Real Life Guest TV series, 1 episode
1994 Midday with Derryn Hinch Guest TV series, 1 episode
1994 Ernie and Denise Guest TV series, 1 episode
1994; 1995 At Home Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1994 Homicide... 30 Years On Herself TV special
1995–2005 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series
1995 Ten News Herself TV series, 1 episode
1995 Sale of the Century: Battle of the TV Classics Contestant (with The Sullivans cast Paul Cronin, Andrew McFarlane & Susan Hannaford) TV series, 1 episode
1995 The Crawford Story Herself TV special
1996 Play School 30th Anniversary Guest TV special
1996; 1997 Monday to Friday Guest TV series, 2 episodes
1996 40 Years of TV Stars... Then and Now Guest TV special
1997 The 7.30 Report Herself TV series, 1 episode
1998 Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
2001 People Dimensions Guest TV series, 1 episode
2005 Talking Heads Guest TV series, 1 episode
2005 50 Years 50 Shows Herself TV special
2005 50 Years 50 Stars Herself TV special
2006; 2010 Today Tonight Guest TV series, 2 episodes
2006-2010 20 to 1 Herself TV series, 6 episodes
2007; 2008 Susie Guest TV series, 2 episodes
2011 A Current Affair Guest (with The Sullivans cast Paul Cronin, Andrew McFarlane & Steven Tandy) TV series, 1 episode
2011 Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation Contestant TV series, 1 episode
2014; 2015 The Daily Edition Guest TV series, 2 episodes
2015; 2016 Today Extra Guest TV series, 2 episodes
2016 Big Ted's Excellent Adventure: 50 Years of Play School Guest TV special
2018 Sunday Night Guest TV series, 1 episode
2018 Studio 10 Guest TV series, 1 episode

Stage

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Source[1]

Year Production Role Venue / Company
1954 The Desert Song Rockdale Town Hall
1958 Variations on Similar Themes Cammeray Children's Library, Theatre Institute, Sydney
1958–60 The Man Ruth Theatre Institute, Sydney, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1959 The Drunkard The Child Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1960 The Lonely Hearts Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1961 The Buffalo Skinner The Mother Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1962 Fairytales of New York All female roles Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1963 The Season at Sarsaparilla Judy Pogson Theatre Royal, Sydney with J. C. Williamson's / Elizabethan Theatre Trust
1964 Mary, Mary Tiffany Richards Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with J. C. Williamson's
1965 The Rehearsal Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1965 Chase Me Comrade Nancy Rimmington Theatre Royal, Sydney with J. C. Williamson's
1967 Invitation to a March Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1968 The Rimers of Eldritch Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1969 The Daughter-in-Law Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1969 Come Laughing Home Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1970 We Bombed in New Haven Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1970 Three Months Gone Anna Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1971 Who Killed Santa Claus? J. C. Williamson's
1973 Suddenly at Home Sheila Wallis Comedy Theatre Melbourne with J. C. Williamson's
1973 Queen of the Rebels Marian Street Theatre
1974 Who's Who Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1975 The Male of the Species J. C. Williamson's
1976 Status Quo Vadis Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1980–81 The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Mona Stangley Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne with Cooke Hayden Price
1982 The Man From Snowy River Rosemary Hume
The Last Yankee
1991 Gaslight Bella
1992 Dear Liar Mrs Patrick Campbell
1996 Rough Justice Prosecutor Margaret Casely Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
1997 Death of a Salesman Linda Loman Sydney Opera House
1999 The Shoe-Horn Sonata Sheila
2000 Travelling North Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
2003 Birthrights Margaret Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Opera House, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney,
2007 Rabbit Hole Nat Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra
2010 Calendar Girls Jessie Lyric Theatre, Brisbane Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
2012 When Dad Married Fury Judy Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Theatre Royal, Sydney
2015 The Shoe-Horn Sonata Sheila Ensemble Theatre, Sydney
2015–16 The Sound of Music Frau Schmidt Regent Theatre, Melbourne, Crown Theatre, Perth, Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Lyric Theatre, Brisbane, Festival Theatre, Adelaide

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Lorraine Bayly". AusStage.
  2. ^ a b Dempsey, Shelley (20 June 1992). "Airwaves". The Sun-Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 26 February 2012.
  3. ^ "Presenters".
  4. ^ "Lorraine Bayly joins the cast of The Sound of Music with Cameron Daddo and Marina Prior". The Daily Telegraph. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  5. ^ Lorraine Bayly interview for The Daily Show, Dec 2015, retrieved 20 December 2023
  6. ^ a b "Nostalgia Week: Lorraine Bayly | TV Tonight". TV Tonight. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Where are they now? Lorraine Bayly starring in The Sound of Music". WYZA. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  8. ^ Duck, Siobhan (30 January 2021). "Lorraine Bayly on the health issues forcing her to retire from acting". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
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