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Marie Armstrong interviewed by Alex and Annette Hood in the Alex Hood folklore collection [sound recording]
Bib ID 3802200
Format AudioAudio [sound recording]
Author
Armstrong, Marie, 1928-, Interviewee
 
Access Conditions Access open for research, personal copies and public use. 
Description 2006 
2 digital audio tapes (ca. 130 min.) 
Series

Alex Hood folklore collection

Summary

Folkloric recording. Marie Armstrong, born 1928 at Newtown Hospital talks about her family background; Cedric McGaughlin; her half-brother; Callan Park; Richard Stonehouse; her schooling and early life; learning dance at Kath Hannerburg's School; singing; performing in the 1940's at the Tivoli with Roy Rene and at the Sydney Town Hall; audiences; the wartime; her performances in this period; her introduction to the New Theatre in Castlereagh Street; the Whitehall Academy; Harold Rich and his fiancé; Communists; Norman Leal; becoming involved in the New Theatre; Metropolitan Business College; her workplace; Oliver (Yobber) Smith; working on scripts for the theatre; politics; Stanislavski; John Armstrong; Communist Party of Australia (CPA); conflicts in the CPA; Leon Sherman; Eddie Alison; Keith Gow; her first production "The Death of Bessie Smith"; co-producing "Reedy River"; Dot Thompson; Shirley Barnett; Pat Flower and Peter Francis; Graham Richards; Loretta Butcher; Jock Levy; "Rum and Coca Cola"; Kai Tai Chan; Margaret Barr.

Armstrong discusses productions at the New Theatre; Maggie Kirkpatrick; Roger Millis; Mona Brand; Suzie Wolfe; Coralie Hinkley; Keith Bain; Chris Kempster; Denis Kevans ("Snowy"); Jim and Gaile Maclean; the origins of New Theatre; Joan Devanny; the C.P.A. supporting the theatre; the Sydney Morning Herald; the Wharfies' Union; Ibsen's play, "Enemy of the People"; selling the 'Tribune'; the Canterbury branch of the C.P.A.; Jim Healey and the union; the McMahon Government; a grant from the Whitlam Government; Jack Mundey; 'Dance Explorations' with Margaret Barr; John Tasker; the Vice Squad; John Hargreaves; Teachers' Federation Hall; Marrickville Council; 75th 'Anniversary' (2007); donations and preparations; the change in the theatre scene; change in politics in Australia; her husband John working with 'Young Elizabethan's'; Norm Slater; her husband's illness and death (1980); Pat Barnett; adoption attempts; ASIO; receiving an OAM (1977); Miriam Hamson; Shirley Barnett; Lydia Loschiavo; Stella Adler; Brian Syron.

Biography/History

Marie Armstrong is a long-standing member of Sydney's New Theatre and has acted and directed with the company for many years. As a child, she danced in pantomimes and even at the Tivoli with people like Roy Rene (Mo). She remains a committed Socialist and received the Order of Australia Medal for her community work in 1977.

Notes

Recorded on October 12, 2006 at Croydon, N.S.W.

Digital master; National Library of Australia, Oral History collection;

Index/Finding Aid Note Detailed summary (15 p.) 
Subjects Armstrong, Marie, - 1928- - Interviews.  |  Communist Party of Australia.  |  New Theatre (Sydney, N.S.W.) - History.  |  Theatrical producers and directors - New South Wales - Sydney - Interviews.  |  Actors - New South Wales - Interviews.
Occupation Theatre producers and directors.  |  Actors
Other authors/contributors Hood, Alex, 1935-, Interviewer  |  Hood, Annette, 1948-, Interviewer

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Members of Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Maori communities are advised that this catalogue contains names and images of deceased people. All users of the catalogue should also be aware that certain words, terms or descriptions may be culturally sensitive and may be considered inappropriate today, but may have reflected the author's/creator's attitude or that of the period in which they were written.