John McKellar interviewed by Bill Stephens [sound recording]
- Bib ID:
- 3524839
- Format:
- Audio
- Author:
- McKellar, John, 1930-2010, interviewee
- Online Access:
- National Library of Australia digitised item
- Access Conditions:
- Access open for research, personal copies and public use.
- Description:
-
- 2005
- 4 sound files (ca. 206 min.)
- Summary:
-
John McKellar talks about his family background and childhood; education at St. Charles, Waverley, where he met Gerry Donovan and Lance Mulcahy; his interest in writing; working as a teacher before moving to Sydney to work fulltime as a writer; the Independent Theatre, and Doris Fitton; how he became involved in writing for revues; The Phillip Street Theatre; his engagement as a writer for the Theatre; various productions he was involved in; Tommy Trinder; Lyle O'Hara; Bill Orr; Gloria Dawn; sketches written for the ABC; his first trip to London; being invited to become Artistic director of The Phillip Street Theatre; Dot Mendoza; the productions "The Willow Pattern Plate", "A Ride on a Broomstick" and "Mistress Money"; his first visit to New York; working in advertising; his production "A Cup of Tea, A Bex, and a Good Lie Down"; Doncaster Theatre Restaurant in Kensington; the Manly Loft; the Richbrook Theatre; The Comedy Theatre Restaurant in Sydney; going to America to work in antiques for nearly 20 years; the musical "Keystone"; how he became interested in antique textiles; returning to Australia to work on "Virtual Unreality" at the Tilbury Hotel; other productions he worked on; his antique textile business; working with Max Lambert for the Sydney Cabaret Conventions; a film called "The Graffiti Killers"; writing for television; writing for revues at Frank Strain's Copenhagen Restaurant; his song-writing techniques and work methods; thoughts on the art of songwriting; future projects.
- Biography/History:
-
John McKellar, born 1930 in Orange, New South Wales, is an Australian writer, specialising in satirical revue material. He contributed songs and sketches to a succession of Phillip Street Theatre revues in the 1950s and 1960s. He also co-authored, with Eleanor Whitcombe, several musicals presented at the Phillip Street Theatre, including Mistresss Money, The Willow Pattern Plate and Ride on a Broomstick. In 1965 he wrote A Cup of Tea, a Bex and a Good Lie Down. He also writes for radio and television.
- Notes:
- Recorded on July 19, 2005 at Canberra, A.C.T.
- Related Material:
- Collection of photographs of John McKellar during an oral history interview by Bill Stephens at the National Library of Australia, 19 July 2005; located at; National Library of Australia Pictures collection PIC Online access #NL39482
- Index/Finding Aid Note:
- Timed summary (16 p.) and time-coded transcript available.
- Subject:
- Other authors/contributors:
- Stephens, Bill, 1936-, interviewer
- Copyright:
-
In Copyright
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- Reason for copyright status:
- Until 2075 [Created/Published Date + 70 Years]
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Sound Recording
- Published status:
- Unpublished
- Creation date:
- 2005
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.
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