Brian Crossley
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Brian Stow Crossley (5 October 1926 – 8 September 2012) was an English-born actor, director and drama tutor, who after starting his career in his native country, emigrated to Australia. He appeared in and directed numerous roles in theatre and on television over a career spanning more than 50 years, including directing straight theatre, musicals, opera and operetta.
Contents
Biography
He was born in Shipley in West Yorkshire , England to engineering draughtsman Harry Crossley and Minnie Stow. He attended Birmingham College of Speech and Drama and performed as part of Birmingham Repertory Theatre , he appeared in a production of Gilbert and Sullivan 's Patience D'Oyly Carte Opera Company , playing a variety of small roles. In 1952 he played in Gay's the Word West End , he emigrated to Australia in 1954, where he moved to Melbourne to join the Union Theatre Repertory Company . He toured Australia and New Zealand in 1956 with the J. C. Williamson Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company , but with the arrival of television he turned his attention to the screen.[1]
He appeared in a variety of television programs, including Homicide Division 4 Consider Your Verdict The Box Adventure Island
During this period he also directed for the stage; his first directing project was Christoph Willibald Gluck 's Orfeo ed Euridice Victorian State Opera ; he subsequently directed Benjamin Britten 's The Rape of Lucretia Domenico Cimarosa 's The Secret Marriage Franz Joseph Haydn 's L'infedeltà delusa Dennis Olsen . He directed a wide variety of Gilbert and Sullivan operettas and in 1973 was appointed a director of the National Theatre 's Opera School. He moved to the Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education in Queensland around 1982.[1]
Crossley died in Melbourne on 8 September 2012, aged 85.[1]
Television
Actor
Director
Year Production Role Type 1974–76 The Box Director TV series, 24 episodes 1980 The Ioslanthe Director TV movie
Producer
Year Production Role Type 1974 The Box Producer TV series, 10 episodes
Theatre (selected)
Actor
Year Production Role Venue / Company 1948 Let the People Live Actor Birmingham Repertory Theatre [2] 1948 Peer Gynt Actor Birmingham Repertory Theatre [2] 1950–51 Patience Mr. Bunthorne's Solicitor / Major Murgatroyd D’Oyly Carte Opera Company , Malvern, Worcestershire [3] 1950–51 The Yeomen of the Guard First Citizen D’Oyly Carte Opera Company , Malvern, Worcestershire [3] 1952 Gay's the Word West End, London 1954 Tram Stop 10! Actor University of Melbourne 1955 Under the Sycamore Tree Actor University of Melbourne 1955 Twelfth Night Actor University of Melbourne & VIC/SA regional tour1955 The Dark is Light Enough Actor University of Melbourne 1955 The Time of Your Life Actor University of Melbourne 1955 You Never Can Tell Actor University of Melbourne 1955 The Barretts of Wimpole Street Actor University of Melbourne 1955 The Man Actor University of Melbourne 1955 Return Fare Actor University of Melbourne 1956 The Gondoliers The Duke VIC regional tour 1956 Arms and the Man Actor VIC regional tour 1956 Trial by Jury Associate Theatre Royal, Adelaide 1956 The Yeomen of the Guard Actor / Singer Theatre Royal, Adelaide 1958 Cox and Box H.M.S. Pinafore Actor Theatre Royal, Adelaide 1958 Hotel Paradiso Actor University of Melbourne 1958 The Knight of the Burning Pestle Actor University of Melbourne 1961; 1964 Alice in Wonderland White Rabbit Comedy Theatre, Melbourne , Tivoli Theatre, Melbourne 1962; 1963 Noddy in Toyland Mr Pink-Whistle Comedy Theatre, Melbourne , Theatre Royal, Sydney 1963 Where Do We Go From Here ?Actor St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1968 A Thousand and One Stars Actor Her Majesty’s Theatre, Melbourne 1974 Death of a Salesman Actor SGIO Theatre with Queensland Theatre 1975 The Wedding of Count Potocki South Australia 1978 The White Horse Inn Grinkle Canberra Theatre 1980 Jack and the Beanstalk Actor VIC regional tour 1980 Goldilocks Actor VIC regional tour 1980 Red Riding Hood Actor VIC regional tour 1980 Alice in Wonderland Actor VIC regional tour 1980 The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe Actor VIC regional tour 1980 Cinderella Actor Northland Shopping Centre Theatre, Melbourne & VIC regional tour
Director/crew
Year Production Role Venue / Company 1955 You Never Can Tell Assistant Stage Manager University of Melbourne 1955 Design for Living Assistant Stage Manager University of Melbourne 1955 The Barretts of Wimpole Street Assistant Stage Manager University of Melbourne 1955 The Man Stage Manager University of Melbourne 1960 Nothing Sacred Producer Star Theatre, Melbourne 1961 The Importance of Being Earnest Director University of Melbourne 1965 Alice in Wonderland Director Her Majesty’s Theatre, Adelaide 1968; 1969 It Happened In Tanjablanca Director Viaduct Theatre Club, Melbourne 1969 The Rape of Lucretia Director St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1969 L'Orfeo Director St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with Victorian Opera 1970 Count Ory Director Camberwell Civic Centre with Victorian Opera 1971 The Deluded Infidel L’infedeltà delusa or Deceit Outwitted )Producer Camberwell Civic Centre with Victorian Opera 1971 The Secret of Susannah Help! Help! The Globollinks Director Princess Theatre, Melbourne 1974 The Gondoliers Producer Festival Theatre, Adelaide 1975; 1977; 1978 The Gondoliers Director Sydney Opera House , Princess Theatre, Melbourne 1975; 1978 The Mikado Producer Festival Theatre, Adelaide ,1975 Albert Herring Director National Theatre, Melbourne 1976 Iolanthe Director Sydney Opera House , Festival Theatre, Adelaide 1977 The Mikado Director Sydney Opera House 1978; 1980 The Masters Writer / Director Comedy Theatre, Melbourne , Seymour Centre, Sydney , Playhouse, Adelaide , Civic Theatre, Burnie , Princess Theatre, Launceston , Theatre Royal, Hobart , Canberra Theatre 1978 The Yeomen of the Guard Director Festival Theatre, Adelaide , Princess Theatre, Melbourne , Regent Theatre, Sydney 1979 Cox and Box H.M.S. Pinafore Director Princess Theatre, Melbourne 1979 H.M.S. Pinafore Director Canberra Theatre , Polly Woodside, Melbourne 1980 The Pirates of Penzance Director National Theatre, Melbourne , Canberra Theatre 1980 Lock Up Your Daughters Director National Theatre, Melbourne , Monash University 1981 The Medium Producer National Theatre, Melbourne 1985 The Little Sweep Director Melbourne Concert Hall 1987 Princess Ida or, Castle Adamant Director Canberra Theatre The Secret Marriage Director My Fair Lady Director
[4]
References
^ Sinclair, Marion (20 October 2012). "Brian Crossley, 1926–2012" . The Age ^ "Brian Crossley | Theatricalia" ^ "Brian Crossley" ^ "AusStage" External links