Garry McDonald is pondering who is the architect of the Theatre Royal in Hobart. Peter de Graves name is prominent in relation to the Theatre. Garry says that de Graves wasn’t an architect, and he’s right, De Graves was a designer. This is Garry, meticulous in his research for his roles, in this case Garry is returning to the Theatre Royal as MC of the theatres special 175th birthday celebrations this year. Garry is also well informed about what is making the news in Tassie and is a little aghast at the possibility of Tassie purchasing the mono rail to service Salamanca and North Hobart!
In a way it is going to be a Very romantic occasion, not just because it is a celebration of all the romance and intrigue the theatre had seen in the last 175 years, but it’s also the place where Garry’s personal romance with his now wife began.
Garry was performing his second play at the theatre, playing the middle aged man in a relationship with a younger woman. He was all of 21, testimony of his great acting ability that he could do such a role even then, and his leading lady Diane Craig was 20. Garry says he was captured by Diane’s beauty and was a bit hesitant to talk to her. It happened that one night at a party for the play some champagne loosened the young people’s inhibitions and up on the chaise lounge in the dress circle Garry someone turned the lights off and had his first kiss with the lovely Diane who would become his wife.
Garry doesn’t get back to Tasmania a lot these days. He has cut back on theatre, which he still holds strong views about, such as the actor’s responsibility to honour the script. He still loves theatre which features comedy, such as ‘Uncle Vanya’ but has cut back to spend more time with his family and has been doing, and aiming to do more TV and film roles. Most recently roles in quality productions ‘Rake’ and ‘Offspring’, but it will be a coup for the theatre to have Garry there for the 175 celebrations. It may be surprise to know that Garry has strong links with not just the theatre but Tasmania too, his mum was born in Ulverstone and his grandfather in Stanley and both he and Diane have cousins and other relatives here which they are hoping to catch up with on their extended trip for the celebrations. They are going to stay for about ten days and Garry would like to see Freycinet, Cradle Mountain and Strahan and of course he and Diane would love to see Mona.
One thing you may not see Garry and Diane doing is go fly fishing. In the Midlands Diane has a few bad memories of walking gently on the ground and hearing a rustling in the grass that was a tiger snake!
I couldn’t talk to Garry without mentioning his two most famous creations Norman Gunston and Arthur Bear.
Garry says that Norman came very close to being axed as some people did not approve of some of his antics!. That situation was prevented however and Norman went on to greater fame, in fact the pinnacle in Australian television he collected the Gold Logie!
Norman holds the distinction of being the only character to win a Logie award. Garry says that Norman was a force in this in that he asked his viewers to fill in every category with ‘Norman Gunston’ and his loyal viewers did just that!
Garry’s winning appearance as Norman was carefully put together by this keen observer of physical traits. He has always been fascinated by the lower mandible (the lower jaw which is defined as the largest and strongest bone in the face and as Grey’s Anatomy texts so eloquently put it is for ‘the reception of the lower teeth’). It is an air hostess (presumably with a magnificent mandible) that inspired that interest! Another fascination was the comb back look to cover depleting follicles for which, Norman is a fashion icon. Other little idiosyncrasies like Normans penchant for stemming shaving cuts with tissue paper and leaving dry-cleaning labels on his clothes came out of a constant battle between Garry and Graham Bond of Aunty Jack fame to outdo each other with these humorous quirks.
Garry’s other alter ego was the wonderful Arthur Bear which made us wonder how much he could bear with his strong willed Mum to contend with. Garry says hands down the magnificent Ruth Cracknell was his favourite acting partner and he makes an interesting observation. Mature actors tend to fall into two categories, they can become more cynical or they can become ‘dames’ or ‘divas’ but Garry says Ruth was never like this, she never told anyone what to do. It’s no wonder this great lady is Garry’s acting hero.
With such a great body of work I wonder if Garry is considering having a biography or even thinking of writing a biography. Garry says that some years ago someone was in the process of writing one but it was not to be and he finds writing tedious so there is no likelihood of a biography any time soon, which is a pity.
Talking of body, and to reinforce what was said earlier, the lower mandible that fascinates Garry is the ‘largest and strongest bone in the face’ and among great acting talent Garry would have to be one of the largest and strongest personalities on the face of Australian theatre and television.
You can see Garry in his Master of Ceremonies debut when he hosts ‘A Night of Stars’ celebrating the 175th Anniversary of another icon Tasmania’s Theatre Royal on 21st April 2012.
Paula Xiberras
