AustLit

'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.' (Trove)