AustLit

Hal Percy, originally named Percy Ewart Henry, was born and grew up in Melbourne. He began his theatrical career in 1920 in Phillip Lytton's travelling tent-show company. Throughout the 1920s he was in demand as an actor, often playing in J. C.Williamson Ltd.'s companies. In 1931 he and Brett Little founded the Melbourne Little Theatre. In 1933 Percy married, and then embarked upon a career in radio, firstly devising variety programmes and then producing serials. He set up his own company, Hal Percy Productions. During World War II Percy worked mostly in variety, and continued working in this area when he joined the ABC in 1945. He died suddenly in Sydney.

Percy was known for his versatility in the theatre world, being equally at ease on radio and the stage, and in variety as much as drama. His two volumes of verses, published during the Second World War, were written in a style similar to that of C. J. Dennis, and showed patriotism as well as humour.

Major source : Australian Dictionary of Biography : Online Edition