Virginia Gay is an Australian actress, writer, and director, mostly known for her work on the Australian TV dramas Winners & Losers (as Frances James) and All Saints (as Gabrielle Jaeger).
Early life and education Born in Sydney, Australia, Gay attended Summer Hill Public School and Newtown High School of the Performing Arts in Sydney as a drama and music student."Principal's Report" , Newtown High School of the Performing Arts Parent Newsletter, Issue 7, September 2006 (358 KB)
She studied English literature and performance studies at Sydney University and was a member of the Sydney University Dramatic Society from 2001 to 2003. She left Sydney University and enrolled at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA), at Edith Cowan University, Perth, where she graduated in 2005 with an Advanced Diploma of Performing Arts. She won the Coles Myer Institute Vocational Student of the Year award and the Sangora Education Foundation Award for Vocational Education and Training.
Career While still at WAAPA, Gay unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Ricky on All Saints. However, she impressed the directors so much that after graduation in 2006, she was called in to audition for the role of Gabrielle Jaeger, and won the role.
In 2008, she appeared with Ian Moss (of Cold Chisel fame) as her professional partner on the reality series It Takes Two, and the pair came third."Dirty Pretty Songs" review by Lauren Sherritt, Australian Stage, 22 June 2012"Virginia Gay plays Frances James", Winners & Losers, Yahoo!7 Gay and Moss made It Takes Two history, scoring a 10 from judge Ross Wilson in their first performance on the show.It takes Two episode guide , tv.com
In October 2008, Gay was part of the cast in a concert performance of the musical Breast Wishes in support of breast cancer."Breast Wishes: Gala Concert Performance" , Sydney Theatre at Walsh Bay (October 2008. Retrieved 10 July 2009)
In February/March 2009, when Shane Jenek (Courtney Act) injured his leg in a skiing accident, Gay was asked to replace Jenek in the production Gentlemen Prefer Blokes for the Mardi Gras festival.
From March 2011 on, Gay portrayed Frances James in the TV series Winners & Losers on the Seven Network.
From 2011 to 2016, Gay made several appearances as a guest panellist on the ABC's First Tuesday Book Club, hosted by Jennifer Byrne.
During August 2012, Gay performed her cabaret show Dirty Pretty Songs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in The Famous Spiegeltent.
In 2016, Gay played the title character in Hayes Theatre Co's production of Calamity Jane. It was directed by Richard Carroll, with musical director Nigel Ubrihien, choreographer Cameron Mitchell, and producer Michelle Guthrie. The show ran from August 3 to 7. This was Calamity Janes professional debut in Australia, although the play has a long production history via Australian amateur troupes. Virginia Gay reprised the title role in a full production of Calamity Jane which played at the Hayes Theatre from 8 March - 1 April 2017 and later at the Belvoir Theatre, Sydney. It then toured to many venues in south-eastern Australia, including Melbourne and Canberra in 2018.
In 2022, Virginia Gay wrote and performed in the play, Cyrano for the Melbourne Theatre Company. The play is a gender-flipped, modern re-imagining of Cyrano de Bergerac written in 1897 by Edmond Rostand.
In 2022, Gay joined the filming for the SBS drama Safe Home and was a part of the ABC drama Savage River as the character of Rachel Kennedy.
In May 2023, it was announced that Gay would participate in the twentieth series of Dancing with the Stars and was paired with Ian Waite. In the same year, she appeared on the fifth season of Thank God You're Here.
In June 2023 Gay was announced as the artistic director of the 2024 season of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. Gay was later announced to return as the 2025 Artistic Director of the Cabaret Festival.
Personal life In June 2008, Gay was the victim of a violent assault by two men in the suburb of Marrickville in Sydney. The men then went on to murder chef Daniel Owen."All Saints star Virginia Gay bashed in deadly rampage", The Sun-Herald (20 June 2008)"All Saints star attacked", ABC News (19 June 2008)
Charity work In May 2009, Gay was the national ambassador for Cystic Fibrosis Australia's annual awareness and fundraising campaign 65 Roses Day. Gay also attends the Good Friday Appeal held in Melbourne every year to support the Royal Children's Hospital.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes2005Once Upon a TimeGabriellaShort2006VioletWoman in toiletShort2008Winners & LosersAlison AtkinsonShort2015PalindromesNarrator (voice)Short2017Mrs McCutcheonMrs. ClutterbuckShortNaked StrangersDJ Benny J (voice)2018Paper Cut000 Operator (voice)Short2019Judy and PunchMa
Television Year Title Role NotesRef2006Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen KingFan #1Episode: "The Road Virus Heads North"Virginia (voice)TV series2006–2009All SaintsGabrielle JaegerMain role (series 9–12)2011Some Say LoveVariousEpisode: "Pilot"2011–2016Winners & LosersFrances JamesRegular role2019PreacherTruck driverEpisode: "Last Supper"2022After the VerdictTrish6 episodes Savage River Rachel KennedyABC TV: 6 episode crime dramaThe Crew's ShipMaggie2023We Interrupt This BroadcastVarious 7 episodes Mother and SonLiz3 episodesSafe Home Eve4 episodes2024Colin from Accounts Rumi2 episodes
Self appearances +YearTitleRoleNotes2023Dancing with the StarsSelf7 episodesThank God You're HereSelfSeason 5 Episode 32022The Cook Up with Adam LiawSelf1 episode2009Good News WeekHerselfSeries 7 Episode 34
Theatre YearTitleRoleVenueNotes2012On the Production of Monsters ShariMelbourne Theatre Company 2012Dirty Pretty Songs HerselfThe Spiegeltent, Edinburgh Festival Also Adelaide Cabaret Festival and other venues.2013Songs to Self-Destruct ToHerselfAdelaide Cabaret Festival2013The BeastSueMelbourne Theatre Company2016High SocietyLiz ImbrieHayes Theatre Company2016Calamity Jane Calamity JaneHayes Theatre and Belvoir TheatreIn 2018 toured to Melbourne, Canberra and other venues in Australia.2016Wonderful TownRuthSydney Opera House, Concert HallWith Squabblogic and Sydney Philharmonic Choir2016Hidden Sydney - The Glittering MileBea MilesThe World Bar (formerly The Nevada)in collaboration with Trevor Ashley and Working Management2017Vivid WhiteGüüsMelbourne Theatre Company2022CyranoCyranoMelbourne Theatre Companywritten by Virginia Gay after Edmond Rostand
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryWorkResult2017Sydney Theatre Awards Best female performer in a musical Calamity Jane Won
References
External links
Virginia Gay , Yahoo!7 (by Mondo Rock) on Good News Week, November 2009
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/a-bad-case-of-murder-teen-jailed-for-12-years-20100319-qk0e.html