Richard Bruce Wherrett AM (10 December 19407 December 2001) was an Australian stage director, whose career spanned 40 years. He is known for being the founding director of the Sydney Theatre Company in 1979.
Early life Richard Wherrett was born on 10 December 1940, the younger brother of motoring journalist Peter Wherrett. Their father Eric was an abusive and violent alcoholic from whom the family would often escape to nearby cinema houses when he would fly into a rage. This, together with his mother Lyle McClintock's love of Jerry Lewis films played a big part in Wherrett developing an interest in show business and a talent for comic impersonations.Richard Wherrett davidleser.com March 2016
He was educated at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney, before attending the University of Sydney, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1961. His contemporaries at the university included Clive James, Germaine Greer, Bruce Beresford, Mungo McCallum, Bob Ellis, John Bell, John Gaden, Laurie Oakes and Les Murray.
After falling off stage during a university performance of The Three Musketeers, Wherrrett abandoned the idea of acting, but discovered his love of directing while in London in the mid-1960s.
He taught English and Ancient History at Trinity Grammar for four years.
Career In 1965 Wherrett moved to London and worked with the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex. He also directed at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, the Lincoln Theatre Royal and Lancaster University.
Old Tote Theatre Company He moved back in Australia in 1970, and worked for the ABC in South Australia, before becoming an assistant on King Oedipus and assistant director on Major Barbara, both for the Old Tote Theatre. Soon after, he was appointed associate director to Robin Lovejoy, as well as artistic director of the Australian Theatre for Young People. His tenure was short-lived, and he ultimately returned to London for a spell, teaching again at East 15.
Nimrod Theatre Company In 1972 Wherrett moved back to Australia. He joined the Nimrod Theatre Company, and became co-artistic director in 1974, alongside John Bell, the year it relocated to its Belvoir Street premises. Most notably, Wherrett toured The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin, including seasons in London and New York, where it garnered Off-Broadway OBIE awards.
National Institute of Dramatic Art Wherrett also directed at NIDA, including a 1976 production of Romeo and Juliet, starring Mel Gibson and Judy Davis.
Sydney Theatre Company In 1979 Wherrett was appointed artistic director at the newly created Sydney Theatre Company (STC). He staged successful productions of The Sunny South, Chicago (which toured interstate and in Hong Kong), and an eight-and-a-half hour version of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (which also played interstate).
Wherrett procured Government funding for a new headquarters for STC and an extra performance space at what became Wharf Theatre, which opened in 1984. After eleven years, Wherrett resigned from the Sydney Theatre Company in 1990.
Other stage productions Wherrett directed 127 professional theatre productions.
He directed the first performance of The Sweatproof Boy (1972), the first play written by Alma De Groen, of whom he directed most of her early works.
He also directed the Australian productions of Jesus Christ Superstar (1992), featuring John Farnham, Kate Ceberano, Jon Stevens, John Waters and Angry Anderson, and Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1995) starring Hugh Jackman, and Bert Newton. Other notable productions wereThe Stars Come Out (1996), a gala concert for the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1996) for the Melbourne International Festival, the musical Cabaret (1997), Rhonda Burchmore's Red Hot and Rhonda (1997) and Bell Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice (1998).
Wherrett also tackled opera, with Kurt Weill's Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny (1982) for Opera Australia, and Turandot (1987) for the Victoria State Opera.Hince, Kenneth. The Victoria State Opera [online]. Meanjin, Vol. 43, No. 1, Autumn 1984: 123–128. Availability: <http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=906314389337341;res=IELLCC> . [cited 30 May 2013] He also directed the world premiere of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll for the Victorian State Opera and Opera Australia.
His last major production was the Johnny O'Keefe musical Shout! The Legend of the Wild One, which toured interstate.
Wherett was the creative director for the lighting of the torch segment of the Opening Ceremony for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.
From 1985 to 1988 Wherrett was a member of the Australia Council's Performing Arts Board.
In 1992 Wherrett became artistic director of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, but resigned after producing only two festivals.
Film Wherrett's only feature film was musical comedy Billy's Holiday. He also directed two short films – The Girl Who Met Simone de Beauvoir in Paris and The Applicant (1981), and ABC TV play, The Girl from Moonooloo, with Jacki Weaver (1982).
Publications In 1997 Wherrett and his brother Peter co-wrote the autobiographal memoir Desirelines: An Unusual Family Memoir. His own autobiography, The Floor of Heaven (2000) was dedicated to Jacki Weaver. He also wrote Mardi Gras! From Frock Up to Lock Up (1999).
Directing
Stage Year Title Role Type 1970 King Oedipus Assistant Old Tote 1970 Major Barbara Assistant Director Tour with Old Tote 1971 The Man of Mode Director Old Tote 1971 The Roy Murphy Show Director Nimrod 1972 The Legend of King O'Malley Director Festival of Pacific Arts with Old Tote 1972 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Director Old Tote (televised by the ABC) 1972 The Sweatproof Boy Director Nimrod 1973 Kaspar Director Nimrod 1973 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Director Nimrod 1973 Hamlet Director Nimrod 1973 Tom Director Nimrod 1974 Kookaburra Director Nimrod 1974 The Seagull Director Nimrod 1974 The Jesters Director Nimrod 1974 The Ride Across Lake Constance Director Nimrod 1974 My Foot, My Tutor Director Nimrod 1975 Richard III Director Nimrod 1975 Perfectly All Right Director Nimrod 1975 They're Playing Our Song Director Nimrod 1976 Sextet Director Nimrod 1976 The Dark and Endless Sky Director Nimrod 1976 One of Those Girls Director Nimrod 1976 Poor Jenny Director Nimrod 1976 It Takes a While to Know One Director Nimrod 1976 Martello Towers Director Nimrod 1976 Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know Director Nimrod 1976 Romeo and Juliet Director NIDA 1977 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Old Tote 1977 The Government Inspector Old Tote 1977 Young Mo (or The Resuscitation of the Little Prince Who Couldn't Laugh as Performed by Young Mo at the Height of the Great Depression of 1929) Director Nimrod 1977 Going Home Director Nimrod 1977 Going Bananas (triple bill): Bananas, The Coroner's Report & The Flaw Director Nimrod 1977 Fanshen Director Nimrod 1977 The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin Director Malthouse Theatre with Nimrod 1978 Rock-Ola Director Nimrod 1978 A Visit with the Family Director Nimrod 1978 Gone with Hardy Director Nimrod 1979 Henry IV, Part 1 & Henry IV, Part 2 Director Nimrod 1979 The Sea Director Nimrod 1979 The High and the Mitey Consultant Playbox Theatre with Malthouse Theatre 1979 The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin Director London & Theater 4, New York 1979-81 Cyrano De Bergerac Director STC 1980 The Sunny South Co-director STC 1980 Precious Woman Director STC 1981 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Director STC 1981-82 Chicago Director Sydney Opera House, Theatre Royal, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Festival Theatre Adelaide with STC 1982 Amadeus Director Theatre Royal with STC 1982 Macbeth Director Sydney Opera House with STCMacbeth Poster sydneytheatre.com.au 1982 Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny Director Australian Opera 1983 Present Laughter Director Theatre Royal, Sydney with STC 1983 Chicago Director Hong Kong Arts Festival with STC 1983 The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby Co-director Wharf Theatre with STC & Australian Opera; later played in Melbourne and AdelaideInto the soul of STC sydneytheatre.com May 2023 1983 The Cobra Director Wharf Theatre & Melbourne Athenaeum with STC & MTC 1985 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Director Nimrod 1985 Jonah Jones Director Wharf Theatre with STCSimon Burke sydneytheatre.com January 2013 1986 Company Director Sydney Opera House with STC 1986 Hedda Gabler Director STCNick Schlieper sydneytheatre.com September 2018 1986 The Floating World Co-director STC 1987 Turandot Director State Theatre with Victoria State Opera 1987-88 Away Director STC & PepsiCo Summerfare Festival, New York 1987-88 Emerald City Director STC & in London 1988 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Director Melbourne International Film Festival (televised by the ABC) & PepsiCo Summerfare Festival, New York 1988 Loot Director STC 1988 An Ideal Husband Director STC 1988 The Game of Love and Chance Director STC 1988 The Mortal Falcon Director STC 1989 Harold in Italy Director STC 1989 Romeo and Juliet Director STC 1989-90 A Midsummer Night's Dream Director Sydney Opera House with STC 1990 Once in a Lifetime Director STC 1992 Jesus Christ Superstar Director Harry M. Miller / IMG 1992 Einstein on the Beach Director Melbourne International Arts Festival 1993 Follies Director Melbourne International Arts Festival 1994 The Temple Director STC 1994 The Gift of the Gorgon Director QTC 1995 Beauty and the Beast Director 1996 The Stars Come Out Director State Theatre, Sydney for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 1996 Melbourne's Regent Theatre reopening Director Regent Theatre, Melbourne 1996 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Director Melbourne International Film Festival (televised by the ABC) 1997 Cabaret Director Footbridge Theatre, Sydney with Gordon Frost Productions 1997 Pageant Director Paddington Town Hall with Harry M. Miller 1997 Red Hot and Rhonda Director Crown Melbourne 1997 Navigating Director QTC & MTC 1998 Wunnerful Liberace Director STC 1998 The Merchant of Venice Director Bell Shakespeare 1999 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Director Sydney Opera House 2000 Sydney Olympics Opening Ceremony - lighting of the torch segment Creative Director Sydney Olympic Stadium 2000–01 Shout! The Legend of the Wild One Director State Theatre, Sydney, Adelaide & Brisbane Source:
Film Year Title Role Type 1981 The Girl Who Met Simone de Beauvoir in Paris Director Short film 1981 The Applicant Director Short film 1982 The Girl from Moonooloo Director ABC TV play 1995 Billy's Holiday Director Feature film
Publications Year Title 1997 Desirelines: An Unusual Family Memoir 1999 Mardi Gras! From Frock Up to Lock Up 2000 The Floor of Heaven: My Life in Theatre
Awards & honours Year Nominated work Award Result 1979 The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin Obie Award Special Citation for direction 1980 The Girl Who Met Simone de Beauvoir in Paris Chicago International Film Festival Gold Hugo Award for Best Short Film 1984 Services to the Theatre as a Producer & Director Membership of the Order of Australia 1990 Significant Contribution to Sydney Theatre Sydney Theatre Critics' Circle Award 2001 Shout! The Legend of the Wild One Helpmann Award for Best Direction of a Musical Richard Wherrett AM PRODUCTION/EVENT Shout! The Legend of the Wild One 2002 Richard Wherrett Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Awards 2002 Hall of Fame Inductee (posthumous)
Personal life Wherrett knew he was gay from the age of 17. Nevertheless, he had a well-publicised relationship with the actress Jacki WeaverDavid Leser, "The Demons That Drive Richard Wherrett", Sydney Morning Herald, CorkFloor, 9 June 1995 . Retrieved 9 July 2013 from 1971 to 1974. Weaver claimed she always knew about Wherrett's sexual orientation, but nevertheless described him as the love of her life. She even moved back in with Wherrett to nurse him during his final days.
Death and legacy