Alastair Duncan (2 July 1926 – 3 August 2005), also credited as Alistair Duncan, was an English-born actor, playwright, producer and director. He was best known for his work as an actor in radio, but also in theatre and television in series and TV movies, both in his native England, Australia and the United States.

Duncan guest starred in the series Home and Away, and was described by early regular star Judy Nunn, as the Shakespeare of Radio Drama

Early life Duncan was born in Ilford, Essex, England. At the age of 16, he won a scholarship to London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating with a Diploma and the Herbert Tree Shakespeare Award. He performed for several seasons at London's Arts Theatre, before being called upon to join the British Army, which saw him posted to the Middle East, Germany and Austria for a period of three years, during which time he served with the troops entertainment unit, Stars in Battledress.

Career After being demobilised from the army, Duncan worked in radio as a member of the BBC Repertory Company for three years, and performed in several West End productions including Fanny's First Play and The Bread-Winner at the Arts Theatre, playing the role of Tim.

In 1951, Duncan relocated to Sydney, Australia, where he immediately landed radio work with Australian Broadcasting Commission, the day after his arrival. He starred in the radio series Dr Paul, in the titular role, and played lead roles in several other commercial radio serials. From 1951, he also appeared in numerous theatre roles, including playing Puck in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream to largely (but not exclusively) school student audiences in 1951 and 1952 at the Theatre Royal in Adelaide.

In 1954, Duncan left for the US, where he performed as a regular in Lux Radio Theatre in Los Angeles, acting alongside Tyrone Power and Joan Crawford. For five years he starred in radio in New York, with lead roles in two long-running US national radio serials and the international The CBS Mystery Half Hour. He also appeared on Broadway in a 1957 production of the play Under Milk Wood.

Duncan returned to Australia in 1959 and began starring as Captain Bligh in ABC television serial Stormy Petrel. In 1962, he played Captain Robert Robison in ten-part historical miniseries The Patriots. The following year, he presented Time Out, an Australian television series in which actors portrayed Australian historical figures, who were 'interviewed' by Duncan. The series lasted 26 episodes, after which a spin-off Tribunal was produced, from 1963 to 1964. Once again, Duncan hosted, this time interrogating the actions of controversial historical figures (such as Brutus, General Custer, Lizzie Borden and Richard III) as portrayed by actors including Ruth Cracknell and Ron Haddrick.

Duncan was chairman of Australian Theatre for Young People (ATYP) when its first committee was formed in 1963. He became artistic director of Killara Memorial Hall in Sydney in 1973, renaming it Marian Street Theatre the following year. For eight years, he managed the venue, helping establish it as a hub for Australian talent, appearing in and directing productions throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

After radio drama became less popular, Duncan also voiced TV and radio commercials, narrated documentaries and presented on the Discovery Channel. He also continued to perform in television and for the stage. From 1972 to 1973, he voiced the lead character of Phileas Fogg in two seasons of NBC animated series Around the World in Eighty Days. It was the first Australian-produced cartoon to be broadcast on American network television.

In 1984, Duncan appeared in the AFI Award-winning drama film Annie's Coming Out, alongside Angela Punch McGregor and Bud Tingwell. Later in his career, Duncan also appeared in the long-running television soap opera Home and Away.

In 2004, Actors' Blood, Duncan's book about the Fullers (his wife Virginia's family), pioneers of the Australian and New Zealand entertainment industry, was published.

Personal life and death In 1958, Duncan married Diana Sharpe, with whom he worked alongside at the Australian Theatre for Young People. The couple had a son and a daughter, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1982.

Duncan married his second wife, Virginia Fuller, granddaughter of theatre entrepreneur Sir Benjamin Fuller in 1993.

Duncan died in 2005, at the age of 79.

Filmography

Film Title Year Role Type 1953 El Alaméin Australian (uncredited) Feature film1964 Pattern of Life Narrator Short film The Aborigines of Australia Commentator Short film 1965 Man and a Mural Commentator Short film 1971 Demonstrator Ted Pacard Feature film 1977 The Reef Explorer (voice) Film 1982 Heatwave American Speaker Feature film 1983 On the Run (aka Nowhere to Hide) Mr. Jabert Feature film 1984 Fast Talking School Inspector Feature film A Test of Love (aka Annie's Coming Out) Hopgood Feature film

Television Title Year Role Type 1954 Great Expectations Robert Montgomery Presents, TV play, 2 episodes 1959 Lady in Danger Andy Meade TV play A Tongue in Silver Willy Figg Shell Presents, TV play 1960 Stormy Petrel Edmund Griffin Miniseries, 10 episodes1961 The Sergeant from Burralee Thomas Morland TV play La Boheme TV play The Big Client David Mason TV play1962 Land of Smiles Sou-Chong TV movie Funnel Web Paul Charlton TV play The Patriots Captain Robert Robison Miniseries, 7 episodes 1963 Time Out Interviewer 16 episodes 1963–1964 Tribunal Interviewer 22 episodes1964 I Have Been Here Before Dr Gortler TV play A Season in Hell Paul Verlaine Wednesday Theatre, TV play The Four-Poster Michael TV play 1967 Love and War Phanocles 1 episode 1967–1971 Homicide Anthony Reid / Godfrey Abbott / Timothy Bryant / John Gardiner 4 episodes1968 Hunter Tamas Spivak / Marriott 2 episodes Contrabandits Blind Cyril / Darnell / Hauschild 3 episodes1969 I've Married A Bachelor Joe Garibaldi 1 episode Riptide Harry 1 episode Division 4 Jack Parsons 1 episode Voyage Out Eddy Australian Plays, TV play 1970 The Link Men 1 episode 1972 The Survivor TV movie The Money Game The Financier (voice) TV movie Lane End Spyros Miniseries Number 96 Vernon Saville 10 episodes Elephant Boy Jaffne 1 episode Robinson Crusoe Voice Animated TV movie The Prince and the Pauper Voice Animated TV movie Yeoman and the Guard Animated TV movie Travels of Marco Polo Voice Animated TV movie Birds in the Bush (aka The Virgin Fellas) Hoffnung 13 episodes 1972–1973 Around the World in Eighty Days Phileas Fogg (voice) Animated series, 17 episodes1973 Kidnapped Voice Animated TV movie The Swiss Family Robinson Voice Animated TV movie The Black Arrow Voice Animated TV movie The Gentlemen of Titipu Voice Animated TV movie1975 The Mysterious Land Voice Animated TV movie Ivanhoe Voice Animated TV movie1976 Shannon's Mob 1 episode The Africans Narrator TV movie1977 A Journey to the Center of the Earth Voice Animated TV movie Moby-Dick Voice Animated TV movie 1979 The First Christmas Voice Animated TV movie 1981 Holiday Island Tom Ballantine 1 episode 1981–1983 Cop Shop Georges Bakos / John Corsini 2 episodes 1982–1983 A Country Practice Mr. Bourke 10 episodes 1984 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Jim (voice) Animated TV movie 1985 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Voice Animated TV movie 1987 Vietnam Ambassador Anderson Miniseries 1988 Rafferty's Rules Rex Jacobi 1 episode The Dirtwater Dynasty Doctor Miniseries, 1 episode True Believers Sir William Owen Miniseries, 2 episodes Classic Adventure Stories: Robinson Crusoe Voice Animated TV movie The Rainbow Warrior Conspiracy Hernu TV movie 1989 The Hijacking of the Achille Lauro Mossad Officer TV movie 1990; 2002 Home and Away Antonio Lucini / Judge Williamson / District Court Judge 7 episodes1991 The Emperor's New Clothes Voice Animated TV movie Ring of Scorpio Mr. Watts Miniseries, 4 episodes 1992 Six Pack Meir 1 episode 1993–1998 Australia's Most Wanted Narrator 4 episodes 1995 Echo Point Magistrate 1 episode 1996 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Voice Animated TV movie Camelot Voice Animated TV movie 1998 A Difficult Woman Honoure De Grasset Miniseries, 3 episodes 2002 Family Law Professor Hellmouth 1 episode

Video game Title Year Role Type 2000 Warlords Battlecry Voice Video game

Theatre Source: As actor Title Year Role Type Ref. 1943–1944 A Trip to Scarborough Theatre Royal, Bristol, Arts Theatre, London 1944 Mine Hostess Fabrizio Arts Theatre, London 1951–1952 A Midsummer Night's Dream Puck Theatre Royal, Adelaide Fanny's First Play West End, London 1953 The Bread-Winner Tim Arts Theatre, London Metropolitan Merry-Go-Round Metropolitan Theatre, Sydney 1957 Under Milk Wood Mog Edwards / The Guide Book / Lord Cut-Glass / Utah Watkins Henry Miller's Theatre, Broadway 1962 Beyond the Fringe Phillip St Theatre, Sydney 1965 The Representative UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney Two Plays (in rehearsal) Independent Theatre, Sydney The Fire on the Snow (in rehearsal) 1966 The Deadly Game A Far Country Luv Phillip St Theatre, Sydney 1968 The Explorers Marionette voices Australian tour with Marionette Theatre 1971 The Canterbury Pilgrims Reciter Albert Hall, Canberra 1974 The Chinese Prime Minister Marian St Theatre, Sydney 1975 Irma La Douce The Cool Duenna 1976 The Formation Dancers Cole 1980 The Breadwinner Charles

As writer / director Title Year Role Type 1965 The Servant of Two Masters Director Hurstville Civic Centre, Mosman Town Hall, Parramatta Town Hall & Killara Soldiers Memorial Hall1968 The Runaway Steamboat Director Australia Hall, Adelaide The Dragon's Holiday Director / Playwright Phillip St Theatre, Sydney & Westfield Hornsby The Emperor's Nightingale Adaptor / Director Phillip St Theatre, Sydney1969 The Barber and the Donkey Playwright Westfield Hornsby Treasure Island Director UNSW Parade Theatre, Sydney Dick Whittington Director / Music & lyrics 1970 The Prince and The Firebird Director1971 Remarkable Handcart Director The Mystery of Stanley Barlingbone Playwright1972 Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor Director / Playwright Blop Goes the Weazel Director1973 The Dragon's Holiday Playwright Bailey Hall, Chatswood The Emperor's Nightingale Adaptor The Dragon, The Donkey and The Nightingale Adaptor / Director / Playwright Blithe Spirit Director Playhouse Canberra1974 Cowardy Custard Director Playhouse Canberra & Marian St Theatre, Sydney Home and Beauty Director Don't Listen Ladies! Director Marian St Theatre, Sydney The Chinese Prime Minister Director1975 Semi-Detached Director The Cool Duenna Director The Sunshine Boys Director On Monday Next Director1976 I Do! I Do! Director The Formation Dancers Director Dry Run Director Cole Director Getting On Director1977 Something's Afoot Director The Happy Hunter Director Away Match Director A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum Director1978 Edith Piaf Director Journey's End Director What Every Woman Knows Director A Lad 'n' His Lamp Director1979 Ten Times Table Director Fanny Director The Druid's Rest DIrector Seesaw Dialect Coach1980 Rum for your Money Director Shock! Director Family Circles Director Kiss Me, Kate Director

Radio