John Robert Unicomb (4 July 1928 – 13 August 2012) was an Australian actor and stage manager who had early successes in radio as a child actor and was later influential in the history of theatre in Tasmania. He was active in the industry for some 75 years. The surname has often been misspelled 'Unicombe'.

Early life Unicomb was the eldest son of Morris Britain Unicomb (born 14 July 1900) and Beatrice Mary Unicomb, née Warburton (died 11 August 1990) of Dulwich Hill, New South Wales, who encouraged the development of their sons' vocal talents.

He had early successes in elocution and recitation competitions in eisteddfods. He started an Arts course at Sydney University but abandoned his studies for a career in radio drama.

Career Unicomb began acting as a child with ABC Radio's Children's Session in 1936.

Unicomb played Terry O'Riordan in Chauvel's 1949 film Sons of Matthew, becoming friends with John Ewart, whom he knew from his days working on the ABC Children's Session.

In 1951, Unicomb had a small part in the film Captain Thunderbolt, played Oswald in a well-reviewed King Lear for John Alden and, famously, an athletic Hamlet in Robin Lovejoy's production at Sydney's Metropolitan Theatre. On the strength of his performance in Hamlet, Unicomb won a place in Ngaio Marsh's company, touring New Zealand.

Unicomb relocated to the United Kingdom, to further his acting career. Around 1956, he appeared (as ‘father’) alongside wife Fernande Glyn (as 'mother') in Dennis Driscoll's Off the Deep End, for the Colwyn Bay Repertory Theatre in Wales.

In 1958, the pair returned to Australia, where they appeared in several productions together. In mid-1959, Unicomb appeared with Glyn as part of J. C. Williamson's Shakespeare Company in a Melbourne production of The Merchant of Venice in Melbourne. The following year, they appeared in a regular radio comedy, Mr. and Mrs. – as part of Omnibus on Sydney's 2GB.

In late 1962, both Glyn and Unicomb had lead roles together, alongside David Hutcheson and Martine Messager in another J. C. Williamson’s production, a play adapted from Marcel Achard's L'Idiote, called A Shot in the Dark, a French comedy which ran for nearly four months in Sydney and Melbourne. In late 1964, the pair were again cast together in the satire, How the West Was Lost. Around 1965, Unicomb and Glyn were guest stars together on The Mavis Bramston Show. Unicomb later worked as a comedian.

Unicomb moved to Tasmania, where he worked in theatre for four decades as an actor, director and theatre manager. In 1972, he founded the Tasmanian Theatre Company in which he worked as actor, manager and executive director until 1986. He was appointed general manager of Hobart's Theatre Royal the same year, a position he held until his retirement in 1994. Unicomb continued to work as a freelance actor, publicist and manager after this time, and regularly conducted guided tours of the Theatre Royal.

Unicomb met a theatrical milestone in 2010, when he marked his 600th performance, playing the lead role of Aegeon in Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, as part of the inaugural Shakespeare Festival at University of Tasmania, Hobart.

An audio recording of Unicomb's theatre recollections is held by the National Library of Australia in Canberra.

Personal life Unicomb met actress Fernande Glyn when they were playing lead roles in rival Shakespearian productions in Sydney. A year later, the couple relocated to London, where they were married in their first few weeks there. Wedding guests included Leo McKern and Ralph Peterson.

The couple remained in the UK for six years, spending the first two years in London, working in stage, radio, and television. They welcomed son Michael around the end of 1953, after which time, they bought a caravan and toured England, Wales, and Scotland with theatrical groups.

Unicomb and Glyn returned to Australia in August 1958, where their second son David was born about six years after Michael. By the end of the 1960s, the couple had divorced.

Unicomb met his second wife, actress Gillian, starring opposite her in a stage production of London Assurance. Together they relocated to Tasmania.

Unicomb was involved in the protests against Australian involvement in the Vietnam War.

Unicomb died in 2012, at the age of 834 after a short battle with cancer. He was survived by his wife Gillian and three sons.

Morris Unicomb His brother Morris James Unicomb (c. 1933 – 25 February 2006) achieved fame as a child, playing the unborn brother of Tyltyl in a radio adaptation of Maeterlinck’s The Bluebird. In 1942 he played the lead role in radio series Johnny Be Careful. and at age eleven played Pip in the serial Budge's Gang. He also featured in the premiere episode of Blue Hills and 1947 film Bush Christmas, which won praise in Europe.

Robin Unicomb Robin Antony Unicomb (born c. 1942) was a successful juvenile entrant to numerous eisteddfods in elocution and singing, and as an adult sang bass parts from Gilbert and Sullivan.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1949 Sons of Matthew (aka The Rugged O'Riordans) Terry O'Riordan 1950 Know Your Children Short film 1952 Captain Thunderbolt 1969 The Intruders Bernie 1980 Fit as a Fiddle Jack Short film 1981 Save the Lady Minister for Transport 1986 Departure Minister 2009 The Voyage That Shook the World Old Man Darwin Direct-to-video film

Television Year Title Role Notes Ref.1957 Boyd Q.C. 1 episode Adventure at Cow Crossing Eric TV movie Hour of Mystery Doctor 1 episode Mister Charlesworth The Fiddler 1 episode Whack-O! Mr Harbord 1 episode The New Adventures of Charlie Chan Tom, Detective 1 episode 1958 O.S.S. Nazi Officer 1 episode 1960 The Square Ring Ford TV play 1961 The Merchant of Venice Antonio TV play The Outcasts Captain H.C. Antill Miniseries, 10 episodes 1962 Family Album Edward Valance TV play 1963 Time Out Matthews Flinders 1 episode The Hungry Ones Captain Watkin Tench Miniseries, 9 episodes 1964 I Have Been Here Before Oliver Farrant TV play Prysuska, Marsha (5 February 1964) 'Hotel Guests Take Journey into Time', TV Times. Retrieved 4 February 2026 The Purple Jacaranda John Bannister Miniseries, 10 episodes 1964–1965 The Stranger Istosin 2 episodes

Theatre Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1947 Cinderella Meets a Wolf Independent Theatre, Sydney 1948 Julius Caesar Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson's Rusty Bugles Ollie Independent Theatre, Sydney Measure for Measure 1949 The Merry Wives of Windsor Romeo and Juliet Metropolitan Theatre, Sydney 1951 Hamlet Hamlet 1952–1953 Henry VI, Part III Duke of Exeter / Lord Hastings The Old Vic, London, Birmingham Repertory Company Henry VI, Part II Bolingbroke, a conjuror / Lord Clifford 1953 Henry VI, Part I Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter, Great Uncle to the King 1954 The Conscience of the King William Laud Sheffield Playhouse with Sheffield Repertory Company 1956 Off the Deep End Father Colwyn Bay Repertory Theatre, Wales 1958 The Key of the Door Arkwright UK tour with Gordon Harbord Titus Andronicus Independent Theatre, Sydney Alice in Wonderland Phillip St Theatre, Sydney with William Orr Productions 1959 The Merchant of Venice Gratiano Theatre Royal, Adelaide, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Theatre Royal Sydney with J. C. Williamson's King Lear Oswald The Winter's Tale Young Shepherd A Midsummer Night's Dream Theatre Royal, Adelaide with J. C. Williamson's A Ride on a Broomstick Phillip St Theatre, Sydney 1960 Mistress Money 1962 Alice in Wonderland Once Upon a Mattress Palace Theatre, Sydney 1964 Overruled St James' Hall, Sydney, Grace Brothers Auditorium, Sydney with AETT How the West Was Lost Neutral Bay Music Hall, Sydney J.B. Nickles Independent Theatre, Sydney Becket 1965 Two Plays in Rehearsal Village Wooing AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Private Lives Theatre 62, Adelaide with South Australian Theatre Company The Gallant Imposter, or She Wooed and She Would Not Neutral Bay Music Hall, Sydney 1966 A French Affair The Dreadful Fate of HMS Revenge Alice in Wonderland Phillip Theatre, Sydney, Tivoli Theatre, Sydney 1967 Gypsy Menzies Theatre Restaurant, Sydney 1968 Present Laughter Hunter Theatre, Sydney Private Lives Hunter Theatre, Sydney, Palace Theatre, Sydney 1969–1970 Canterbury Tales Knight / King Theatre Royal Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with J. C. Williamson's 1971 The Bandwagon Director Princess Theatre, Launceston, Theatre Royal, Hobart Ghosts Production Manager Theatre Royal, Hobart 1972 Cash Executive Producer Theatre Royal, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Company Major Barbara Director Richard II Director The Girl in the Freudian Slip Director Theatre Royal, Hobart, Princess Theatre, Launceston, Devonport Town Hall with Tasmanian Theatre Company 1973 Move Over Mrs Markham Director Launceston, Theatre Royal, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Company Sticks and Bones Director The Philanthropist Director Theatre Royal, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Company 1974 The Odd Couple Administrator 1975 Equus Director Fiddler on the Roof Tevye 1976 Absurd Person Singular Producer Othello Othello Princess Theatre, Launceston, Theatre Royal, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Company Da Director Tasmanian tour with Tasmanian Theatre Company 1977 The Sound of Music Director Theatre Royal, Hobart with Tasmanian Theatre Company Count Dracula Director 1980 Spring Awakening Voice of Professorial Board Mt Nelson Theatre with Tasmanian Theatre Company 1981 Betrayal Director Tasmanian tour with Tasmanian Theatre Company 1982 The Department Director Noye's Fludde The Voice of God St John's Church, New Town with Tasmanian Theatre Company 1983 Death of a Salesman Willy Loman Tasmanian tour with Tasmanian Theatre Company 1985 Hotdogs Set and/or Property Maker Hobart with Zootango Theatre Company 1987 Theatre Royal Grand Birthday Celebration Theatre Royal, Hobart 1991 Hook's Mountain Voiceover Artist Peacock Theatre, Hobart with Zootango Theatre Company 1996 Deceit Older Peter / Angleton 2001 Burnt Piano Sam Beckett Peacock Theatre, Hobart with Mainstage Theatre Company Music and Poetry Moorilla Estate, Berriedale 2003 The Kid Various Theatre Royal, Hobart 2004 Something to Declare 2010 The Comedy of Errors Aegeon / Officer University of Tasmania, Hobart

Radio Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1936 Children's Session ABC Radio 1942 Big Sister 2UW 1950 The Typewriter 2KY with Mercury Mobile Players 1952 Willow Bend 2UW 1960 Mr. and Mrs. Omnibus on 2GB 1961 Cattleman 1962 Lust for Life Vincent Van Gogh 1963 The Robe Demetrius Becket Becket The Image of Dorinda Robert Webster The Louise Conway Story Dave Parry

References