Kaarin Louise Fairfax (born 30 September 1959) is an Australian actress, director and singer who played the role of Dolour Darcy in two TV miniseries, The Harp in the South (1986) and its sequel Poor Man's Orange (1987), based on books of the same names by Ruth Park.
Early life Fairfax grew up in the theatre, with her father, George Fairfax acting in and directing shows at Melbourne's Little Theatre (now known as St Martins Youth Theatre), during which time she developed a passion for acting and the arts.
Career
Acting Fairfax acted in several Australian television series throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
She appeared in the Australian sitcom Col'n Carpenter, a spin-off from The Comedy Company, after Vikki Blanche left the series. She starred in the Rachel Perkins 2001 short film One Night the Moon alongside her husband at the time, Paul Kelly – a story of racial prejudice in the outback. She also played the role of Deb Mathieson on Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV series, Bed of Roses (2008, 2010).
Fairfax has worked as both actor and director in Australian theatre. By 2008, Fairfax had established The Little Theatre Company in Frankston, Victoria, in honour of her father George Fairfax. Fairfax directed the musical Frankston Lights in January 2009, which included songs co-written by her children (Madeleine and Memphis) and Robert McHugh. Kaarin has been working extensively since that time, joining forces with Sally Baillieu and directing The Wetlands Project, One Last Chance, performed in the Wetlands at Tootgarook. In January 2012 she directed Good People for Red Stitch Actors Theatre.
In 2015, Fairfax co-starred in the film StalkHer alongside John Jarratt.
Music Fairfax was a vocalist for Wild Blue Yonder, a Sydney-based band from 1985 which had a varied line-up but had no known recordings. In the late 1970s she was part of a comedy vocal trio The Droolettes which also included Gina Riley and Gina Mendoza, with Geoff O'Connell on piano. During 1989–1991 she supplied backing vocals on tracks by Paul Kelly & the Messengers.
In 1990, under the name, Mary-Jo Starr, she released three singles and an album, Too Many Movies. She was nominated for the 1991 ARIA Award for Best New Talent and appeared on the Breaking Ground - New Directions in Country Music compilation which was also nominated for Best Country Album. She joined Truckasaurus in 1993, a Melbourne-based Grungey/country band which released Truckasaurus in October.
Together with Sally Baillieu, Fairfax runs The Lineup at Frankston Arts Centre Cube37, a musical mentorship program for young emerging artists. Madeleine and Memphis, together with band member Sam Humphrey, record under the band name Wishful. Their first EP, Fifty Days was produced by their father Paul Kelly. Fairfax and Baillieu also have an arts program on 3RPP Radio Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, called Arts About.
Personal life Fairfax is the former wife of Australian musician Paul Kelly—they met in 1988. Their two children are Madeleine (born 1991) and Memphis (born 1993). Memphis appeared with her parents in short film, One Night the Moon. The couple separated not long after the film's release.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Type 1982 Starstruck Icecream Girl Feature film 1983 A Descant for Gossips Vinny Lalor TV movie 1987 Around the World in Eighty Ways Checkout Chick Feature film 1987 Damsels Be Damned Michelle Short film 1988 Belinda Sandra Feature film 1988 Young Einstein The Brunette Feature film 1988 A Crack in the Curtains Sarah Short film 1989 Shadow Panic The Hothead Short film 1990 Worse than Xmas Angela Short film 2001 One Night the Moon Rose Ryan Short film 2015 Holding the Man Wedding Singer Feature film 2015 StalkHer Emily Feature film 2017 Pillars Rosetta Short film 2017 What if it Works? Dr. Karen Di Scala Feature film 2017 West of Sunshine Andrea Feature film 2017 Deep Six Bonnie Short film 2018 The Resurgence Melanie Short film 2018 Just Between Us Meryl Feature film 2018 In the Wake Sue Short film 2018 The Greta Fragments Mary Short film 2018 Skewwhiff Rae Short film 2019 The Hunt Nell Short film 2019 The Diver Dorothy Short film 2019 Bloom Aunty Vera Short film 2020 The Green Door Lady in Church Feature film 2020 Paper Champions Morine Feature film 2020 Hakuumacaato Marion (voice) Short film 2023 What About Sal? Sophie Feature film
Television Year Title Role Type 1980 The Last Outlaw Grace TV miniseries, 4 episodes 1981-84 Cop Shop Joan Wyndham/ Mary Palmer TV series, 3 episodes 1981 I Can Jump Puddles Rene TV miniseries, 1 episode 1982 Sons and Daughters Schoolgirl TV series, 1 episodes 1982 Prisoner Kathy Hudson TV series, 2 episodes 1983 Home TV series, 3 episodes 1983 The Sullivans Mona TV series, 1 episodes 1984 Carson's Law Agnes Knight TV series, 1 episode 1984 The Mike Walsh Show Guest - Herself TV series, 1 episode 1986 The Harp in the South Dolour Darcy TV miniseries, 3 episodes 1987 Poor Man's Orange Dolour Darcy TV miniseries, 2 episodes 1990 Catalyst Presenter TV series 1990-91 Col'n Carpenter Linda Williams TV series, 26 episodes 1992 Tuesday Night Live: The Big Gig Mary-Jo Starr TV series, 1 episode 1995 Correlli Terri TV miniseries, 1 episode 2000 SeaChange Suzy TV series, 1 episode 2003 Kath & Kim Nurse TV series, 1 episode 2004 Fergus McPhail Ms. Rolla TV series, 4 episodes 2009 Rush Janey Merryn TV series, 1 episode 2010 Offspring Florist TV series, 1 episode 2008-11 Bed of Roses Deb Mathieson TV series, 26 episodes 2012-13 You're Skitting Me Additional cast TV series, 26 episodes 2017 Method Gina Delaware TV series, 1 episode 2018 Picnic at Hanging Rock Cook TV miniseries, 4 episodes 2019 Internment Janet TV series, 3 episodes 2022 Darby and Joan Heidi TV series, 1 episode
As crew Year Title Role Type 1993 Say a Little Prayer Drama Coach Feature film 2015 StalkHer Co-director Feature film 2018 The Greta Fragments Writer Short film
Stage
Actor Year Title Role Type 1979 The Woman Astyanax / Gemil Pram Factory, Melbourne with APG Zig Zag Follies Lead Adelaide Festival Quick Ease Cafe Comedy Lead 1980 Slipped Disco Cigs Flying Trapeze Cafe, Melbourne 1980–1981 Cain's Hand Kathy (Lead girl) Scott Theatre, Adelaide & St Martins Youth Centre, Melbourne with Nimrod Theatre Company 1983 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Bubba Anthill Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre1984 Beach Blanket Tempest Gidget North Qld tour, Araluen Arts Centre, Playhouse, Adelaide, Canberra Theatre & University of Sydney with New Moon Theatre Company The Kid Snake St Martins Youth Centre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company Top Girls Shona / Kit Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1985 The Doll Trilogy Bubba Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Athenaeum with STC / MTC 1986 No Worries Ensemble Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC1987 A Lie of the Mind BethBelvoir St Theatre, Sydney Shakers 1988 Darlinghurst Nights Gunman's Girl Wharf Theatre, Sydney, ANU, Canberra with STC King Lear Cordelia Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1988–1990 The Glass Menagerie Laura Playhouse, Adelaide & Marian St Theatre, Sydney with STCSA 1989 Speed-the-Plow Karen Sydney Opera House, Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1990 Beach Blanket Tempest Gidget Q Theatre, Penrith 1994 The Swan Dora Space Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA 1995 Haxby's Circus Gina Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1996 Miss Bosnia Selma Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, West Gippsland Arts Centre, Monash University, Canberra Theatre, Bendigo Performing Arts Centre, Geelong Arts Centre, Gold Coast Arts Centre with MTC 1999 Into the Woods Lucinda (Stepsister) Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 2017 Next Fall Arlene Chapel off Chapel, Melbourne
Director Year Title Role Type Go Away Mr. Worrythoughts Frankston Arts Centre & Australian regional tour 1992 Funerals and Circuses Director, Assistant Theatre 62, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Canberra 1993 Tall Tales and True Director South Australia tour with Magpie Theatre Company1994 Planet K Director Continental Cafe, Melbourne All of Me Director Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney & Melbourne Town Hall for Melbourne International Comedy Festival 1997 Patsy Cline: Her Songs, Her Story Director Universal Theatre, Melbourne 1998–2002 Mum's the Word Director Glen St Theatre, Sydney with Bendigo Performing Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Melbourne Athenaeum for Melbourne International Comedy Festival 1999 Popcorn Director Picture This Productions2001 It's a Dad Thing Director Melbourne Athenaeum Always ... Patsy Cline Director Darwin Entertainment Centre with Majestic Theatre Company2002 Uncle Bob Director Red Stitch Actors Theatre The Play About the Baby Director2003 The War Against Short Trousers Director Chapel Off Chapel, Melbourne Push Up Director Red Stitch Actors Theatre 2008 Mum's the Word 2: Teenagers Director Theatre Royal, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne 2009 Frankston Lights Director The Little Theatre Company 2010 Fairweather Island Directorial consultant Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with La Mama 2011 The Wetlands Project: One Last Chance Director Tootgarook Wetlands with Dreamhouse Theatre Company, Frankston Arts Centre Cube37 & 3940 Arts2012 Good People Director Red Stitch Actors Theatre Almost with You Director La Mama, Melbourne & Cube37 FAC 2018 Chemistry Producer Alex Theatre, Melbourne with The Little Theatre Company
Discography Albums Year Title Artist Details 1990Too Many Movies Mary-Jo Starr Label: Mushroom Records (D30224) Format: Vinyl, CD
Singles Year Title Artist Album 1989 "Kissing in a Taxi" Mary-Jo Starr Too Many Movies 1990 "Passionate Kisses" Mary-Jo Starr "Lonesome, Lovely & Alone" Mary-Jo Starr 1989 "Killer in Me" StalkHer film soundtrack
Awards & nominations Film & TV
! Ref. |- | 1987 | Belinda | AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role
| 1988 | Poor Man's Orange | AFI Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries
| 2002 | Uncle Bob | Green Room Award for Outstanding Direction
| 2011 | rowspan="2"| Bed of Roses | rowspan="2"| Ensemble Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Series in a Drama Series | | rowspan="2"| |- | 2012
| 2018 | The Greta Fragments | Top Indie Film Award for Best Writing
Music
! Ref.
| 1991 | Too Many Movies | ARIA Award for Best New Talent
References