Patricia Carmel Stewart Kennedy (17 March 1916 – 10 December 2012) was an Australian and Englishactress with a long career in radio, theatre, film and television. According to one writer she was "sometimes called the first lady of Melbourne radio and theatre."

Early life

Kennedy was born in Queenscliff, Victoria on 17 March (St Patrick's Day), 1916 (however, other sources list her year of birth as 1917.) She was raised, and remained, a practising Catholic.

Kennedy moved to Hawthorn in 1925 to undertake her schooling at the Presentation Convent, Windsor, after which, she enrolled at Maie Hoban's School of Drama in East Melbourne.

She trained as a school teacher before winning the Colac Amateur Festival around 1938, which sparked a passion for acting.

Career Theatre She started her stage career in 1943.

Kennedy was noted for her range, spanning from high drama to comedy. She was mainly based in Melbourne, and had a strong association with the Melbourne Theatre Company (MTC), but she also performed in England with the Bristol Old Vic Company's 1969–1970 season.

She appeared in plays such as Jay Presson Allen's adaptation of Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1968), Ibsen's Ghosts (1969: Mrs Alving), Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, The Man Who Shot the Albatross (1972), and Some of My Best Friends are Women (1976).

Her portrayal of Mary in the South Australian Theatre Company's Melbourne production of Eugene O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night was described as "the best female performance on the Melbourne stage in 1973", and that production is considered one of the landmark productions in Australian theatre, largely due to Patricia Kennedy's involvement.

Plays written for Kennedy included the single-hander The Rain by Daniel Keene. She appeared alongside Zoe Caldwell in the MTC's production of Euripides' Medea, the first production at the Arts Centre Melbourne's Playhouse Theatre in 1984.

From 1991 to 1992, Kennedy appeared in a one-woman stage adaptation of Elizabeth Jolley's novel The Newspaper of Claremont Street, staged by the Playbox Theatre Company at a number of venues in Victoria.

Kennedy was still active with the MTC well into her 80s.

Radio Kennedy was one of the leading radio actors in Melbourne. Her radio career began when she was discovered by 3UZ drama director Walter Pym at a Sunday night play reading in Melbourne. After winning a Best Actress award for her role in the 3DB series Are You an Actor?, she started securing roles in ABC radio plays.

During World War 2, Kennedy was hired as an ABC announcer, alongside Dorothy Crawford and Mary Ward.

In 1946, Kennedy shared the title role in Crawford Productions' radio drama Melba with singer Glenda Raymond (who later became Hector Crawford's wife). She played Miss Crump on the long-running ABC radio program The Village Glee Club (1942–1971). She also played the title role in Jane Eyre for Lux Radio Theatre, Barbara Brandon in The Reverend Matthew and appeared in episodes of Caltex Theatre.

Film and television Kennedy's early television credits included Emergency, Consider Your Verdict and Homicide as well as a number of various tv plays. She went on to appear in Prisoner, Young Ramsay, The Sullivans, The Weekly's War, Five Mile Creek, Return to Eden, The Flying Doctors, G.P. and A Country Practice.

Kennedy played the regular role of Emily Muldoon in early 1980s series Holiday Island. She also appeared in 1984 television movie Kindred Spirits and 1986 miniseries Land of Hope.

Film appearances included The Getting of Wisdom (1977), My Brilliant Career (1979), Country Life (1994) and Road to Nhill (1997).

Kennedy was a drama consultant for the 1982 miniseries Sara Dane.

Other endeavours During the 1940s, Kennedy was a member of Actors' Equity of Australia, and was one of the witnesses to the 1949 Victorian Royal Commission Inquiring into the Origins, Aims, Objects and Funds of the Communist Party in Victoria and Other Related Matters where there was possible irregular voting that may have involved Equity and the Communist Party of Australia.

From 1972 to 1973, Kennedy worked as a consultant to the Australia Council for the Arts.

Kennedy was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1982 New Year Honours, for service to the performing arts.

In the 1990s, Kennedy was involved in founding the Four Winds Festival in Bermagui.

The 'Patricia Kennedy Award', a scholarship named in Kennedy's honour, is awarded to top-performing acting students at the University of Melbourne.

Personal life and death Kennedy remained single, very private and very independent. Even in her 80s, although she owned a house in Melbourne, she preferred to live alone in a hut without electricity, on the edge of a state forest near Bega in southern New South Wales. This was 5–6 hours drive by road from Melbourne, where she would travel for theatre commitments.

Kennedy died on 10 December 2012, aged 96. A private funeral was held on 19 December.

Awards Year Work Award Category Result Ref. Are You an Actor? Best Actress 1982 Patricia Kennedy 1982 New Year Honours Order of the British Empire Service to the Performing Arts

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1972 The Office Picnic Mrs Rourke Feature film 1977 The Getting of Wisdom Miss Chapman Feature film 1979 My Brilliant Career Aunt Gussie Feature film 1985 Departure Sylvia Swift Feature film 1994 Country Life (adaptation of Uncle Vanya) Maud Dickens Feature film 1997 Road to Nhill Jean Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1958 Killer in Close-Up Mrs Rattenbury TV play The Public Prosecutor Teresia TV play The Governess Ethel Fry TV play Wild Life and Christmas Belles TV play1959 Emergency Miss Marshall 1 episode Black Chiffon Alicia TV play Black Limelight Mary Harrington TV play The House by the Stable Pride TV play1961 Waters of the Moon Helen Lancaster TV play Traveller Without Luggage The Maid TV play The Rivals TV play1962 Murder in the Cathedral TV play Marriage Lines Virginia Pilgrim TV play 1962–1963 Consider Your Verdict Margaret Kingsley 2 episodes1964 Everyman Knowledge TV play The Physicists TV play Six Characters in Search of an Author The Mother TV play 1964; 1972 Homicide Dame Isobel Stone / Mrs Ryan 2 episodes1965 Waiting in the Wings Lotta Bainbridge TV play Macbeth First Witch TV play Photo Finish Stella TV play1966 Topaze Baroness TV play Boy with Banner Mum TV play1972 Over There 1 episode The Man Who Shot the Albatross TV play 1977 No Room For The Innocent TV play 1979 Prisoner Miss McBride 4 episodes 1980 The Franky Doyle Story TV movie The Sullivans Mother Bernadette 1 episode Young Ramsay Elizabeth Turnbull 1 episode 1981–1982 Holiday Island Emily Muldoon 46 episodes1983 The Weekly's War Dame Mary Gilmore Miniseries Return to Eden Kathy Basklain Miniseries, 2 episodes 1984 Kindred Spirits Miss Morris TV movie1985 Five Mile Creek Lillie 1 episode Emmett Stone Beatrice Feature film 1986 Land of Hope Old Maureen Quinn Miniseries 1988; 1990 The Flying Doctors Ruth / Edith Cranston 2 episodes 1989 G.P. Evelyn McLean 1 episode1993 Johnny Bago Killer Date 1 episode A Country Practice Vera Boardman 2 episodes

Theatre Year Title Role Type Ref. 1947 The Merchant of Venice Portia St Peters Hall, Eastern Hill with National Theatre 1947; 1953 Candida Candida 1949 Antigone Antigone National Theatre, Melbourne 1953 After My Fashion Lady Mary Starcross University of Melbourne with UTRC 1955 The Dark is Light Enough Countess 1957–1958 The Chalk Garden Miss Madrigal Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal Sydney, Theatre Royal, Adelaide with J. C. Williamson's 1959 The Party Frances Brough University of Melbourne with UTRC Venus Observed Rosabel Fleming 1962 Death of a Salesman Linda Loman Emerald Hill Theatre Company 1965 Farewell, Farewell, Eugene St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1967 A Delicate Balance Alice Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with UTRC & Adelaide Teachers College with STCSA The Right Honourable Gentleman Mrs Emilia Pattison Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre with UTRC The Golden Legion of Cleaning Women Adelaide Teachers College with STCSA 1968 The Crucible Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Tasmania with MTC The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC The Man in the Glass Booth Three Sisters Anfisa Everything in the Garden Major Barbara 1969–1970 The School for Scandal Little Theatre, Bristol A Delicate Balance 1969; 1971 Ghosts Mrs Alving St Martins Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Hobart 1970 All's Well That Ends Well Countess of Rossillion Princess Theatre, Melbourne, Canberra Theatre, Octagon Theatre, Perth with MTC 1971 The School for Scandal Theatre Royal, Hobart, Princess Theatre, Launceston The Man who Shot the Albatross Sarah Benson Australian tour 1973 Long Day's Journey into Night Mary Tyrone University of Adelaide with STCSA, St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1973–1974 The Comedy of Errors Arts Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA 1974 An Adelaide Anthology 1836–1900 Edmund Wright House, Adelaide with STCSA 1976 All Over The Wife Nimrod Theatre, Sydney Some of My Best Friends are Women St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1977 All My Sons Kate Keller Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA A Place in the Present / Fields of Offerings Vera Stanton / Ester Azhukov 1978 Echoes STCSA The Glass Menagerie Amanda Wingfield Broken Hill & SA tour with STCSA 1+2 Henry IV Doll Tearsheet Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA Hay Fever Judith Bliss Canberra Theatre, Sydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre Company Arsenic and Old Lace Martha Brewster Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC 1979 The Day After the Fair Letty Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal Sydney with MLC Theatre Royal Company 1980–1981 Wings Emily Stilson Playbox Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Adelaide 1982 The Importance of Being Earnest Lady Bracknell Marian St Theatre, Sydney, Newcastle Civic Theatre Variations Molly Nimrod Theatre, Sydney 1983 A Pair of Claws Sylvia Swift Melbourne Athenaeum with MTC 1984 Medea The Nurse Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC 1987 Salonika Charlotte Russell St Theatre, Melbourne with MTC 1988 Peter and the Wolf Narrator Sydney Opera House Nutcracker Ballet Narrator Harlequinade Dame Maud Gosport Australian tour with Royalty Theatre 1989 The Best of Friends Marian St Theatre, Sydney with Northside Theatre Co 1991 Alive and Kicking Rebecca Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne, Monash University, Melbourne with Playbox 1991–1992 The Newspaper of Claremont Street Margarite Morris / Weekly VIC tour with Playbox 1994 Disturbing the Dust Alice (Miss Nina) University of Adelaide for Adelaide Festival, Merlyn Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox 1997 Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp Narrator Bruce Gordon Theatre, Wollongong with Dance Theatre Victoria 1998 Amy's View Evelyn Playhouse, Melbourne with QTC & MTC 1999 The Rain Hanna La Mama, Melbourne, Beckett Theatre, Melbourne with The Keene / Taylor Theatre Project 2001 The Twilight Series Special Guest Collins St Baptist Church, Melbourne with Playbox Kaddish Span Gallery, Melbourne with The Keene / Taylor Theatre Project

Radio