Norma Renault (July 28, 1923 – March 3, 2012) was a singer and actress who starred in theatre, television, and film productions in Canada and London, England, including the musical Salad Days at the Crest Theatre in Toronto.
Biography Norma Renault was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1923. As a young woman, she sang with the Leslie Bell Singers, a female choir formed in 1939 from former pupils of Leslie Bell at Parkdale Collegiate Institute in Toronto, which became the Leslie Bell Singers in 1945. She began to act with an amateur group called the Deep River Players in Deep River, Ontario.
Renault starred in theatre productions in Canada and London, England, including the musical Salad Days at the Crest Theatre in Toronto and on the road in New York City, as well as Epitaph for George Dillon at the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario. She is mentioned for her role in the Crest's production of The Man Who Came to Dinner along with Amelia Hall (both "beloved Canadians") who prompted bouts of audience laughter during every exchange of dialogue. "Even Nathan Cohen admitted (perhaps somewhat inscrutably) that he found the production amazing". In all, Renault performed in 12 Crest productions, and produced a production of Epitaph for George Dillon at the Crest in 1960.
From 1950–1983, she worked in productions for various television shows, often for the Canadian Broadcasting Company. She appeared in four episodes of the TV series Folio (1955–1959), The Unforeseen (1958), and Festival (1960–1969) which aired on CBC Television.
Renault was a cast member in the television documentary film A Further Glimpse of Joey (1961), alongside Martha Henry in the CBC television drama Talking to a Stranger (1969) and in the three part miniseries You've Come a Long Way, Katie (1981).
Stage Theatre and broadcasting +YearTitleRole(s)Theatre CompanyVenue(s) 1954 A Jig for the Gypsy Crest Theatre Ltd. The Crest Theatre 1954 The Man Who Came to Dinner Crest Theatre Ltd. The Crest Theatre 1954 General Motors Presents - Lies My Father Told Me cast member CBC TV 1955 General Motors Theatre - Forever Galatea cast member CBC TV 1955 CBC Folio - Macbeth cast member CBC TV 1956 The Women Crest Theatre Ltd. The Crest Theatre 1957 The Cherry Orchard Varya The Crest Theatre Foundation The Crest Theatre 1957 A Plastic Item - Leo Orenstein Collection cast member CBC TV 1958 Salad Days Lady Raeburn, The Charlady, The Tarty Lady, Asphyxia (and the other arms), a Spinster, Marguerite The Crest Theatre Foundation The Crest Theatre 1959 Ride A Pink Horse Lorna Harvey, Immigration, Wanda McTavish The Crest Theatre Foundation The Crest Theatre 1959 The Matchmaker The Crest Theatre Foundation The Crest Theatre 1959 Under Milk Wood Polly Garter, Mrs. Ogmore-Pritchard, Mrs. Cherry Owen, First Neighbour, Another Mother, Fourth Woman, 2nd Woman’s Voice The Crest Theatre Foundation The Crest Theatre 1959 Mrs. Gibbons' Boys Myra Hood The Crest Theatre Foundation The Crest Theatre 1959 After Hours The Stratford Festival Mountain Playhouse and Festival Concert Hall 1960 Heartbreak House Mrs. Hushabye The Crest Theatre Foundation The Crest Theatre 1960 Honour Thy Father Blanche The Crest Theatre Foundation The Crest Theatre 1962 Festival - Grand Exits cast member CBC TV 1962 The American Dream Granny The Crest Theatre Foundation The Grenville Street Playhouse 1963 Festival - Diary of a Scoundrel cast member CBC TV 1963 Playdate - With My Heart Tucked Underneath My Arm cast member CBC TV 1964 Eli - The Fanatic cast member CBC TV 1964 Bedlam Galore - for Two or More cast member CBC TV 1966 Festival - The Murderer Katerina CBC TV 1966 Festival - Ashes to Ashes cast member CBC TV 1966 A Further Glimpse of Joey Sheila CBC Special 1971 Talking to a Stranger - Episode 1 the mother CBC TV 1971 Talking to a Stranger - Episode 2 the mother CBC TV 1971 Talking to a Stranger - Episode 4 the mother CBC TV 1974 House of Pride - Episode 7 cast member CBC TV 1974 House of Pride - Episode 9 cast member CBC TV 1974 The Play's the Thing -Back to Beulah cast member CBC TV 1974 House of Pride - Episode 14 cast member CBC TV 1975 House of Pride - Episode 11 cast member CBC TV 1975 House of Pride - Episode 16 cast member CBC TV 1980 The Killing of Sister George June Buckridge (Sister George) Theatre London McManus Theatre 1981 You've Come a Long Way, Katie (part 2 - Month on the Moon) cast member CBC TV 1981 You've Come a Long Way, Katie (part 3 The Bottom Line) cast member CBC TV 1981-1982 Blithe Spirit Madame Arcati Theatre London 1982 Home Fires - We'll Meet Again (first program third series) cast member CBC TV 1982 All the Days of My Life cast member CBC Special TV 1983 Later Molly Toronto Free Theatre
References
Sources
External links
CBC Archives for Norma Renault