Lively great grandmother Collins lights up My Fair Lady with son Rickard
Bankstown’s great grandmother of six Gloria Collins continues to enjoy singing and acting, 60 years after first making her stage debut.
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Gloria Collins’ connection with Bankstown Theatre Company remarkably spans all but 10 years of its illustrious 70 years.
The Bankstown grandmother of six first took to stage when she was 15 in 1959 in The Student Prince and now she stars in the company’s acclaimed My Fair Lady, which runs at the Bryan Brown Theatre until Sunday, August 4.
Topping off her joy is that she shares the stage with her son Rickard Roach, 53, in this beloved musical directed by Dennis Clements.
The great grandmother plays Mrs Eynesford-Hill in the musical.
“I am thrilled to now celebrate Bankstown Theatre Company’s 70th anniversary by taking part in My Fair Lady,” Ms Collins, 75, said.
“An added bonus is that I will also be sharing the stage with my son Rickard, for only the second time in 43 years.”
Ms Collins met her future husband Arthur Roach on stage in one of the several productions staged by Bankstown Theatre Company which was established in 1950. The couple were married in 1962, three years after they first met.
“I still remember my first show, The Student Prince, and I was 15 at that time,” she said.
“I did a few shows and met Arthur on stage.
“After we got married I took a break from the stage for 16 years to raise my family, having Rickard and Kathy (both named after stage characters).
“In 1975 the four of us all acted together in Mame and that was fantastic.”
Ms Collins said many families are involved in the local shows too.
Her husband Arthur, who died eight years ago, had a rich tenor voice, and was a top character actor.
Now their son Rickard is a very experienced actor with more than 60 shows to his name across NSW.
Ms Collins came back to the stage for last year’s Sound of Music, which she said was her first show in 43 years.
“The Bankstown Theatre Company is a wonderful place with people coming from all over to enjoy our shows,” she said.
“I was there for the theatre’s 10th anniversary and here I am for the 70th.
“I never actually trained to be an actress but watched other people.”
“I feel like I am the last man standing because I think I am the only one who remembers things from our past (shows).
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My Fair Lady director Dennis Clements said he was drawn to shows with great books that give actors great challenges as well as singers.
“Based on the near perfect play of Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw this is one of those classic book shows,” Shaw said.
“I have also made a concerted effort to make it relevant to a 2019 audience, by steering choices away from the more sexist attitudes prevalent when the movie was made and returning to the characters originally conceived by Shaw.”
Sydney musical theatre performer Emily Potts plays Eliza Doolittle while Paul Adderley plays the loveable although unreliable father of Eliza, Alfred P Doolittle.
■ What: My Fair Lady at Bryan Brown Theatre until August 4.
■ Details, tickets: 0481 869 858 or bankstowntheatrecompany.com
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