King Lear director testifies at Geoffrey Rush trial
Theatre director Neil Armfield says he didn’t see Geoffrey Rush make inappropriate jokes, comments or gestures.
Theatre director Neil Armfield has told a court he never saw Geoffrey Rush make jokes or comments about a female co-star’s body during rehearsals for a Sydney theatre production — or make gestures in which he pretended to caress her torso and grope her breasts.
The director was giving evidence during Rush’s Federal Court defamation trial against a Sydney newspaper and journalist over stories about an allegation the actor behaved inappropriately toward a co-star, later revealed to be Eryn Jean Norvill.
Rush denies the allegation and argues The Daily Telegraph articles made him out to be a pervert and a sexual predator.
The paper’s publisher, Nationwide News, and journalist Jonathon Moran are pleading a defence of truth and Norvill — who didn’t speak with Moran for the articles — has agreed to give evidence.
Armfield was directing Rush and Norvill during the Sydney Theatre Company production of King Lear in 2015 and 2016.
He told the court on Thursday that if he saw Rush making such comments or gestures towards Norvill he would have told him to stop and if she’d made a complaint he would have spoken to Rush before possibly gathering him, Norvill and the stage manager together.
— AAP
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