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Ron Haddrick

Ron Haddrick
Born
Ronald Norman Haddrick

(1929-04-09)9 April 1929
Died11 February 2020(2020-02-11) (aged 90)
Sydney
NationalityAustralian
Occupations
  • Actor
  • narrator
  • cricketer
Years active1949–2019
SpouseLorraine née Quigley
ChildrenLynette Haddrick
Greg Haddrick

Ronald Norman Haddrick MBE AM (9 April 1929 – 11 February 2020) was an Australian actor, narrator and South Australian cricketer. In 2012, he received the Actors Equity Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and distinguished career in media, spanning some seventy years both locally and also in Britain. He appeared in many Shakespearean roles and often performed with theatre actress Ruth Cracknell.[1][2]

At the time of this Lifetime Achievement Award, playwright David Williamson said, "Ron Haddrick was chosen for two reasons. He’s a great actor, definitely one of the greatest of his generation, and also a great human being who has enriched the lives of countless Australians through his acting. He has also enriched the lives of many of us who work in the theatre because of his dedication and palpable decency."

In presenting the award, actor John Bell said Haddrick's "career has been extraordinary ... he is undoubtedly one of the leading lights in the Australian acting industry and he is much loved, admired and respected, because of both his professionalism and his good nature."[3] On news of his death, Bell Shakespeare said: “a legend of Australian theatre ... it was a privilege to have him grace our stage”.[4]

Family

Haddrick was born in Adelaide, South Australia, the only son of Olive May (née Gibson) and Alexander Norman Haddrick.[5] Haddrick's wife, Lorraine, received the Australian Sports Medal in 2000 for her "outstanding dedication to athletics as a volunteer official for 32 years".[6] They had two children: NIDA graduate Lynette Haddrick[7] and screenwriter and producer Greg Haddrick, and three grandchildren, Taya, Milly and Jack Haddrick.[8]

In 2011 three generations of the Haddrick family were involved in the production of the Australian miniseries Cloudstreet. Ron Haddrick was the narrator, Greg Haddrick was a producer, and Mille Haddrick was an actor.[9]

Cricket career

As a sportsman, Haddrick played first-class cricket during the 1950s, representing South Australia on three occasions in the Sheffield Shield competition.[10][11]

Professional acting career

Theatre

Haddrick first appeared on the stage in 1949[12] at the Adelaide Tivoli Theatre. Later, he was invited to join the Stratford Memorial Theatre (now the Royal Shakespeare Theatre). During five seasons in Stratford-upon-Avon he performed with Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, John Gielgud, Peggy Ashcroft and Michael Redgrave.

On his return to Sydney, he gained roles with the Trust Players. After the Old Tote Theatre Company formed, Haddrick played in more than forty productions.

Radio and television

Haddrick has worked extensively in radio and TV throughout his career, notably for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He made an early television appearance in the 1960 television play Close to the Roof. He had his first starring TV role as Dr. William Redfern in The Outcasts. He later appeared as the alien "Adam Suisse" in G K Saunders' pioneering children's science fiction series The Stranger, broadcast on the ABC in 1964–65. In 1969 and again in 1982, he voiced Ebenezer Scrooge for two Australian-produced adaptations of A Christmas Carol. He worked along the same lines in the Australian animation field in 1977 with a shorter version of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth.

Narrator

Haddrick also narrated six audio books of the British children's TV series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends, released by ABC For Kids. These were written by Christopher Awdry and illustrated by Ken Stott.

Haddrick is also known for having narrated all audio books of the Australian children's/young adult fantasy book series Deltora Quest, written by Emily Rodda.

Selected stage work

Other stage work in the '70s and ‘80s included major roles for Sydney Theatre Company, State Theatre Company of South Australia and Queensland Theatre Company in classics and new Australian plays. He also played extensive seasons of the Nimrod Theatre Company production of The Club. Haddrick received two of the now defunct "Sydney Theatre Critics Circle Awards" for his performances in Long Day's Journey into Night and I'm Not Rappaport.

In the 1990s he played many roles for Marian Street Theatre and the STC, including King Lear and Wacka Dawson in The One Day of the Year.

Haddrick appeared in Australian-made television from Certain Women and Heartbreak High to Farscape and in numerous feature films. Haddrick also played on The Lost Islands, as the tyrant "Q", a 200-year-old ruler. On radio, he has performed in hundreds of dramas, documentaries, and special features. He was frequently heard reading poetry for the ABC.[13]

Haddrick and Cracknell

In 1960 Haddrick appeared at the Adelaide Festival of Arts in a production of Murder in the Cathedral in Bonython Hall. It marked the start of a long working partnership between Haddrick and Ruth Cracknell. In 1970 they performed in Sophocles' Oedipus Rex. It was directed for the Old Tote in Sydney by Sir Tyrone Guthrie and toured widely. In 1973, Haddrick, Ruth Cracknell, Gordon Chater and Garry McDonald appeared at the Australian Theatre in Newtown in a miscellany called Aurora Australis. They were in the Old Tote's production of David Williamson's What If You Died Tomorrow? in 1974; it toured Australia and played in London at the Comedy Theatre. In the late 1970s, they were in two Peter Williams' productions at the Theatre Royal, Sydney, Bedroom Farce and The Gin Game.

In 1983 Haddrick and Cracknell played the theatrical Mr and Mrs Crummles in Richard Wherrett’s production of David Edgar's two-part Dickens marathon, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby for the Sydney Theatre Company. This played at the Theatre Royal in Sydney and the State Theatre in Melbourne. In 1990 they were reunited in A.R. Gurney's Love Letters for the Sydney Theatre Company.[14]

Death

Haddrick died at home at age 90 in Sydney surrounded by his wife and family on 11 February 2020. A memorial service was held at The Parade Theatre at NIDA on 1 March 2020. Speakers included his daughter Lyn, his granddaughter Millie, his son Greg, actors Kirrily Nolan and Peter Carroll AM, directors Aubrey Mellor OAM and John Bell AO OBE and former Australian cricket captain Ian Chappell.[15][16]

Honours

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Type
1955 Othello TV movie
1960 Close to the Roof Joe Collon TV movie
1962 Reunion Day Dave Rubin TV movie
1962 The Case of Private Hamp Padre TV movie
1962 The Taming of the Shrew Petrecio TV movie
1963 A Dead Secret Frederick Dyson TV movie
1963 The Tempest Alonso TV movie
1964 The Late Edwina Black Gregory Black TV movie
1965 The Big Killing[20] Gavin Cole TV movie
1965 The Sweet Sad Story of Elmo and Me Dig TV movie
1965 The Affair Skefflington TV movie
1965 Tartuffe Tartuffe TV movie
1969 A Christmas Carol Mr. Scrooge (voice)
1970 Chequerboard Oedipus
1970 A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court Voice artist TV movie
1971 The Legend of Robin Hood Sheriff of Nottingham (voice) Animated TV movie
1971 Treasure Island Voice artist Animated TV movie
1972 Robinson Crusoe Voice artist Animated TV movie
1972 The Prince and the Pauper Voice artist Animated TV movie
1972 Travels of Marco Polo Voice artist Animated TV movie
1973 The Taming of the Shrew Baptista TV movie
1973 The Count of Monte Carlo Voice artist Animated TV movie
1973 Kidnapped Voice artist Animated TV movie
1973 The Swiss Family Robinson Voice artist Animated TV movie
1973 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea Voice artist Animated TV movie
1973 The Three Musketeers Voice artist Animated TV movie
1973 The Black Arrow Voice artist Animated TV movie
1973 The Gentleman of Titipu Voice artist Animated TV movie
1975 The Golden Cage Rich Man
1975 The Mysterious Island Voice artist TV movie
1976 The Fourth Wish Harbard Feature film
1976 Master of the World Voice artist Animated TV movie
1976 The Haunting of Hewie Dowker TV movie
1977 Dot and the Kangaroo Father (voice) Animated TV movie
1977 Moby Dick Voice artist Animated TV movie
1978 The Death Train Dr. Rogers Feature film
1978 The Scalp Merchant TV movie
1979 Dawn! Pop TV movie
1979 The First Christmas Voice artist Animated TV movie
1979 The Adventures of Sinbad Voice artist Animated TV movie
1979 Off on a Comet Voice artist Animated TV movie
1979 From the Earth to the Moon Voice artist Animated TV movie
1981 Dot and Santa Claus (aka Around the World With Dot) – Grumblebones (voice)
- Frog
- Circus Elephant
- Tiger
- British Lion
Animated TV movie
1981 Run Rebecca, Run Speaker of Parliament Feature film
1982 Sarah and the Squirrel Voice artist Animated TV movie
1982 Runaway Island TV movie
1982 A Christmas Carol Ebenezer Scrooge (voice) TV movie
1983 Dot and the Bunny Voice artist Animated TV movie
1983 The Amorous Dentist Film
1983 Butler TV movie
1983 Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear Voice artist Animated TV movie
1983 Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four Voice artist Animated TV movie
1983 Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse Voice artist Animated TV movie
1983 Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet voice artist Animated TV movie
1984 The Camel Boy Captain O'Connell Film
1984 A Halo of Athuen The Abbott TV movie
1985 Nicolas Nickelby Voice artist Animated TV movie
1986 Short Changed Garrick
1986 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Frollo (voice) Animated TV movie
1987 Great Expectations: The Untold Story Tankarton TV movie
1987 The Odyssey TV movie
1987 Rob Roy Voice artist Animated TV movie
1988 Hiawatha Voice artist Animated TV movie
1990 Quigley Down Under Grimmelman Feature film
1996 Children of the Revolution Sir Arthur Miles Feature film
2000 Beware of Greeks Bearing Guns Thomas
2000 Dogwoman: Dead Dog Walking Barry Holloway TV movie
2006 The Story of Bubble Boy Narrator
2008 The Informant Tom TV movie
2010 Size Thirteen Voice artist Short film
2011 Codgers Jimmie McMurtrie Feature film
2013 Bad Blood Edgardo Short film
2014 Locks of Love Harrold
2015 To My One and Only

Television

Year Title Role Type
1961 The Outcasts Dr. William Redfern TV miniseries
1963 Jonah Governor TV series
1963–64 Tribunal Marcus Brutus
- John Brown
TV series
1964 The Stranger – The Stranger
- Adam Suisse
TV series
1967–68 Divorce Court TV series
1968 Hunter Bryant TV series
1968 Contrabandits – George Payne
- Dallas
TV series
1969 Riptide Abraham Decker TV series
1971 You Say the Word English Language Presenter TV series
1971 The Godfathers Painless Plunket TV series
1971 Dynasty Sir Walter Tasker TV series
1972 Barrier Reef Doctor Sedgwick TV series
1975 Silent Number John Stanford TV series
1975 Shannon's Mob Pellini TV series
1965–76 Homicide 5 roles:
- Max Goodwin
- Geoffrey Gibson
- Alan Byrant
- Henry Curtin
- Gordon Lovejoy
TV series
1976 Luke's Kingdom Wicker TV series
1977 The Restless Years Greg Dening TV series
1982 Jonah TV miniseries
1984 A Country Practice Ralph Harrison TV series
1985 Mother and Son Claude Price TV series
1986 Tusatala Thomas Stevenson TV miniseries
1986 Sons and Daughters Bill Appleby TV series
1988 Emma: Queen of the South Seas Reverend Brown TV miniseries
1994 The Ferals Presenter TV series
1989–94 G.P. – Joris Volmer
- Lloyd Freith
TV series
1988–96 Home and Away – Gordon Macklin
- Peter Moss
TV series
1997 Fallen Angels Cec Fowler TV miniseries
1999 Carnavale Voice
1997–99 Heartbreak High – Magistrate
- Arthur
TV series
1999 Water Rats Felix Freidman TV series
2000 The Lost World Bergin TV miniseries
2004 The Alice Marco Marion TV series
2004 Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars Yondalao TV series
2002–05 All Saints – Jack Leyland
- Bill Roddick
TV series
2006 Nightmares & Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King Man in Lift TV miniseries
2009 Underbelly Bertie TV series
2011 Cloudstreet Narrator TV miniseries
2014 Rake Judge Velez TV series

References

  1. ^ SMH Deaths Ron Haddrick AM MBE 9.4.1929 – 11.2.2020 Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  2. ^ LEADING MAN — IN ART AND LIFE Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  3. ^ "Lifetime Award shows that its not just a stage he is going through" Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  4. ^ Vale Ron Haddrick Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  5. ^ "Ron Haddrick Biography (1929–)". Film Reference. Retrieved 22 December 2013.
  6. ^ It's an Honour Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  7. ^ Austage Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  8. ^ Lane, Richard (2000). The Golden Age of Australian Radio Drama Volume 2. National Film and Sound Archive. pp. 121–124.
  9. ^ Cloudstreet – TV Miniseries Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  10. ^ Crininfo retrieved 28 May 2015.
  11. ^ Vagg, Stephen (12 July 2019). "Good Sports: Australian Athletes Who Act". Filmink.
  12. ^ "Ron Haddrick". AusStage.
  13. ^ Ron Haddrick Biography (1929–) Retrieved 28 May 2015.
  14. ^ Ruth Cracknell AM 1925 – 2002 Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  15. ^ SMH Obituary – Cricketer and actor who worked with the biggest names in theatre Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  16. ^ A gentleman, and one of the great actors of his generation Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  17. ^ It’s an Honour Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  18. ^ Ron Haddrick honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  19. ^ It's an Honour Retrieved 14 February 2020.
  20. ^ Vagg, Stephen (27 April 2021). "Forgotten Australian TV Plays: The Big Killing". Filmink. Retrieved 12 August 2024.