Theatre memories, personalities: Ruth Cracknell, Roger Barrett

Page 4: Pocket Playhouse Personalities

Roger Barratt

Roger Barrett

Roger Barratt was an extraordinary man. He came to the Pocket Playhouse in 1966. He was 17 years of age and had just left school. He said “I want to learn about lighting”. He learnt quickly—and the extraordinary man he was never forgot where he made his start in theatre lighting. He was always there when a special effect was needed.

In 1966 he designed the lighting for “Five Finger Exercise” and “Blithe Spirit”. In 1967 “Our Town” and “The Business of Good Government” performed by the Pocket Playhouse in St Brigid’s Church, Marrickville were added to his list of achievements. His lighting of the arrival of the arch angel Gabriel in a pool of shimmering gold light was memorable. He made a special colour wheel for the finale of “The Limelighters” in 1970 and simulated blood running under a door in “Heloise” (1971).

1968 was a vintage year for Roger at the Pocket. He was the recipient of a prestigious Pocket Award for Lighting Effects for “The Killing of Sister George”, “The Little Foxes” and “Exit the King”. In 1969 he designed the lighting for ‘The Came to a City” and was engaged by The Australian Opera for “Un Ballo in maschera”.

From that point during the next twenty odd years he became a top lighting designer and worked on over 300 productions and for every major management in Australia and “Sugar Babies” both in Australia and London with Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney.

Nothing was impossible in Roger’s world. It just took a little longer and patience to achieve. Even when Norman retired to Mudgee he kept in touch with him. Sadly, he died on June 13, 1995 following a courageous battle with leukaemia, aged 47 years.

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Page 4: Personalities

During his years in the theatre Norman McVicker was fortunate to meet many theatre personalities from ‘top of the bill’ actors, directors and technicians to those who worked on the sidelines as playwrights, musicians and mechanists. Here are some of their stories:

Ruth Cracknell

Ruth Cracknel with Noman McVicker

This photograph of Ruth Cracknell and Norman McVicker was taken in Robertson Park, Mudgee, in September 1994. It was the morning after the world premiere of the Australian film “Spider and Rose” in which Ruth had played the leading role of “Rose”. She had just planted a rose named in her honour.

Her co-star, Simon Bossell was also present as was well known local actor Harry Tritton who had played her dead husband in the film. Members of the Gallery First Nighters were in attendance.

Ruth and Norman had known each other for many years. He first saw Ruth on stage when she played “Goneril” in “King Lear”. They met on Gwen Plumb’s radio programme at 2GB. Norman had attended the Shire President’s welcome reception for her the afternoon before, the dinner prior to the film showing at the Regent Theatre and the red carpet premiere.

Ruth wrote her best selling autobiography “A Biased Memoir” in 1997. She died in 2002.