Arthur Dignam
Born(1939-09-09)9 September 1939
Died9 May 2020(2020-05-09) (aged 80)
NationalityAustralian
EducationNewington College
University of Sydney
OccupationActor
ChildrenNicholas Gledhill

Arthur Dignam (9 September 1939 – 9 May 2020) was an Australian stage and screen actor.

Early life

Dignam was born on Lord Howe Island.[1] He attended Newington College in Sydney as a boarder in 1955 and 1956[2] and then the University of Sydney.[3]

Career

He was best known for one of his early roles, that of Brother Francine in Fred Schepisi's The Devil's Playground (1976).[4] While he worked mainly in film and television, he also worked in theatre, including musical theatre. He played Pontius Pilate in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972–73, and appears on the original Australian cast recording.[5]

During 1980, Dignam was part of A Shakespeare Company,[6] funded by a one-off grant from the Australia Council, and worked with actors Ruth Cracknell, Ron Haddrick and others on two texts for six months and then presented them at the Seymour Centre.[7]

Personal life

His son together with Bobbie Gledhill - actor Nicholas Gledhill was born in Sydney in 1975.

Death

Dignam died of a heart attack on 9 May 2020, in Sydney at the age of 80.[8]

Theatre

As actor

Year Title Role Venue / Company
1961'Tis Pity She's a WhoreUniversity of Sydney
1962The Dumb Waiter and A Slight AcheGus / EdwardOld Dolphin Theatre, Perth & University of Sydney
1962CoriolanusUniversity of Sydney
1963Romeo and JulietRomeoUniversity of Sydney
1966The Royal Hunt of the SunUniversity of Adelaide
1968War and PeaceNew Theatre, Sydney with Melbourne Theatre Company
1969Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are DeadGuildensternOctagon Theatre, Perth
1969The Man of ModeOctagon Theatre, Perth
1970The Pope's WeddingOld Dolphin Theatre, Perth
1970You Can't Take It with YouHole in the Wall Theatre, Perth
1970The Haunted House / Black ComedyCallidamates / Brindsley MillerOctagon Theatre, Perth
1970Twelfth Night, or What You WillOrsinoOctagon Theatre, Perth
1970OthelloCassioOctagon Theatre, Perth
1970Brecht on BrechtOld Dolphin Theatre, Perth
1970The SeagullOctagon Theatre, Perth
1970Hadrian the SeventhOctagon Theatre, Perth
1970Narrow Road to the Deep NorthOld Dolphin Theatre, Perth
1970What the Butler SawPlayhouse Theatre, Perth
1971The Recruiting OfficerSouthern Highlands Festival Theatre
1971Doctor FaustusSouthern Highlands Festival Theatre
1971MacbethNimrod Street Theatre
1971An Evening of Victorian Music HallPaddington Town Hall with Nimrod Theatre Company
1972Trelawny of the 'Wells'UNSW with Old Tote Theatre
1972The Good Man of SetzuanUNSW with Old Tote Theatre
1972Jesus Christ SuperstarPontius PilateCapitol Theatre, Sydney
1972Julius CaesarUNSW with Old Tote Theatre
1973HamletNimrod Street Theatre & Playhouse, Canberra
1973KabulUNSW with Old Tote Theatre
1973The Threepenny OperaSydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre
1974Antony and CleopatraAntonyNew Fortune Theatre for Perth Festival
1974The Rocky Horror ShowNarratorNew Art Cinema, Sydney
1975BereniceSydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre
1975ScapinSydney Opera House with Old Tote Theatre
1975Waiting for GodotOctagon Theatre, Perth
1975Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DreamcoatPotiphar / SimeonSeymour Centre
1976T.ZeeThe BeastRoyal Court Theatre, London
1977Big ToysRitchie BousanquetUNSW, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne & Canberra Theatre with Old Tote Theatre
1977-78Ned KellySuperintendent HareAdelaide Festival Centre & Her Majesty's Theatre, Sydney
1978Pandora's CrossThe GooseParis Theatre, Sydney
1979The Lady of the CamelliasBaron de VarvilleSydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1979Hedda GablerJudge BrackSGIO Theatre with QTC (left before opening night)
1979Life of GalileoCardinal BarberiniNimrod Upstairs
1980The Two Gentlemen of VeronaLaunce / Lucetta / Host / OutlawSeymour Centre
1980Measure for MeasureDuke of ViennaSeymour Centre
1986Hedda GablerWharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1993MesmerizedStables Theatre
1993-94The TempleSir Thomas Burchett / Henry / Freddie ArrowWharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1994The CrucibleJudge HathornHis Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Monash University
1994Sixteen Words for WaterSubiaco Theatre Centre
1997The Governor's FamilyBelvoir St Theatre
2005Julius CaesarJulius CaesarWharf Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company
2008The Women of TroyMenelausWharf Theatre, Sydney with Sydney Theatre Company & Merlyn Theatre

[9]

As producer

Year Title Role Venue / Company
1964Victimes du DevoirProducerUniversity of Melbourne

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Type
1962 Lend Me Your Stable
1973 Libido Father Burn Feature film, segment: The Priest
1974 Petersen Prof. Charles Kent Feature film
1974 Between Wars Peter Avante Feature film Oz Movies
1976 The Devil's Playground Brother Francine Feature film[10]
1976 Summer of Secrets Doctor Beverley Adams Feature film
1977 The Duellists Captain with Eyepatch Feature film
1978 The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith Man in Butcher Shop Feature film
1979 Cathy's Child Minister Feature film
1981 Grendel Grendel Grendel The Dragon / Beowulf (voice) Animated film
1981 Strange Behavior Dr. Le Sange / Nagel Feature film
1982 Duet for Four Doug Quincey Feature film
1982 We of the Never Never Aeneas Gunn Feature film
1983 The Return of Captain Invincible Lawyer Feature film
1983 The Wild Duck Gregory Feature film
1984 The Schippan Mystery Sir Josiah Symon TV film
1985 Burke & Wills Sir William Stawell Feature film
1986 Comrades Fop Feature film
1987 The Right Hand Man Dr. Redbridge Feature film
1987 Those Dear Departed (aka Ghosts Can Do It!) Producer Feature film
1988 The Everlasting Secret Family The Senator Feature film[10]
1988 The Dreaming Professor Bernard Thornton Feature film
1991 Isabelle Eberhardt Cauvet Feature film
1993 The Nostradamus Kid Pastor Anderson Feature film
1996 Dating the Enemy Dr. Kamins Feature film
1997 Paradise Road Mr. Pike Feature film
1997 Oscar and Lucinda Feature film
1998 Gods and Monsters Ernest Thesiger (uncredited) Feature film
2001 Moulin Rouge! Christian's Father Feature film
2002 Beneath Clouds Old Man in pub / Mercedes driver Feature film
2006 The Libertine Man Short film
2008 Australia Father Benedict Feature film
2010 The Tree Uncle Jack Feature film
2013 The Great Gatsby Uncredited Feature film
2017 7 from Etheria Old Kurt Gödel Anthology film (segment: "Gödel Incomplete")

Television

Year Title Role Type
1976 The New Avengers Dr Graham TV series, 1 episode
1979 Water Under the Bridge Maynard Dickens TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1981 Tickled Pink TV series
1983 The Dismissal Eric Robinson TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1984 Five Mile Creek Arthur Archer TV series
1984 Special Squad Grayson TV series, 1 episode
1984 Bodyline Mr Jardine (Douglas Jardine's father) TV miniseries
1987 The Storyteller: Greek Myths King Acrisius TV series, episode: Perseus and the Gorgon
1989 Shadow of the Cobra Gupta TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1989 Edens Lost Heath TV miniseries
1992 The Flying Doctors Royce Phelan DC TV series, 1 episode
1993 Minder Geoffrey Evans TV series, 1 episode
1994-95 Escape from Jupiter Professor Ingosol TV series, 13 episodes
1996 Pacific Drive Marcus (theatrical agent) TV series
1996 Heartbreak High Athol Pike TV series, 1 episode
2001 All Saints Father Francis Tyler TV series, 1 episode
2023 Faraway Downs Father Benedict TV miniseries, 1 episode

References

  1. Arthur Dignam at IMDb
  2. Newington College Register of Past Students 1863–1998 (Syd, 1999) pp. 52
  3. "Alumni & giving". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  4. Canby, Vincent (30 October 1981). "'The Devil's Playground'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  5. Original Program
  6. Milne, Geoffrey (2004). Theatre Australia (un)limited: Australian Theatre Since the 1950s. Rodopi. ISBN 9789042009301.
  7. "The Sydney Morning Herald - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  8. Knox, David (12 May 2020). "Vale: Arthur Dignam | TV Tonight". TV Tonight. Retrieved 11 May 2020.
  9. "AusStage". www.ausstage.edu.au. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  10. 1 2 Michael Ferguson and Michael S. Ferguson Idol Worship: A Shameless Celebration of Male Beauty in the Movies, p. 215, at Google Books
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