Robert Whitehead

(****-****). Actor. Studied at the Drama Studio, London. Performed in A Little Night Music, Otherwise Engaged and Getting Away With Murder (at the Intimate Theatre). (SACD 1977/78)

Returned from London in 1975. Appeared in A Little Night Music and Gypsy. The following year Pieter Toerien gave him his first important role in Simon Gray's Otherwise Engaged, followed by Getting Away With Murder. After playing the twin brothers in Anouilh's Ring Round the Moon for SATV (for which he was nominated for the Artes Award) he then spent some time in the USA where he worked with Charles Ludlam's Ridiculous Theatrical Company in New York City.

(19*-) Actor and director. *** He starred in Trevor Griffiths’s Comedians together with Michael Howard, Danny Keogh, Richard Cox, Ian Hamilton, Bill Brewer and Anthony James which was staged at The Market Theatre in December 1976. It was directed by Leonard Schach and designed by Anthony Farmer. Robert has done considerable work for the Market Theatre including An Arabian Night, Ain't we got fun and Madame Butterfly. He also appeared in Toerien Management's House Guest. For SATV he has appeared in Poor Bitos, A Midsummer Night's Dream, as Jack Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest - (another nomination for the Artes) and as Simon in Noel Coward's Hay Fever with Moira Lister. He spent some time in South West Africa filming Morenga, a major German TV series. Together with Vanessa Cooke he starred in Janice Honeyman’s production of Romeo and Juliet at the Market Theatre in 1982. He starred in Edna O’Brien’s Virginia together with Sandra Duncan and Yvonne Banning under direction by Bobby Heaney at Upstairs at the Market in February 1983. He adapted and directed Sweeney Todd starring Richard Haines and Grethe Fox at Upstairs at the Market in August 1983. Was nominated Best Director for his production of Joe Orton's Loot for the Little Abbey Theatre. He also directed Janice Honeyman's Forbidden Fruits at the Market. He directed Robert Kirby’s The Wrong Time of Year starring Richard Haines and Anneline Kriel in 1984. He directed Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr Sloane starring Christine le Brocq, Anthony James, Kevin Smith and Danny Keogh at Upstairs at the Market in October 1986. He starred in Michael Frayn’s Benefactors which was directed by Rex Garner for Pieter Toerien in 1985. He directed Tom Stoppard’s Rough Crossings at the Alhambra Theatre in 1987. He starred in Jerome Kilty’s Dear Love at the André Huguenet Theatre in 1988. He starred in Janice Honeyman’s production of Charles Dickens’s Hard Times at the Windybrow Theatre in 1989. He directed David Henry Hwang’s M. Butterfly at the Alhambra Theatre in October 1989. He starred in Christopher Durang’s Laughing Wild at the Market Theatre in October 1990. He directed John Guare’s Six Degrees of Separation in 1992. He starred in Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden at Upstairs at the Market in 1992. He starred in Stephen Mallatrat’s adaptation of The Woman in Black at the Alhambra Theatre in December 1992. He starred in Jean Genet’s The Maids in 1993. *Also did a number of movies and TV dramas. *Became nationally recognised as Barker Haines in the highly rated series Isidingo.

Quoted from the programme of Pieter Toerien's Snake Beneath the Rose in 1986: 'Educated at St. Martin's School, Johannesburg, and trained at the Drama Studio in London. For Pieter Toerien he has appeared in Otherwise Engaged. Getting Away with Murder, House Guest and Benefactors, directed by Robert Kirby's, The Wrong Time of Year and co-directed Equus. For the Market Theatre he has appeared in An Arabian Night, Ain't We Got Fun, Romeo and Juliet and Virginia amongst others, directed Sweeney Todd and in 1985 Gertrude Stein and a Companion. He has also appeared for NAPAC, CAPAB and for PACT in The Lady from Dubuque. Among his television appearances were as the identical twins in Ring Round The Moon and as Ernest Worthing in The Importance of Being Earnest. He was nominated for an Artes Award for both these productions and recently received the Ernest Oppenheimer Award which makes him an associate director of the Market Theatre in 1986/87.'

Nominee 1991 Whitehead, Robert in `Laughing Wild' (Stewart Leith Award for best actor in a leading role in English);