Vivienne Adley

Vivienne Adley (1932-2011) was a singer, cabaret artiste and actress.

Also found as Vivienne Linder, Vivienne Sara Adley or Vivienne Sara Adley Linder. Her first name is occasionally misspelled as "Viviene" and she was fondly referred to as "Vivacious Viv" in some reviews.

Biography

Born Vivienne Sara Adley on She was born on July 21, 1932 to a Jewish family in Durban, she was educated at the Maris Stella Convent before continuing her singing and drama training at the University of Natal Durban, where she spent the next three years under the watchful eye of Elizabeth Sneddon. In 1957, having completed her degree, she continued at the Webber-Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art in London, where she was one of the debutantes presented to the Queen at Buckingham Palace in the summer of 1958.

After studying and performing in London for three years, Vivienne left the glitz and glamour of the West End to return to South Africa in 1960 to pursue her stage career here.

She performed professionally until she was about 32. but after a shocking diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy, her life basically fell apart. At this time she met and married the surgeon Leslie Linder, a Londoner, in 1965. The couple had two children, Richard Linder and Andrew Linder.

After this she would sing once a year or so at the Durban Jewish Club and at Sani Pass Hotel on their annual family holiday and also continued her singing lessons with Simon Kerdachi in Durban until she was 70, in order to keep her voice in tune. However, she didn't do anything major after marrying.

She died on September 29, 2011.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

After studying and performing in London for three years, Vivienne left the West End to return to South Africa in 1960 for her first appearance in a local production, Let's Make an Opera, staged at the Alexander Theatre in Johannesburg. The performance drew on both her singing and acting skills.

In 1961 she starred in the National Theatre Organisation's production of The King of Diamonds (directed by Robert Langford), a musical about the life of mine magnate Barney Barnato, who had begun his career in the musical halls of London. Vivienne's “natural and charming performance" was praised by the influential actress and director Anna Neethling-Pohl at the time.

However, her real passion lay in singing. She was a talented chanteuse with "a sparkling voice and personality to match", who enchanted her audiences, who often gave her standing ovations. Those were the days of a bygone era, when an evening's outing to a restaurant usually included fine dining, quality entertainment and dancing.

Often referred to as "Vivacious Viv", she also famous for her sophisticated style, wearing glamorous evening gowns or slinky sheath dresses with plunging necklines offset by elegant jewellery, which she carried off with grace and poise. Her striking beauty and ability to manipulate her sultry voice in "torch songs" made her a sensual and riveting performer.

Her blend of cabaret and musical comedy ensured that she was a hit with audiences. In addition to praise for her singing, she earned critical commendation for her mischievous personality and humorous patter, and was often likened to international stars such as Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn and Eartha Kitt.

Vivienne also had a flair for accents and comedy, a talent which made her popular among younger audiences, including those at many children’s hostels, where she took time out of her busy career to do voluntary work.

Her son, Andrew Linder, notes that the only extant recordings of her performances appear to be three duets with Joe Stewardson in The King of Diamonds (1961), which are available on Spotify and Apple Music.