Victor Melleney

(19*-) British actor, director and production manager who arrived in South Africa in 1958. Performed in There Goes the Bride, Rosebloom, Who Killed Agatha Christie (at the Academy Theatre), Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ( as “Ed Earl Dodd” at His Majesty’s Theatre), Hello Dolly (as “Horace van der Gelder”), My Fair Lady (as “Alfred Doolittle”). Produced An Oak Fell (at the Baxter Theatre), Send for Dolly (at the Academy Theatre). (SACD 1974) (SACD1979/80) (SACD 1980/81) (SACD 1981/82)

Worked for the National Theatre Organisation (NTO) from 1959-1962, and as actor in shows such as ***, *** and ***. Later worked for the Performing Arts Councils, Pieter Toerien and others, performing in **, ** and Birds of Paradise (Toerien, 1992), *. Directing credits include *** and ***. Like most professionals, he also directed for amateur companies, such as the Bloemfontein REPS. He directed John M. Synge’s The Playboy of the Western World for PACT at the Civic in 1963. He directed Lokval Vir ‘n Man Alleen (Trap for a Lonely Man) for TRUK in 1963. He directed an adaptation of War and Peace at the Alexander Theatre for PACT in 1966. He starred in Brian Brooke’s Any Wednesday with Helen Cotterill and Vivienne Drummond for the Brooke in 1973. He starred in Des Lindberg and Dawn Lindberg’s production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas together with Judy Page and Annabel Linder under direction by Dawn Lindberg at His Majesty’s in 1979. He starred in the Brickhill-Burke production of Jerry Herman’s musical Hello Dolly! together with Joan Brickhill, Mike Huff, Iain Henderson, Andrea Catzel, June Hern and Charles Stodel. It was directed by Louis Burke and staged at His Majesty’s in 1980. He starred in Michael Pertwee’s Birds of Paradise at the Alhambra in 1992. Bill Flynn, The Best Little Whore House in Texas.

Sources

Tucker, 1997

Mornings at Seven (NTO) theatre programme, 1959.