Annabel Linder

(****-****). Actress. Awarded Dalro Award for best performance in a musical for Chicago. Performed in Chicago (with PACT), Edith Piaf – No Regrets (as the lead), California Suite (for Toerien-Firth Company), Ibchek (at the Market Theatre). Also performed cabaret. (SACD 1974) (SACD 1977/78) (SACD 1978/79) (SACD 1979/80) (SACD 1980/81)

LINDER, Annabel. (19*-) Actress and singer. *** She starred in Leon Gluckman’s revue Minim Bili, which opened in April 1963, and was the sequel to Wait a Minim! staged in 1962. Together with Judy Page she starred in the musical Chicago which was staged by PACT in January 1977 at the Alexander Theatre. Direction and choreography were done by Geoffrey Sutherland and Hazel Feldman did publicity. She starred in the Pieter Toerien production of Neil Simon’s California Suite, directed by Stockton Briggle, together with Naomi Buch, Anthony Fridjohn and Michael Mayer in 1978. She starred in William Egan’s production of Tennessee Williams’s The Night of the Iguana together with Sandra Duncan, Eric Flynn and Anthony James for PACT at the Alexander Theatre in 1983. She starred in Edith Piaf – No Regrets for PACT at the Arena in 1977. She starred in Donald Howarth’s Ibchek, directed by its author, together with Jacqui Singer, Frantz Dobrowsky, Danny Keogh and Elaine Proctor at Upstairs at the Market in 1979. She starred in Des and Dawn Lindberg’s production of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas together with Judy Page and Victor Melleney under direction by Dawn at His Majesty’s Theatre in 1979. She starred in Alfred Uhry’s Driving Miss Daisy in 1989. ***(Tucker, 1997)

Quoted from the programme of Janice Honeyman's version of the play Isn't It Romantic in 1985: 'Annabel was born in Durban and educated at Durban Girl's College and Natal University obtaining her Teacher's diploma in Speech and Drama and then teaching for a year before entering professional theatre. She started her radio career, however, while still at school and has since become one of South Africa's best known voices in radio plays and commercials. Annabel's stage career has progressed from Shakespeare through musical comedy to the most difficult field of all - cabaret, receiving rave review right along the line. She left legitimate stage for five years to rear her family whilst establishing herself as one of the most sought after female cabaret artistes in the country. In 1977 she returned to the stage playing Velma Kelly in Chicago for PACT for which she received an award for Best Performance of the Year, and in 1978 played in Edith Piaf - No Regrets also for PACT. The following year she appeared in Ibchek for the Market and then in Neil Simon's California Suite. A second successful season of cabaret at the Top of the Carlton was the followed by her first series for SATV - playing Marsha Bloom in the South African comedy series Oh George. In 1982 Annabel appeared in It Had To Be You, a comedy for Pieter Toerien; a 13-part TV science programme for children and a successful cabaret season at Annabels. In 1983 she played a leading role in PACT's 'Night of the Iguana and the following year did a TV series called The Entertainment Quiz with Cyril Green. She also won a DALRO award (her second) in October 1984 for her performance as the Mother in Torch Song Trilogy at The Market Theatre. She has just completed a challenging role in which she plays an elderly Russian immigrant.'

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