Vera Clare
Vera Clare. (19**-2011) Actress.
Contents
Biography
She moved to South Africa with her then husband, Max Goodenough, and their three children, settling in Cape Town. They moved to Pietermaritzburg three years later.
Training
Career
She joined the Maddermarket Theatre in Norwich in the late 40s. When she came to South Africa in 1967 she auditioned for CAPAB and got the part of Candida. Family responsibilities, however, kept her off the stage.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
She was a regular performer for KickstArt.
Pietermaritzburg in the 70s, worked with Murray McGibbon, Garth Anderson, David Robinson, and others. Acted and directed in comedy and drama at the Cygnet Theatre and Winston Churchill Theatres. Did liaison work for schools' theatre. In the 80s played Olive Schreiner in The Story of an African Farm and in Still Life (Noël Coward) (Garth Anderson). Also performed in Murray McGibbon's Equus as the Magistrate.
Appeared in the film The Steam Pig.
Loft Theatre Company production of Blonde Sisters: Mothering the Master Race – banned (Garth Anderson) in the 80s.
In July 2000 in a monologue from Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, A Lady of Letters directed by Peter Mitchell at the Hexagon Theatre.
Lady Bracknell in KickstArt’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest at Square Space Theatre, University of Natal, Durban campus.
A Savage from the Colonies with Stacey Taylor, had Pietermaritzburg, Grahamstown and Durban seasons (circa 2001).
Awards, etc
Durban Theatre Awards Best Supporting Actress Steel Magnolias 2002-2003;
She won a Vita Award (KZN) Best lead actress: Keely & Du; Best performance in comedy by female: The Importance of Being Earnest.
Sources
Kwana 8 Nov 2001 and Natal Witness 4 July 2000.
Tribute written by Estelle Sinkins, published in the Witness, 20 July 2011.
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