Robyn Nevin
- Actress
- Director
- Soundtrack
Robyn Nevin entered the National Institute Of Dramatic Art (training
ground of Mel Gibson, among others) at age 16 in the very first intake in
1959. She went through what she called 'a little temperamental huff'
with the theatre following graduation and took a job with the national
broadcaster in Tasmania. She cut her teeth in a variety of roles in
radio and television, including current affairs, music, chat shows and
childrens' shows throughout the early 1960s. She found she disliked
being a television 'personality' and gravitated back to theatre where
she has been a constant presence for the last 40 years. Although
theatre has been her home ground she has also been a reliable talent in
Australian films and mini-series, landing many credits for strong
supporting roles. She made one foray into directing in the little
noticed The More Things Change... (1986). In the 1990s, after being in a number of productions
that she found unsatisfactory from the actor's point of view she found
she wanted more control over what she was doing. She expanded from
being just an actor to directing and managing, ultimately becoming
Artistic Director of the Sydney Theatre Company. She is a doyenne of
Australian theatre and has been awarded the Order Of Australia for her
artistic contributions.
