Sir Robert Helpmann

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Helpmann, Sir Robert Murray (1909–86), Australian-born ballet dancer, choreographer, actor, and director who successfully made the transition from dancing to acting, bringing to both the same meticulous attention to detail and artistic integrity. He first appeared, as dancer and actor, in Sydney, and in 1933 joined the Vic-Wells Ballet, being principal dancer of the Sadler's Wells Ballet from its inception until 1950. He first came into prominence as an actor in London when he played Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Old Vic at Christmas 1937, repeating the part the following Christmas. In 1944 he appeared with the Old Vic company at the New Theatre (now the Albery) as Hamlet, and in 1947, in partnership with Michael Benthall, took over the Duchess Theatre, where he was seen as Flamineo in Webster's The White Devil and Prince in Andreyev's He Who Gets Slapped. He then went to the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, where in 1948 he again played Hamlet, as well as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and King John. He returned to the London stage in 1951 (NY, 1951) to play Apollodorus in Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra and Octavius Caesar in Antony and Cleopatra, with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. He was seen as the Doctor in Shaw's The Millionairess (London and NY, 1952) on its first West End appearance, playing opposite Katharine Hepburn. With the Old Vic company, which he directed in a number of plays including Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral (1953), he appeared in a wide variety of Shakespearian parts, his versatility encompassing in 1955 Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew and Angelo in Measure for Measure, and in 1956–7 Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Pinch in The Comedy of Errors as well as the title-role in Richard III. Among his non-Shakespearian parts were Georges de Valera in Sartre's Nekrassov (1957) and Sebastien in Coward's Nude with Violin which he took over from Gielgud in the same year. He also directed Giraudoux's Duel of Angels (1960) and the musical Camelot (1964). From 1965 to 1976 he was Director of the Australian Ballet, and in 1970 he was appointed Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival, returning briefly to London in 1971 to direct a new production, several times revived, of Barrie's Peter Pan.

Sir Robert Helpmann 1909-1986, Australian dancer and choreographer. He danced as a principal (1933-50) with Sadler's Wells Ballet (now the Royal Ballet ), often partnering with Margot Fonteyn . His works as a choreographer include Comus (1942) and Miracle in the Gorbals (1944). He was director of the Australian Ballet from 1965 to 1976 (co-director, 1965-74) and also acted on stage and in films. He was knighted in 1968.