TAIT, Viola (Wilson) 1911-2002

(Viola Wilson)

PERSONAL:

Born November 1, 1911, in Pressburg (now Bratislava), Austria-Hungary (now Slovakia); died February 6, 2002, in Melbourne, Australia; daughter of Gavin (a manager of a textile company) and Violet Hogg; married Frank Tait (an actor and theatrical producer; died, 1965); children: three daughters. Education: Studied at Scottish National Academy of Music. Religion: Toorak Uniting Church.

CAREER:

Opera singer. Toured with Carl Rosa Opera Company, 1935-37; D'Oyly Carte Opera, principal soprano under name Viola Wilson, 1937-40; toured Australia and New Zealand with J. C. Williamson's Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company, 1940-42, became managing director and artistic director. Women's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia, board member; Performing Arts Museum, Melbourne, founder; patron of arts organizations, including Tait Memorial Trust.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Named to Order of Australia, 1990.

WRITINGS:

A Family of Brothers: The Taits and J. C. Williamson; A Theatre History, William Heinemann (Melbourne, Australia), 1970.

Dames, Principal Boys—and All That: A History of Pantomime in Australia, prologue by Barry Humphries, Macmillan (Melbourne, Australia), 2001.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Age (Melbourne, Australia), May 19, 2002, Red Symons, review of Dames, Principal Boys—and All That: A History of Pantomime in Australia.

Drama: Quarterly Theatre Review, autumn, 1972, J. C. Trewin, review of A Family of Brothers: The Taits and J. C. Williamson; A Theatre History, pp. 77-79.

Times Literary Supplement, June 30, 1972, review of A Family of Brothers, p. 757.

OBITUARIES:

PERIODICALS

Times (London, England), March 7, 2002.

ONLINE

Age Online,http://www.theage.com.au/ (February 15, 2002), Michael Shmith, "Celebration and Farewell for Lady Tait."*