Edith Campion (actress)

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Edith Campion
MBE
in 1946 as "Mary Boyle" in "Juno and the Paycock"
Born
Beverley Georgette Hannah

(1923-12-13)13 December 1923
Wellington, New Zealand
Died16 September 2007(2007-09-16) (aged 83)
Ōtaki, New Zealand
Occupation(s)Actress, writer
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1945; div. 1987)​
Children3, including Jane Campion
RelativesAlice Englert (granddaughter)
Sheilah Winn (cousin)[1]

Edith Campion MBE (born Beverley Georgette Hannah; 13 December 1923 – 16 September 2007) was a New Zealand actor, writer, and a co-founder of the New Zealand Players theatre company.[2][3]

Early life[edit]

Campion was the only child of George Alfred Hannah (1891—1931), the youngest child of Robert and Hannah Hannah[4][5][6] and his wife Jessie McLean Hannah (née Armstrong).[7] Robert Hannah founded the R. Hannah and Co. shoemaking business, owning shoe factories and a chain of shops throughout the country.[1]

Her father died when she was 8 and her mother 2 years later but her maternal grandmother did not die until 1944. Campion was educated at Queen Margaret College and Nga Tawa Diocesan School as well as receiving a private education from governesses.[2] In 1942 she attended Victoria University of Wellington.[2] In 1945 Campion married Richard.[8] She then travelled with him to London in 1948 to attend the Old Vic Theatre School, training as an actor.[9]

New Zealand Players Theatre Company[edit]

Campion founded the New Zealand Players Theatre Company in 1953 with her husband Richard, using some of her inheritance to finance the company.[10][11][12] She acted numerous leading roles in many productions put on by the company and by the 1950s was regarded as one of New Zealand's pre-eminent actresses.[2] In 1955 Campion took the lead role of Saint Joan in the play of the same name and garnered very favourable reviews.[13] This production was also notable as Douglas Lilburn composed the incidental music for it.[13] In 1959 Campion became a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.[14]

Writing career[edit]

In the late 1970s Campion began writing more, producing works of fiction and of poetry.[9] In 1977 she published A Place to Pass Through and Other Stories and in 1979 had her novella The Chain published in a co-publication called Tandem along with En Route, a novella by Frank Sargeson.[9]

Later life[edit]

She was divorced from Richard in 1987.[2] In 1990 Campion had a cameo role in her daughter Jane's movie An Angel at My Table.[2] Jane's 1993 film The Piano was also dedicated to her.[9] Campion died in September 2007.[2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b O'Neil, Andrea (14 September 2015). "Robert Hannah's shoe empire marches into Wellington - 150 years of news". Stuff. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Kiwi actress Edith Campion dies". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  3. ^ "Obituary: Edith Campion". NZ Herald. 22 September 2007. Archived from the original on 13 August 2021. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  4. ^ Memorial inscription Karori cemetery
  5. ^ Personal, Horowhenua Chronicle 2 June 1931 Page 4
  6. ^ "Creator of professional theatre". Stuff. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  7. ^ Deaths The Evening Post 25 March 1944 Page 1
  8. ^ "Wedding at St Paul's". Evening Post. Vol. CXL, no. 152. 26 December 1945. p. 8. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d Robinson, Roger (2006). "Campion, Edith". In Robinson, Roger; Wattie, Nelson (eds.). The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780195583489.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-1917-3519-6. OCLC 865265749. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  10. ^ The Oxford encyclopedia of theatre and performance. Dennis Kennedy. New York. 2003. ISBN 0-19-861096-3. OCLC 79410878.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  11. ^ Zohrab, Irene (1997). "Raymond Boyce's Reminiscences on the New Zealand 'Petrouchka' and the Russian Tradition in Theatre". New Zealand Slavonic Journal: 221–238. ISSN 0028-8683. JSTOR 23806806.
  12. ^ Derby, Mark (22 October 2014). "The rise of professional companies". teara.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
  13. ^ a b Nathan, Rhoda (1994). "A Fabian Down Under: Shaw's Plays in the Antipodes". Shaw. 14: 167–176. ISSN 0741-5842. JSTOR 40655118.
  14. ^ "New Year honours list" (PDF). New Zealand Gazette. No. 2. 15 January 1959. p. 31.
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