the Arts Centre presents
Leading Ladies
A Creative Development Initiative

Interview | Biography

Geraldine Turner


Geraldine Turner and Simon Plant
the Arts Centre, Melbourne, March 2003

Geraldine Turner was born in Brisbane in 1950. She began performing professionally as a child appearing in Aladdin, The Sleeping Princess and as a regular singer and dancer on Queensland’s 7 Network program Cottee’s Happy Hour. Geraldine trained in ballet for ten years and was a member of the Ballet Theatre of Queensland. She also studied classical singing at the Queensland Conservatorium for five years.

During the early 1970s, Geraldine began her adult career with the Queensland Theatre Company, performing in productions such as A Rum Do! (1970), The Ghost Train (1971), She Stoops to Conquer (1971) and The Legend of King O’Malley (1971).

In 1972 she appeared for J.C. Williamson Theatres Ltd as Betty Brown in the Australian and New Zealand productions of No! No! Nanette, which starred Cyd Charisse and later Yvonne De Carlo. Geraldine has continued to perform roles in major musical productions throughout her career, including Petra in A Little Night Music (1974), Ma Kelly in Reg Livermore’s Ned Kelly (1977), Velma Kelly in Chicago (1981 and 1983), Miss Lynch in Grease (1998) and Felicia Gabriel in The Witches of Eastwick (2002). For her role as Nancy in Oliver!, Geraldine won a 1984 Green Room Award, and her acclaimed performance as Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes (1989) was recognised with both a Green Room Award and a Gold Mo Award.

Geraldine has appeared in many musicals and plays for various state theatre companies in Australia. Her work with Sydney Theatre Company includes The Sunny South (1980), Present Laughter (1983), Jonah Jones (1985), Company (1986) and A Little Night Music (1990). For Melbourne Theatre Company she has performed in The Elephant Man (1980), Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1995 tour) and Inheritance (2003), as well as Sweeney Todd (1987) for which she won a Mo Award for the role of Mrs Lovett. Geraldine has also continued her association with Queensland Theatre Company in productions such as A Toast To Melba (1976), Summer Rain (1997) and The Forest (2001).

Among her other theatre credits are: Cole - A Musical Tribute (1976) for Marian Street Theatre; Pandora’s Cross (1978) for the Paris Company; Ashes (1977) and Jumpers (1978) for Nimrod Theatre; Noël and Gertie (1988) for David Morley Productions; and Call Me Madam (2000) for The Production Company.

Roles in operetta have also featured in Geraldine’s career. Her work with the Victoria State Opera includes the role of Buttercup in HMS Pinafore (1987) with Paul Eddington, and Helen of Troy in La Belle Hélène (1987). She also undertook the role of Katisha in Essgee Entertainment’s Australian tour of The Mikado in 1995.

Geraldine has worked extensively in cabaret, performing her own shows in venues around Australia, as well as in New York and Berlin. Her numerous recordings include two albums featuring the songs of Stephen Sondheim.

Geraldine has been a guest on television variety shows and musical productions, including featuring in The Sentimental Bloke (1976) for ABC TV. She has also portrayed roles in dramas such as Homicide, The Restless Years, A Country Practice, Five Mile Creek and GP, and appeared in films including Careful, He Might Hear You (1983) and The Wogboy (1999).

In 1988 Geraldine Turner was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) as part of the Bicentennial Honours list.