Joan Brickhill, acknowledged nationwide as
the First Lady of musical theatre in South Africa, passed away peacefully at
15h03 on January 15 at a frail care facility in Johannesburg.
Her career spanning over 60 years was
unparalleled and uniquely South African.
For over 20
years, she and her husband Louis Burke were the dominant force in musical
theatre including an heroic battle to save His Majesty’s Theatre for seven
years. From the mid 1960’s to the mid-1980s, they staged a prolific series of
long-running and outstanding productions.
Aside from
being a successful producer and director, Joan is primarily remembered as that
rare phenomena … a genuine theatre star … a “triple threat” singing, dancing,
acting performer who could illuminate the stage and guarantee sold-out houses.
She came to national attention as the epitome of glamour for over a decade as
the star of a series of Minstrel and Follies Extravaganzas. She then went on to
enjoy her greatest triumphs as Miss Hannigan in Annie, and the title roles in Hello
Dolly and Mame.
Born in the
heartland of KwaZulu-Natal in 1924, she quickly became a child star, winning
“most talented child in the country”. Her honours and awards were many: twice winner of the Best Radio Actress, twice
winner of Best Performance in Musical; nominated for a Tony Award on Broadway
for her choreography in Meet Me In St
Louis; and the original musical Meropa
– KwaZulu played the Royal Command Performance before Her Majesty Queen
Elizabeth II during its long run in London, and the University of Tshwane
bestowed an honorary doctorate upon her.
Despite being
the consummate all-round performer and professional, highly skilled in a
dizzying array of disciplines from costume design to casting, it was as a
discoverer and mentor of young talent that she felt she was uniquely gifted and
proud. Her biography is nearing completion and will be available shortly.
Her capacity to
handle a glamorous, highly theatrical and seemly effortless descent down a long
staircase was unsurpassed!
There will be a
private cremation next week and later this month there will be “the end of a
long successful run” party and memorial service which will be announced shortly.
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