Lindy Davies (29 August 1946) is an Australian actress, director, actor trainer and performance consultant. She played Ruth Ballinger in the Australian

soap opera A soap opera, or ''soap'' for short, is a typically long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term "soap opera" originated from radio drama ...

Prisoner A prisoner (also known as an inmate or detainee) is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement, captivity, or forcible restraint. The term applies particularly to serving a prison sentence in a prison. ...

'' in 1985, and won the AFI (AACTA) Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1986 film '' Malcolm''. She went on to be the head of drama at the Victorian College of the Arts for over 11 years until 2007, and worked as a performance consultant on films including ''

Afterglow An afterglow in meteorology consists of several atmospheric optical phenomena, with a general definition as a broad arch of whitish or pinkish sunlight in the twilight sky, consisting of the bright segment and the purple light. Purple light mai ...

'' (1997) and ''

Away From Her ''Away from Her'' is a 2006 Canadian independent drama film written and directed by Sarah Polley and starring Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent. Olympia Dukakis, Michael Murphy, Wendy Crewson, Alberta Watson, and Kristen Thomson are featured ...

'' (2006) with

Julie Christie Julie Frances Christie (born 14 April 1940) is a British actress. An icon of the Swinging Sixties, Christie is the recipient of numerous accolades including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. She ...

Career

Born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, Davies has been an influence on many actors, including

Cate Blanchett Catherine Elise Blanchett (; born 14 May 1969) is an Australian actor. Regarded as one of the finest performers of her generation, she is known for her versatile work across independent films, blockbusters, and the stage. She has received n ...

Harriet Walter Dame Harriet Mary Walter (born 24 September 1950) is a British actress. She has received a Laurence Olivier Award as well as numerous nominations including for a Tony Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2011 ...

, and

. She directed Blanchett in ''

Electra Electra (; grc, Ήλέκτρα) is one of the most popular mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, '' Electra'' by Sophocles and '' Electra'' by Euripides. She is also the centra ...

'' at the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts is based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, many of Australia's leading actors and directors trained at NIDA, including Cat ...

in 1992, and worked with Christie as a consultant on the

Dennis Potter Dennis Christopher George Potter (17 May 1935 – 7 June 1994) was an English television dramatist, screenwriter and journalist. He is best known for his BBC television serials '' Pennies from Heaven'' (1978), ''The Singing Detective'' (198 ...

TV series ''

Karaoke Karaoke (; ; , clipped compound of Japanese ''kara'' "empty" and ''ōkesutora'' "orchestra") is a type of interactive entertainment usually offered in clubs and bars, where people sing along to recorded music using a microphone. The music is ...

'' (1996) and the films ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'' (1996), ''

'' (1997), ''

'' (2006) and '' Glorious 39'' (2009). Davies, who has said that "Intuition" is the defining principle of her process. has also conducted master classes for actors, writers and directors at the

Canadian Film Centre The Canadian Film Centre (CFC) is a charitable organization founded by filmmaker Norman Jewison in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, in 1988. Originally launched as film school, today it provides training, development and advancement opportunities for pr ...

from 2010 - 2016.

As Director

*National Theatre of Slovenia: ''Scenes From an Execution'' *National Theatre of Slovenia: ''The Changeling'' *Moscow Maly Theatre, ''Old Times''. *

Wyndham's Theatre Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archit ...

West End, ''Old Times'' (with

, Leigh Lawson and

). *

Theatr Clwyd Theatr Clwyd () is a regional arts centre and producing theatre from Mold, Flintshire, in North East Wales. It opened as Theatr Clwyd in 1976, but was known between 1998 and 2015 as Clwyd Theatr Cymru, before reverting to its original name. His ...

, ''Old Times'' (with

and Leigh Lawson) *

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

, ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage. The play has been ca ...

'' (with

Nicholas Le Prevost Nicholas Le Prevost (born 18 March 1947) is an English actor. Early life Le Prevost was born in Wiltshire. He was educated at Shaftesbury Grammar School, Shaftesbury, Dorset from 1957 to 1961 and at Kingswood School, Bath from 1961 to 19 ...

and

Phyllida Law Phyllida Ann Law (born 8 May 1932) is a British actress, known for her numerous roles in film and television. Early life Law was born in Glasgow, the daughter of Meg "Mego" and William Law, a journalist. Prior to the Second World War, her fath ...

) *

, ''Suzannah Andler'' (with

) *

Sydney Theatre Company Sydney Theatre Company (STC) is an Australian theatre company based in Sydney, New South Wales. The company performs in The Wharf Theatre at Dawes Point in The Rocks area of Sydney, as well as the Roslyn Packer Theatre (formerly Sydney Thea ...

, ''Three Days of Rain, A Month in the Country'' (Opera House), ''Old Times'' * Bell Shakespeare Company:, ''

As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 h ...

'' (Opera House); * Belvoir St Company B, '' Scenes from an Execution'' (nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Director) *

State Theatre Company of South Australia The State Theatre Company of South Australia (STCSA), branded State Theatre Company South Australia, formerly the South Australian Theatre Company (SATC), is South Australia's leading professional theatre company, and a statutory corporation. I ...

, ''Room to Move'' * Playbox, '' Fool for Love'' * Victorian College of the Arts, ''The Rover'', '' A Midsummer Night’s Dream'', ''Women Beware Women'' (Middleton/Barker), ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...

'', '' Three Sisters'', ''

Lysistrata ''Lysistrata'' ( or ; Attic Greek: , ''Lysistrátē'', "Army Disbander") is an ancient Greek comedy by Aristophanes, originally performed in classical Athens in 411 BC. It is a comic account of a woman's extraordinary mission to end the Peloponne ...

''. *

, ''A Midsummer Night’s Dream''; ''

''; ''Miss Sarah Sampson''. *Pram Factory: ''Calling For Help'' *

La Mama La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...

: ''Calling For Help'' *Open Stage: ''Marat Sade; Ride Across Lake Constance; The Birthday Party''

Performance Consultant

Lindy Davies has developed an approach to performance: a process; which is an intuitive imaginative connection to language, space and transformation. She has worked as a Performance Advisor/Consultant on many films including: * Sarah Polley’s ''Away from Her'' with

. *Lindy also worked with Julie Christie on ''Neverland'' and ''Troy''. *Alan Rudolph's ''Afterglow'' with Julie Christie. * Sally Potter's ''The Tango Lesson''. *

Kenneth Branagh Sir Kenneth Charles Branagh (; born 10 December 1960) is a British actor and filmmaker. Branagh trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and has served as its president since 2015. He has won an Academy Award, four BAFTAs (plus ...

's ''Hamlet'' with Julie Christie. *

's ''Karaoke'' with Julie Christie. *Michael Whyte's ''The Railway Stationman'' with Julie Christie. *Pat O’Connor's ''Fools of Fortune'' with Julie Christie. *Australia: includes ''Looking For Alibrandi'', ''Radiance'', ''The Leaving of Liverpool'', Talk, ''MDA.'' *Indivision Lab 2009 AFC Consultant alongside Christine Vachon, Susanne Bier and Claudia Karvan. *Screen Australia 2011 Flash Black Performance Workshop for Indigenous Directors.

Actor Training

* From November 1995 to January 2007, Lindy Davies was the Head of the School of Drama at the former

Victorian College of Arts The Victorian College of the Arts (VCA) is the arts school at the University of Melbourne in Australia. It is part of the university's Faculty of Fine Arts and Music. It is located near the Melbourne city centre on the Southbank campus of the ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

. * Lindy Davies created an integrated curriculum for the training of Actors, Directors, Writers, Theatre-Makers, Designers and Technical Practitioners at the School of Drama of the former Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. * From 1979 to 1982 she held the position of Head of Acting at the

. * From 1970 to 1978 she was a lecturer in drama at Melbourne State College.

Actress

*'' Malcolm'', (

AACTA Award The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry, ...

for Best Supporting Actress) *Belvoir St Company B, ''Scenes from an Execution'' (Galactea), (nominated for a Critic’s Circle Award for Best Actress) *N.I.D.A. Company, ''Vassa'', (Vassa) (nominated for a Critic’s Circle Award for Best Actress) *

, ''

The Seagull ''The Seagull'' ( rus, Ча́йка, r=Cháyka, links=no) is a play by Russian dramatist Anton Chekhov, written in 1895 and first produced in 1896. ''The Seagull'' is generally considered to be the first of his four major plays. It dramatises ...

'' (Arkadina) ''

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' is a play by Edward Albee first staged in October 1962. It examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening, after a university faculty party, they receive ...

'' (Martha), ''Wild Honey'' (Anna Petrovna). *Hunter Valley Theatre Company, ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' (Martha), Condor Award for Best Actress. *New Work: Lyndal Jones: Prediction Piece; Nan Hassall: Biennale Piece; Jenny Kemp: ''The White Hotel.'' *Playbox, ''Upside Down at the Bottom of the World'', (Frida), ''World is Made of Glass'' (Magda), ''Buried Child'' (Haley). * Rex Cramphorn's Actor's Development Stream, ''

Antony and Cleopatra ''Antony and Cleopatra'' ( First Folio title: ''The Tragedie of Anthonie, and Cleopatra'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. The play was first performed, by the King's Men, at either the Blackfriars Theatre or the Globe Theatre in aroun ...

'',(Cleopatra) ''

Britannicus Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus (12 February AD 41 – 11 February AD 55), usually called Britannicus, was the son of Roman emperor Claudius and his third wife Valeria Messalina. For a time he was considered his father's heir, but that ...

'' (Agrippina), ''

'' (Gertrude) ''Not Suitable for Adults'' (Kate). *

, ''Mishka and Nomagava''.(Mishka); ''Thoughts on Meeting A Friend; Halewyn; Tombstone.'' * The Pram Factory, ''Marvellous Melbourne''; ''Marvellous Melbourne II''; ''Chicago Chicago''; '' Don's Party''. *La Mama Experimental Theatre Company: ''Calm Down Mother; Comings and Goings; Birth of Space; I Don’t Know Who to Feel Sorry For; Dimboola, Halewyn.''

Awards

* Malcolm, (

for Best Supporting Actress) * Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award - A special citation for her contribution to performing arts in Australia. * Recipient of the

Monash University Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has ...

Distinguished Alumni Award for inspirational leadership and significant contribution to the theory and practice of drama.

References

External links

*Lindy Davies
website
* *The Old Times (1995) Wyndham"s Theatre, Londo
Photo Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davies, Lindy 1946 births Living people Australian film actresses Australian television actresses Australian stage actresses Drama teachers Australian theatre directors Actresses from Melbourne Best Supporting Actress AACTA Award winners