- Kester Berwick
Kester Berwick (pr: "Berrick"), 1903-1992 was born in
Adelaide and died an expatriate onCorfu in the Greek islands. A minor Australian actor and writer, Berwick who was gay, spent the final twenty three years of his life inGreece . His life is the subject of one of the storylines inRobert Dessaix 's novel "Corfu".Biography
Born Frank Perkins in
Adelaide ,South Australia , he founded the experimental Ab-Intra Theatre Company there in 1930. Berwick studied at Dartington Hall,Devon ,England , withMichael Chekhov a former student of Stanislavski, for four years from 1936-37. AfterWorld War II broke out he returned toAustralia to spend this time teaching. In the 'forties he was involved in directing plays at The Hut, now part of theUniversity of Adelaide Theatre Guild. He then taught for five years inLondon from 1955.Berwick settled in
Mithymna (Molyvos), on the island ofLesbos in 1960, later moving to Gastouri, Corfu in 1969 where he lived until his death at the age of 89 in 1992.Plays and Publications
1944, directed with Brian Elliott, "Evening for Young Folk", a play at The Hut, Adelaide.
1945, director, "The Stronger", byAugust Strindberg .
1946, director, "Swirling", by Denys Ariel andAndre Obey .
1948, director, "The Rape of Lucrece", author Andre Obey.
His novel, "Head of Orpheus Singing", was published in 1973.References
Kester Berwick, "Head of Orpheus Singing," Angus & Robertson, London, 1973.
Robert Dessaix, "Corfu," Picador (Pan MacMillan), Australia, 2001.
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/theatreguild/past/
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