Theatre
Bayly has performed in theatre since 1954. Her early performances for Ensemble Theatre included The Man (1958–1960), The Drunkard (1959), The Lonely Hearts (1960), The Buffalo Skinner (1961) and Fairytales of New York (1962), [2] winning acclaim for her role in the latter. [10]
Further plays with Ensemble Theatre included The Rehearsal (1965) for which Bayly also won critical acclaim, [10] as well as Invitation to a March (1967), The Rimers of Eldritch (1968), The Daughter-in-Law (1969), Come Laughing Home (1969), We Bombed in New Haven (1970), Three Months Gone (1970) and Who's Who (1974). [2]
She also appeared in several plays for J. C. Williamson's including The Season at Sarsaparilla (1963), Mary, Mary (1963–1964), [2] which also included a long tour of New Zealand [10] and Chase Me Comrade (1965). [2]
While filming Play School , Bayly appeared on stage in D. H. Lawrence play The Daughter-in-Law [11] for Ensemble Theatre in 1969. [2] and would head home after the show to study the Play School script. [11] Further J. C. Williamson's productions followed, with Who Killed Santa Claus? (1971), Suddenly at Home (1973), The Male of the Species (1975) opposite English actor Edward Woodward and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (1980–1981), playing the role of Mona in the latter. [2] [7]
In 1991, Bayly performed in a touring production of Gas Light with Theatre of Comedy. [2] She then played Mrs Patrick Campbell in Dear Liar (1992), and Margaret in a 1996 Ensemble Theatre staging of Rough Justice (1996). [2] In 1997, she went on to play the role of Linda Loman, opposite Max Cullen as Willy Loman in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman at the Sydney Opera House, again for Ensemble Theatre. The staging won best production in the Sydney Critics Circle Awards. [12]
Bayly took a hiatus from acting in 2003, after the closing night of a production of David Williamson’s Birthrights , at the Sydney Opera House. She returned to the stage during a 2007 production of Rabbit Hole with Ensemble Theatre. [1]
In 2010, Bayly starred in the play Calendar Girls , [2] a stage adaptation of the 2003 film of the same name, alongside an all-star cast including Rhonda Burchmore, Cornelia Frances and Jean Kittson. [13] In 2012, she appeared in David Williamson's When Dad Married Fury . [2]
In 2015, Bayly featured in an Ensemble Theatre staging of John Misto’s The Shoe-Horn Sonata , reprising her lead role as Sheila from an earlier performance back in 1997. [14] The same year, Bayly played Frau Schmidt in a 2015 national tour of Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music , alongside Cameron Daddo as Captain Von Trapp [2] [8] and Marina Prior as Baroness Schraeder. [15] The production, which marked the 50th anniversary of the film, was also Bayly's 50th stage show. [16]
Her other stage credits include Arthur Miller's The Last Yankee and David Williamson's Travelling North . [2]
Television and film
Bayly's television debut was in 1960, performing comedy sketches as Leonard Teale's daughter on The Bobby Limb Show . [1] [17] Then, at the age of 20, she had a short-lived Sunday morning program (circa 1963), called Slim As You Clean with Lorraine Bayly. [1]
Her other early credits included playing an air hostess [1] in 1966 ABC series Be Our Guest alongside Jacki Weaver (which featured musical guests including the Bee Gees, Normie Rowe and Johnny Young) and ABC sci-fi series The Interpretaris , in which she played astronaut Vera Balovna. [7] This was followed by guest roles in Homicide , Division 4 , Hunter , The Rovers and Spyforce . [7] [18] She also appeared in 1975 Disney TV movie Ride a Wild Pony (aka Born to Run). [7]
Bayly then landed an ongoing role on the long-running children's series Play School . [7] She was one of the original presenters from 1966 to 1978, [4] along with John Hamblin, John Waters, and Anne Haddy. [15]
In 1976, while appearing in the drama Case for the Defence [1] and playing a guest role on soap opera Class of ‘74 , Bayly was asked to audition for her best-known role as maternal figure Grace Sullivan in The Sullivans , a drama series set during the Second World War. [7] She won the role, but had to relinquish her Sydney-based Play School presenter duties, in order to relocate to Melbourne. [7] Actress Noni Hazlehurst took over her job when she left the show. [15] Bayly was only in her 30s in 1976, when she began in the role of Grace, who was the mother of adult sons, so was styled to appear older. [8]
Originally only signed for 13 weeks, Bayly left The Sullivans in 1979, after 2 and a half years, wanting to return to theatre work, and as a result, her character was written out as the victim of a German V-1 flying bomb in London. [7] By 1978, she had become the highest-paid series actress in the history of Australian television. [19]
After leaving The Sullivans , Bayly appeared in 1980 children's film Fatty Finn , 1982 Australian classic The Man From Snowy River , [7] alongside Kirk Douglas [8] and Sigrid Thornton and 1982 miniseries 1915 . [7]
From 1982 to 1984, Bayly played the lead role in another period television drama Carson's Law , as progressive lawyer Jennifer Carson, [7] set in 1920s Melbourne. The episodes revolved around the cases taken on by Carson and the various personal intrigues of her family. [20] The series also starred Kevin Miles as Jennifer's father-in-law Godfrey Carson [7] and Gregg Caves, as Billy Carson. [20] The series was written specifically for Bayly. [7]
Bayly next portrayed Alan Bond’s wife Eileen, alongside John Wood and Nicholas Hammond in the 1986 miniseries The Challenge , based on Australia's win in America's Cup. [21] [7] She also appeared in 1989 murder mystery miniseries Grim Pickings , based on the novel by Jennifer Rowe, playing the role of Betsy Tander. [22] [23]
From 1991 to 1992, Bayly had a supporting in long-running soap opera Neighbours as Faye Hudson. [7] Faye was a 'busybody' who moved in with her brother Doug Willis (Terence Donovan) and his extended family. [3] Having been told it would be a role similar to the character of Dynasty’s Alexis Carrington, Bayly was disappointed when shortly into shooting, she discovered the role was quite different, and told producers she could no longer take on the role. Wanting her to stay, the producers allowed her to tweak the character and they adjusted some of the scripts accordingly. [7]
In 2004, Bayly played Lindy Chamberlain's mother Avis Murchison in 2004 miniseries Through My Eyes: The Lindy Chamberlain Story , alongside Miranda Otto, Peter O'Brien and Craig McLachlan. [24]
Bayly's additional television credits have included A Country Practice , G.P. and Pizza . [7]
