IN A singularly grim week for Australian theatre, not one but three important theatrical identities have died – two of them were Canberrans.

After a long and unsuccessful convalescence following an operation, Jenny Ongley-Houston died last night (May 26) in hospital.

One of the livewires of Canberra REP, known for her sparkling wit and strong opinions, she had joined the society in 1959 and became one of its acting regulars continuing her involvement through her marriage to Warwick Ongley, who died in 1990, and her second husband Mal Houston.

She appeared in more than 100 reproductions for REP at the Riverside Theatre, the Canberra Playhouse and Canberra REP’s Theatre 3. She also worked in the REP office for 10 years, backstage and front of house jobs, also serving on committees.

In March 2021, Ongley-Houston was nominated for life membership of the Canberra Repertory Society.

Oliver Baudert, a classical actor with impeccable articulation died yesterday (May 26), aged 91. He was pre-deceased by his artist wife Theresa.

Born in Utrecht to English parents, he was schooled in Lincolnshire during the blitz, but spent years abroad, including Indonesia, where he worked as a salesman in the tobacco industry.

When he and his wife Theresa moved to Australia in 1985, Baudert went to an acting school in Sydney, had his first outing at the Sydney Opera House Studio in 2001 and acted in Shakespeare with the Southern Highlands-based “The Company of Players”.

When the Bauderts moved to Canberra, Oliver moved to centre stage, performing in works as various as “Scrooge – The Musical”, “Hedda Gabler” and “Our Lady By The Beach Over The Sea”, an original play by “CityNews” theatre writer, Joe Woodward.

“Oliver was one of the most generous and quietly grounded persons I have ever known,” says Joe.

“He seemed to grasp my vulnerability and was willing to step in and provide the artistic and professional support I needed… and then some.”

Further afield, Rick Billinghurst, who had been the first professional artistic director at Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre and a significant intellectual force in Australian theatre. His directorial work was seen across the country, including at NIDA and The Q, Penrith.

Woodward, who was given his first professional job in theatre by Billinghurst, says, “Rick released a kind of power and charisma in me that probably only one other soul on earth could know and understand.

“And I wonder how many other struggling people benefited and grew from his influence and personal majesty.”