Aeons ago, I am shocking with specific time frames, I trained it way up north, I lived in the time at Watsons Bay, to Killara, to the Marian Street Theatre, one of the best theatres in Sydney, sadly long gone, still miss it terribly, to see an engrossing play about the notorious Witch Of Kings Cross, Rosaleen Norton.

For the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the playwright, just that it was a local, by that I mean  Australian playwright. I thought it might have been Timothy Daly.  I checked out Wikipedia. Well, everyone does that! A very fine Australian playwright, most well known for ‘Kafka Dances’. I couldn’t find any reference in Wikipedia.

My friend Suzanne Norris has come to the rescue. She sourced a review from the time, Brendan Doyle’s review published in the Green Left. The production took place at Marian Street in February 1998. The play was in fact written by Timothy Daly, the title was ‘Complicity’ and the play was directed by legendary Artistic Director of the Marian Street Theatre Company, John Krummel.

Back to the play. How best to describe it?! There were two main strands to it. On one level it was a tremendous love story. A coming together of two very different people from disparate backgrounds.

Here was Rosaleen Norton, this hippie, exotic, sexy woman, into the occult. And there was Sir Eugene, the foremost Australian conductor of his time, who circulated in the most conservative and refined of circles.

Sir Eugene had a secret passion for the occult and when he met Rosaleen, I can’t remember where they met, he found an outlet. What’s more, he was strongly attracted to her, as was Rosaleen to him. They came together.  Couldn’t keep their hands off each other.  A meeting of ‘perfect’ bodies and minds, as Leonard Cohen would have put it.

And then there was the other main strand to the story. I’m sure you have guessed it, by now. Somehow the newspapers found out about their romance. What a bizarre, great story! The people will love it.

The papers broke the story, shattering their privacy, spraying it over the front pages, without the slightest of attempts at understanding or sensitivity..

An early curtain was then drawn over Sir Eugene’s brilliant career. Rocked with scandal, Sir Eugene exited that stage, the  one stage all  human beings share, the great stage of life, a broken, shattered  man.

Which leads me to this. Australian filmmaker Sonia Bible, best known for her work ‘Recipe for Murder’, has written and directed a documentary film about Rosaleen Norton, appropriately titled ‘The Witch Of Kings Cross’, which will open at the personable, intimate Chauvel cinema in Paddington Town Hall on Thursday February 11.

The pre publicity surrounding the film sounds great. Yes, there is a lot about the ill-fated love story. The main focus, however, is on Rosaleen  herself who Sonia portrays as one of the world’s early feminists and a misunderstood genius

Upon researching her subject for the film Sonia said, “I was immediately struck by the bravery and sheer determination of Rosaleen Norton. She was a wild, creative woman, decades ahead of her time. She never gave up her artistic pursuits, no matter how hard the authorities made it. I found it inspiring.”

The film is described as, “being told in her own words, weaving stylised drama and erotic dancers with never before seen artworks, diaries and scrapbooks.”

Actress Kate Elizabeth Laxton plays Rosaleen.

Can’t wait. Rosaleen put a spell on Sir Eugene and made him hers. Madwoman or genius? It’s one of those timeless paradigms.

I know I will be one of the first ones through the door. That’s after getting a coffee and a choc-top from Chauvel’s tiny, quaint in-house cafe.

TM Publicity have kindly given the Guide five in season double passes to readers. Email editor.sydneyartsguide@gmail.com with The Witch Of Kings Cross Promotion in the subject heading and a postal address in the body of your email. Winners will be advised by email.

http://www.witchofkingscross.com

 

 

 

 

The film is told in Rosaleen’s own words. The movie weaves stylised drama and erotic dancers with never before seen artworks, diaries and scrapbooks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven’t kept and of my old programs so I am not able to give any details in regards to the title of the play or the playwright. I wish that my memory was better. I guess, it is what it is.

The play specifically dealt with one aspect of Norton’s life, definitely on its own material for a host of plays, her long relationship with the great Australian conductor, Sir Eugene Goossens. Such was Goossens renown that he had a concert venue named after him, the Eugene Goosens Hall, set within the head office of the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

 

 

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Norton who used the name of Thorn was a New Zealand born Australian artist and occultist,  She lived much of her later life in the bohemian area of Kings Cross, leading her to being named the ‘Witch of Kings Cross’. In her home she led her own coven of Witches.