Kaarin Fairfax
Australian actress, director and singer
Kaarin Fairfax
Born Kaarin Louise Fairfax
(1959-09-30 ) 30 September 1959 (age 64) Other names Mary-Jo Starr Occupations Actress director singer theatre founder Years active 1980 (1980 ) –present Spouse Paul Kelly (1993–2001)Children 2 Website kaarinfairfax .com .au
Kaarin Louise Fairfax (born 30 September 1959) is an Australian actress, director and singer who played the role of Dolour Darcy in two TV miniseries, The Harp in the South (1986) and its sequel Poor Man's Orange (1987), based on books of the same names by Ruth Park .
Career
Acting
Fairfax acted in several Australian television series throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.[ 1]
She appeared in the Australian sitcom Col'n Carpenter , a spin-off from The Comedy Company , after Vikki Blanche left the series. She starred in the Rachel Perkins 2001 short film One Night the Moon alongside her husband at the time, Paul Kelly – a story of racial prejudice in the outback.[ 2] She also played the role of Deb Mathieson on Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV series, Bed of Roses (2008, 2010).[ 3] [ 4]
Fairfax has worked as both actor and director in Australian theatre. By 2008, Fairfax had established The Little Theatre Company in Frankston, Victoria , in honour of her father George Fairfax. Fairfax directed t he musical Frankston Lights in January 2009, which included songs co-written by her children (Madeleine and Memphis) and Robert McHugh. Kaarin has been working extensively since that time, joining forces with Sally Baillieu and directing The Wetlands Project, One Last Chance , performed in the Wetlands at Tootgarook. In January 2012 she directed Good People for Red Stitch Actors Theatre .
In 2015, Fairfax co-starred in the film StalkHer alongside John Jarratt .
Music
Fairfax was a vocalist for Wild Blue Yonder, a Sydney-based band from 1985 which had a varied line-up but had no known recordings.[ 5] In the late 1970s she was part of a comedy vocal trio The Droolettes which also included Gina Riley and Gina Mendoza, with Geoff O'Connell on piano. During 1989–1991 she supplied backing vocals on tracks by Paul Kelly & the Messengers .
In 1990, under the name, Mary-Jo Starr, she released three singles and an album, Too Many Movies .[ 1] She was nominated for the 1991 ARIA Award for Best New Talent[ 6] and appeared on the Breaking Ground - New Directions in Country Music compilation which was also nominated for Best Country Album .[ 7] She joined Truckasaurus in 1993, a Melbourne-based Grungey /country band which released Truckasaurus in October.[ 8]
Together with Sally Baillieu, Fairfax runs The Lineup at Frankston Arts Centre Cube37, a musical mentorship program for young emerging artists. Madeleine and Memphis, together with band member Sam Humphrey, record under the band name Wishful . Their first EP, Fifty Days was produced by their father Paul Kelly . Fairfax and Baillieu also have an arts program on 3RPP Radio Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula , called Arts About .
Personal life
Fairfax is the former wife of Australian musician Paul Kelly —they met in 1988. Their two children are Madeleine (born 1991) and Memphis (born 1993). Memphis appeared with her parents in short film, One Night the Moon . The couple separated not long after the film's release.[ 2]
Filmography
Film
Year
Title
Role
Type
1982
Starstruck
Icecream Girl
Feature film
1983
A Descant for Gossips
Vinny Lalor
TV movie
1987
Around the World in Eighty Ways
Checkout Chick
Feature film
1987
Damsels Be Damned
Michelle
Short film
1988
Belinda
Sandra
Feature film
1988
Young Einstein
The Brunette
Feature film
1988
A Crack in the Curtains
Sarah
Short film
1989
Shadow Panic
The Hothead
Short film
1990
Worse than Xmas
Angela
Short film
2001
One Night the Moon
Rose Ryan
Short film
2015
Holding the Man
Wedding Singer
Feature film
2015
StalkHer
Emily
Feature film
2017
Pillars
Rosetta
Short film
2017
What if it Works?
Dr. Karen Di Scala
Feature film
2017
West of Sunshine
Andrea
Feature film
2017
Deep Six
Bonnie
Short film
2018
The Resurgence
Melanie
Short film
2018
Just Between Us
Meryl
Feature film
2018
In the Wake
Sue
Short film
2018
The Greta Fragments
Mary
Short film
2018
Skewwhiff
Rae
Short film
2019
The Hunt
Nell
Short film
2019
The Diver
Dorothy
Short film
2019
Bloom
Aunty Vera
Short film
2020
The Green Door
Lady in Church
Feature film
2020
Paper Champions
Morine
Feature film
2020
Hakuumacaato
Marion (voice)
Short film
2023
What About Sal?
Sophie
Feature film
Television
Year
Title
Role
Type
1980
The Last Outlaw
Grace
TV miniseries, 4 episodes
1981
Cop Shop
Joan Wyndham
TV series, 1 episode
1981
I Can Jump Puddles
Rene
TV miniseries, 1 episode
1982
Sons and Daughters
Schoolgirl
TV series, 1 episodes
1982
Prisoner
Kathy Hudson
TV series, 2 episodes
1983
Home
TV series, 3 episodes
1983
The Sullivans
Mona
TV series, 1 episodes
1984
Carson's Law
Agnes Knight
TV series, 1 episode
1984
The Mike Walsh Show
Guest - Herself
TV series, 1 episode
1986
The Harp in the South
Dolour Darcy
TV miniseries, 3 episodes
1987
Poor Man's Orange
Dolour Darcy
TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1990
Catalyst
Presenter
TV series
1990-91
Col'n Carpenter
Linda Williams
TV series, 26 episodes
1992
Tuesday Night Live: The Big Gig
Mary-Jo Starr
TV series, 1 episode
1995
Correlli
Terri
TV miniseries, 1 episode
2000
SeaChange
Suzy
TV series, 1 episode
2003
Kath & Kim
Nurse
TV series, 1 episode
2004
Fergus McPhail
Ms. Rolla
TV series, 4 episodes
2009
Rush
Janey Merryn
TV series, 1 episode
2010
Offspring
Florist
TV series, 1 episode
2008-11
Bed of Roses
Deb Mathieson
TV series, 26 episodes
2012-13
You're Skitting Me
Additional cast
TV series, 26 episodes
2017
Method
Gina Delaware
TV series, 1 episode
2018
Picnic at Hanging Rock
Cook
TV miniseries, 4 episodes
2019
Internment
Janet
TV series, 3 episodes
2022
Darby and Joan
Heidi
TV series, 1 episode
As crew
Year
Title
Role
Type
1993
Say a Little Prayer
Drama Coach
Feature film
2015
StalkHer
Co-director
Feature film
2018
The Greta Fragments
Writer
Short film
Stage
Actor
Year
Title
Role
Type
1979
The Woman
Astyanax / Gemil
Pram Factory with Australian Performing Group
Zig Zag Follies
Lead
Adelaide Festival
1980-81
Cain's Hand
Kathy (Lead girl)
Scott Theatre, Adelaide & St Martins Youth Arts Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company
Quick Ease Cafe
Comedy Lead
1980
Slipped Disco
Cigs
Flying Trapeze Cafe, Fitzroy
1983
Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
Bubba
Anthill Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre
1984
Beach Blanket Tempest
Gidget
Townsville, Cairns Civic Theatre, Theatre Royal, Mackay, Rockhampton, Mount Isa, Araluen Arts Centre , Playhouse, Adelaide, Canberra Theatre & University of Sydney with New Moon Theatre Company
1984
The Kid
Snake
St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company
1984
Top Girls
Shona / Kit
Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
1985
The Doll Trilogy : Kid Stakes / Other Times / Summer of the Seventeenth Doll
Bubba
Sydney Opera House & Athenaeum Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company & Melbourne Theatre Company
1986
No Worries
Ensemble
Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1987
A Lie of the Mind
Beth
Belvoir Street Theatre
1987
Shakers
Belvoir Street Theatre
1988
Darlinghurst Nights
Gunman's Girl
Wharf Theatre , Australian National University with Sydney Theatre Company
1988
King Lear
Cordelia
Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1988-90
The Glass Menagerie
Laura
Playhouse, Adelaide & Marian Street Theatre with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1989
Speed-the-Plow
Karen
Sydney Opera House , Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company
1990
Beach Blanket Tempest
Gidget
Q Theatre, Penrith
1994
The Swan
Dora
Space Theatre, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia
1995
Haxby's Circus
Gina
Playhouse, Adelaide with Stare Theatre Company of South Australia
1996
Miss Bosnia
Selma
Fairfax Studio, Melbourne , West Gippsland Arts Centre, Monash University , Canberra Theatre , Bendigo Performing Arts Centre, Geelong Performing Arts Centre , Gold Coast Arts Centre with Melbourne Theatre Company
1999
Into the Woods
Lucinda (Stepsister)
Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company
Director
Year
Title
Role
Type
Go Away Mr. Worrythoughts
Frankston Arts Centre & Australian regional tour
Almost with You
La Mama & Cube37 FAC
The Wetlands Project: One Last Chance
Director
Frankston Arts Centre Cube37 & 3940 Arts
1992
Funerals and Circuses
Director, Assistant
Theatre 62, Universal Theatre , Playhouse, Canberra
1993
Tall Tales and True
Director
South Australia with Magpie Theatre Company
1994
Planet K
Director
Continental Cafe, Prahran
1994
All of Me
Director
Belvoir Street Theatre & Melbourne Town Hall for Melbourne International Comedy Festival
1997
Patsy Cline: Her Songs, Her Story
Director
Universal Theatre, Melbourne
1998-2002
Mum's the Word
Director
Glen Street Theatre , Bendigo Performing Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne , Athenaeum Theatre for Melbourne Comedy Festival
2001
It's a Dad Thing
Director
Athenaeum Theatre
2001
Always ... Patsy Cline
Director
Darwin Entertainment Centre with Majestic Theatre Company
2002
Uncle Bob
Director
Red Stitch Actors Theatre
2002
The Play About the Baby
Director
Red Stitch Actors Theatre
2003
The War Against Short Trousers
Director
Chapel Off Chapel
2003
Push Up
Director
Red Stitch Actors Theatre
2008
Mum's the Word 2: Teenagers
Director
Theatre Royal, Sydney , Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
2009
Frankston Lights
Director
The Little Theatre Company
2010
Fairweather Island
Directorial consultant
Carlton Courthouse with La Mama
2012
Good People
Red Stitch Actors Theatre
Popcorn
Popcorn Productions
[ 9]
Discography
Albums
Singles
Year
Title
Artist
Album
1989
"Kissing in a Taxi"
Mary-Jo Starr
Too Many Movies
1990
"Passionate Kisses"
Mary-Jo Starr
"Lonesome, Lovely & Alone"
Mary-Jo Starr
non album single
1989
"Killer in Me"
StalkHer film soundtrack
Awards & nominations
Film & TV
Music
References
^ a b Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara, Paul McHenry with notes by Ed Nimmervoll (2002) [1987]. "STARR Mary Jo" . The Who's Who of Australian Rock . Noble Park , Vic.: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1 . Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition.
^ a b Wilkie, Meredith (25 April 2004). "Lure of hearth and home" . The Age . Retrieved 14 February 2010 .
^ "Bed of Roses Episode guide: Series 1" . Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 14 February 2010 .
^ "Bed of Roses Episode guide: Series 2" . Australian Television Information Archive. Retrieved 14 February 2010 .
^ Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara, Paul McHenry with notes by Ed Nimmervoll (2002) [1987]. "WILD BLUE YONDER" . The Who's Who of Australian Rock . Noble Park, Vic.: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1 .
^ "ARIA Awards Best New Talent" . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 5 April 2017 .
^ "ARIA Awards Best Country Album" . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 5 April 2017 .
^ Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara, Paul McHenry with notes by Ed Nimmervoll (2002) [1987]. "TRUCKASAURUS" . The Who's Who of Australian Rock . Noble Park, Vic.: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1 .
^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/682 [bare URL ]
^ http://www.bgmagency.com.au/uploaded/cv/FAIRFAXKaarin.pdf [bare URL PDF ]
^ "Winners by Year 1991" . Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 4 December 2013 .
International National Artists