New Theatre News

VALE FRANK BARNES

Remembering Frank Barnes (1943 – 2026)

Frank Barnes, who has just died at Tuncurry, directed a number of popular productions which were big artistic and financial successes for New Theatre. His first was Mona Brand’s and John Upton’s political revue The Pirates of Pal Mal in 1977.

He staged three of Nick Enright’s works: Oh, What a Lovely War, Mate; First Class Women and On the Wallaby (twice – the stellar 1986 cast included Nikki Gemmell, now a best-selling author, and Jamie Jackson, now a Broadway performer and playwright). Frank also brought a fresh imaginative approach to two productions of the New’s favourite bush musical production Reedy River. After he became a full-time organiser with the NSW Teachers Federation, Frank’s time was taken up with union activism. But he returned to the New in 1995 for two more productions: One Word … WE! , Maurie Mulheron’s celebration of the life of folksinger Pete Seeger (revived in the year 2000) and the musical satire Coming Attractions.

As a director Frank was inspiring. His knack for making people feel special and valued brought out the best in his casts, on stage and off. He was particularly adept in managing big musical productions with large casts, creatives and crew and all the complexities that involved.

Frank’s passion for theatre began in 1959, his last year of high school, when the set Leaving Certificate text was Julius Caesar. With fellow students, he saw an Elizabethan Theatre Trust production (Ron Haddrick played Brutus) and was so impressed by the staging of the battle scenes that he went again.

Frank’s first onstage role was a munchkin in a Goulburn Liedertafel Society production of The Wizard of Oz. He performed and tried his hand at directing at Bathurst Teachers College and, after embarking on his teaching career, directed Oklahama! and Bye Bye Birdie at Monaro and Cabramatta high schools. During his ten-year posting at Randwick Boys High, he produced Green Pastures and Oh, What A Lovely War!

For decades, Frank wrote general articles and theatre reviews for the Teachers Federation journal Education. He described himself as a political activist: his particular concerns public education, HIV/AIDS and issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community.

IMAGES L-R: Frank Barnes in typical pose watching On the Wallaby rehearsals in the Jean Blue Room, 1986, Frank and On the Wallaby cast and crew, 1986.