Edna Edgley AM 1910-2000

Edna travelled throughout Australia with them. She organised accommodation, transport and outings, looked after the health and welfare of the artists, and generally acted as a ‘mother hen.’ Soon she was able to speak fluent Russian. The visitors loved and trusted her; in Moscow she was affectionately known as ‘Mamma Edna’. But she also maintained standards: on at least one occasion she reprimanded Rudolf Nureyev for using bad language.

In their quest for new shows Edna and Eric made many trips to Russia and other parts of Eastern Europe. Edna’s instinct for what would appeal to the Australian public was a vital ingredient in their success. After Eric’s death in 1967, Edna encouraged her son Michael to assume his father’s mantle. He did. Under the management of Michael, his siblings Phillip and Christine, and Edna, the business continued to flourish. Among their star attractions were Dame Margot Fonteyn, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Marcel Marceau and Torvill and Dean.

In 1974, at the age of 64, Edna was persuaded to return to the stage. On 28 November 1974 she made her debut with the Australian Ballet as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet at the Sydney Opera House. ‘Her characterisation,’ wrote dance historian Edward H. Pask, ‘was approached with a depth of understanding and displaying the true professionalism of a seasoned trouper.’

Year after year Edna returned to dance with the Ballet, performing in Romeo and Juliet, Onegin (again as the Nurse) and The Sentimental Bloke, in which she created the role of Ma. She appeared with the company at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in a gala performance for the Queen and – her biggest thrill of all – she danced with them at the Bolshoi in Moscow. Edna was 81 when she appeared with the Australian Ballet for the last time, in 1991, but, sadly, ill health prevented her from participating in that year’s ABC’s telecast of Romeo and Juliet. And there was film: she made brief appearances in The Man from Snowy River and Phar Lap.

In 1988 Edna was made a Member in the Order of Australia for her services to the arts. In 1989 she received the Green Room Awards Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and, in 1998, she and fellow entrepreneur Kenn Brodziak were honoured as the recipients of Live Performance Australia’s inaugural James Cassius Awards, recognising their outstanding contributions to live entertainment. Edgley Place in the Canberra suburb of Dunlop is named in her honour

Edna Edgley never really retired. She died peacefully on 8 May 2000, aged 89. In her long theatrical career she had been a dancer, soubrette, ballet mistress, comedian, actress, entrepreneur and producer. At her funeral, Ian McRae, the Australian Ballet’s general manager, said: ‘Edna Edgley was a great lady of the theatre. She was both a gracious, generous person, and a true professional who cared deeply about the theatre and the people in it. It was her life. You could not be involved with this incredible lady without loving her dearly and respecting her enormously. If you close your eyes, I’m sure you will all have a picture of Edna, perhaps in the foyer of a theatre, all dressed up, perfectly groomed, with matching hat and coat; an elegant, dignified lady with sparkling eyes and a beautiful smile. And you can probably hear her cheery greeting: “Hello, dear!” We shall miss her.’

Frank Van Straten, 2007