N.Z. Actress Back From Britain

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31027, 5 April 1966, Page 2

N.Z. Actress Back From Britain

Alice Fraser, grand-daughter of the former Prime Minister, Mr Peter Fraser, is one of the three New Zealand actresses who have made considerable reputations on the stage in Britain and who have now returned to join the New Zealand Theatre Centre’s production of “The Comedy of Errors.”

Miss Fraser plays the character role of Luce. The other two actresses, Barbara Ewing and Paddy Frost, play Luciana and the Courtesan.

It is 10 years since Miss Fraser was awarded a Government bursary to attend the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. As a child she had outstanding success in the annual Wellington competitions, showing an early flair for comedy and character acting. When she was 16 and the youngest student of her class at the Royal Academy, she won the Athene Seyler prize for comedy, the G. B. Stern award and a special judges’ medal.

Her professional stage career began with repertory seasons at Bristol, Hornchurch and Worthing. In London Miss Fraser understudied and then took over the part of Kate Keller in -The Miracle Worker.” Her other roles have been in “Wylie” at the Royal Court Theatre, and “The Merchant of Venice,” in which she played Nerrissa, in a long tour with a company headed by Stephen Murray and Jean Kent Another recent tour was in

“Twelfth Night,” in which she played Viola. She has also appeared in several television series and films. “To be able to return as a professional to New Zealand and to appear in this really exciting production of The Comedy of Errors,’ is certainly one of the high spots of my career,” she said. The play will open in Christchurch on April 12.

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