More revelations in store for 'Gloss’ viewers

Press, 3 December 1987, Page 15

More revelations in store for 'Gloss’ viewers

Christine Bartlett, better known as Bridget, the quiet deputy-editor of “Gloss,” admits she found it difficult keeping quiet about her character’s real role in the soap. Viewers surprised by the revelation that she is Rex’s mother should be warned there is more to come.

'T’ve been absolutely faithful to the role,” says Bartlett, “I won’t even tell my friends and neighbours what happens in next week’s final episode, otherwise it’s a bit like opening your Christmas presents before Christmas.”

The only people she has shared the secret with are her husband and three sons — “I had to tell them,” she laughs.

She agrees that Bridget was an enigma for much of the series.

“Maxine pushed her into the background. She has given her whole life to the magazine. She’s never married; she’s been giving to ‘Gloss’ all these years and now the pressure is building and building.”

In real life the opposite is true. For years Christine Bartlett’s family commitments have come first and it is only now since her sons have grown up and become more independent that she is able to throw herself into her acting career.

She trained in Britain in 1962 at the Guildhall

School of Speech and Drama and since then has worked both in Britain and Australia before coming to New Zealand in 1970 to play a lead role in “Dames at Sea” at the Mercury Theatre in Auckland. Although she enjoys television work, her first love is theatre, which she says has given her the widest range of roles. Over the years she has played everything from Shakespeare to Pinter, but now is keen to do more television. She has already appeared in "Mortimer’s Patch,” “Country G.P.,” “Heroes,” and “Danny and Raewyn,” in the "About Face” series.

3 "In recent years, teachs ing speech and drama has i taken up a lot of my - time,” she says. “Now I i want to throw myself into 1 more acting and I would » love to do some singing - roles.” Her last music role was s at Wellington’s Downt stage, where she played 5 Olivia in “Your Own i Thing." Juggling a teaching and ’ acting career with raising a family is not easy and [ now that there is another - series of “Gloss” in the pipeline, she has had to f take a long hard look at s her career and where she ’ wants it to go. j “Gloss” screens at 8 tonight on Two.