Life member interview: Chris Kirby

Written by Grant Kennedy for Frankston Theatre Group’s Life Member Interview Series.

This month, I had the pleasure of catching up with Chris Kirby at the very picturesque Harbourside Café in Hastings.

It was fascinating to hear a little about Chris’ life and his involvement with theatre over the years.

Chris was born in Waltham Abbey, Essex (England) in 1953, the youngest of four children. At the age of two, he and his family came to Australia, landing in Sydney. Chris said they were very fortunate to move into a house by the beach in Cronulla! They lived there for five years before moving to Melbourne.

Chris attended Caulfield and Camberwell High Schools and enjoyed playing a lot of sport, especially football and cricket.

He became involved with set building at the Malvern Theatre Company in 1973, and also ended up performing three roles in My Sister Eileen, an American comedy stage production based on several short stories.

In 1974, Chris joined the National Theatre Drama School for a three-year part-time acting course and also joined The Adelphi Theatre Company, touring with productions for several years.

In 1980, Chris married and moved to Frankston. It was here that he met Jayne Copeland, who encouraged him to attend the monthly play readings held in The Shed.

Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Chris enjoyed performing in more than 30 shows with various theatre groups such as Mornington CEF Players, Adelphi, Beaumaris, Mordialloc and Frankston Theatre Group.

(Chris, pictured left in Caravan, 2019)

In 1996, Chris returned to Frankston Theatre Group and performed in Hard Times by Charles Dickens, directed by Shirley Fitch. Chris has always enjoyed Dickens’ works.

When asked about his most embarrassing moment on stage, Chris recalled working backstage on a play and thinking it was time for the ladder to come off. Unfortunately, it was an integral part of the set, and he soon had the job of replacing it so the play could continue!

(Chris, pictured left in And Then There Were None, 2024)

One of Chris’s favourite roles was Mr Murdstone in David Copperfield. He said it was a small part in which he had to be cruel and nasty. Andrea and Anthony Staunton were also in that production, and the ship was built by David Copeland.

In recognition of all that he has done for FTG over the years, Chris was awarded Life Membership in 2014.

(Chris, pictured right in The Diary of Anne Frank, 2014)

We look forward to Chris’s continuing involvement on stage and backstage in many future productions.

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