Knit Your Way To Hollywood

Knit Your Way to Hollywood isn't just the story of Lois Ramsey's colourful career on stage, film and television. Through Lois' satiric eyes it's also the hilarious and moving story of an eccentric family of battlers growing up in Depression era Adelaide. It's a portrait of war time Sydney, when radio was at its height, and the GI's roamed the streets. And then it's a portrait of post war Australia, when the dour conformity of the fifties, at least for Lois, was brilliantly alleviated by a series of actor friends - like the wickedly funny comedian Gordon Chater. Lois was there at the start of the satire movement in the sixties, often appearing as a guest in television's Mavis Brampston Show. She starred as 'Mrs H' in one of the first soapies, The Box, and then played two characters in Prisoner. At the same time, she brought up a 'Charles Addams' family, founded a revue company, wrote sketches, launched a musical based on a Norman Lindsay novel, and coped with a marriage break-up. She's worked with Geoffrey Rush, Jackie Weaver and Cate Blanchett. She's played Emma in so many stage productions of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll it's almost become a career. Recently she almost stole the show as a bowling club secretary in Mick Molloy's film Crackerjack. Probably her biggest stage role has been the co-star in Hannie Rayson's play Inheritance. She's worked with great Australian directors like Neil Armfield and Simon Phillips. She's endured funny but dreadful country tours. Knit Your Way to Hollywood captures a unique theatrical career. But more than anything, with its wicked eye for detail, this is a delicious capturing of a period and a place.

Author: Lois June Ramsey
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Published: 04/18/2012
Pages: 276
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.82lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.58d
ISBN: 9781475152227

About the Author
BIOGRAPHY LOIS RAMSEY AUTHOR OF HER MEMOIR: 'KNIT YOUR WAY TO HOLLYWOOD' LOIS RAMSEY has been an actress for almost seventy years, firstly in her home town, Adelaide and later in Melbourne and Sydney. She has worked in drama, comedy and satirical revue. In 1961 Lois and three other talented artists formed the Flinders Street Revue Company Ltd in order to present Revues, particularly during the Adelaide Festival of Arts for the years, '62, '64, '66, and '68. Lois wrote the majority of sketches for these productions which played to capacity houses. In one of these revues she was seen by Michael Plant, the original producer of the 'Mavis Bramston Show'. He asked her to appear as a guest artist in the second National show followed by five other appearances. Lois also provided regular scripts for 'Mavis', In 1962 Lois also adapted Norman Lindsay's novel, 'The Cousin from Fiji' into a musical, which was successfully performed at the Union Theatre, Adelaide. Rose Lindsay flew to Adelaide to see the show and highly approved of the adaptation, the production and performances. As an actress she has been fortunate to work with the talents of directors NEIL ARMFIELD, WAYNE HARRISON, MICHAEL GOW, ROBYN NEVIN, SIMON PHILLIPS, NICK ENRIGHT, and REG. LIVERMORE. Lois appeared in the premiere of Michael Gow's 'ON TOP OF THE WORLD' for the Sydney Theatre Company then Melbourne. One year later she reprised the role of 'Baby' for the British premiere in London. Her last stage appearance was in 2003 as 'Girlie' in HANNIE RAYSON'S 'INHERITANCE' for the Melbourne Theatre Company directed by Simon Phillips and for an extended season at the Opera House. For Television Lois played 'Mrs H' in CRAWFORD'S production of the popular serial 'THE BOX'. This serial ran for four years and Lois became well known nationally. She also later played Ettie Parslow for six monhs in 'PRISONER'. As well as appearing as Mrs. Campion in both 'HARP IN THE SOUTH' and 'POOR MANS ORANGE' Lois was an AFI AWARD WINNER in the ABC's 'GRASS ROOTS' Her guest appearances in other TV.productions are too numerous to list here. Lois played EMMA in Ray Lawler's 'SUMMER OF THE SEVENTEENTH DOLL' for the South Australain Theatre Co. and a National tour for the Melbourne Theatre Company, directed by Robyn Nevin.

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