# Ben Gabriel

Ben Gabriel (25 February 1918 – 25 April 2012) was an English Australian character actor, director, voice artist and theatre founder. Gabriel had numerous appearances in stage and radio roles and in film and television.

## Early life

Gabriel was born as James Vernon Gabriel in Weymouth, Dorset, England. His mother Ethel Florence McConnell, was born in Kent, England and was an actress and costume designer, who was professionally known as Ethel Gabriel (31 October 1888 – 23 May 1967) Ethel came to Australia in 1919 as a war bride and worked as an actress with the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust, featuring in such productions as Ray Lawler's Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. and also toured in that production in the West End and on Broadway, she appeared also in the 1959 film adaptation.
Gabriel grew up in Sydney and Wollongong and saw war service as a lance-sergeant for six years with the 9th division during World War II. He officially changed his stage name to Ben Gabriel, a name he had always used on a personal basis.

## Career

Gabriel's career began in theatre in the late 1930s and he appeared with his mum in touring productions of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll in 1959 and 1960, continuing roles with the Sydney Theatre Company in Three Sisters and The Lower Depths and also the Ensemble Theatre as a holocaust survivor in a A Shayna Maidel. In 1963, he founded the Q Theatre with his wife-to-be and others, originally operating at Circular Quay and then in Penrith.
Gabriel's television career spanned from the early 1960s until the late 1980s. One of his early roles was as the alien leader, 'the Soshun', in the ABC science fiction series The Stranger. Gabriel appeared in numerous early productions of Homicide, Matlock Police and Division 4, all part of the Crawford Productions banner.
He became best known for his role in Contrabandits as Jim Shirley, winning the Penguin Award for Best Supporting Actor. Character roles were aplenty in soap operas and serials from Sons and Daughters, Prisoner, Home and Away, All Saints, and Skippy the Bush Kangaroo.
His film repertoire extended with roles in such gems as The Office Picnic, The Mango Tree, Break of Day and Fighting Back.

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1961 | Whiplash | Ted Cammidge | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1961 | The Outcasts | Dr Jamieson | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1964 | Consider Your Verdict | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1965 | The Stranger | Soshun | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1965–1975 | Homicide | Father Coghlan / Grant / Clarrie Lucas / Ronald Marshall / Maleski / Robert Morton / Billy Garret / Joe Johnston / Chester Bradley / Gordon Carstairs / Stan Harris / Charles Kemp / Tim Latimer | TV series, 13 episodes |
| 1966 | The Interpretaris | Parta Beno | TV miniseries, 6 episodes |
| 1967 | My Name’s McGooley, What’s Yours? | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1967 | Australian Playhouse | Old Man | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1967 | Love and War | Fred | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1967–1968 | Contrabandits | Jim Shirley | TV series, 30 episodes |
| 1968 | Skippy the Bush Kangaroo | Receptionist | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Riptide | Fenwick | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969–1975 | Division 4 | Various roles | TV series, 11 episodes |
| 1970 | The Rovers | Horace Soames | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | Delta | Lawson | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971 | The Group | Mr Sebel | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971 | Barrier Reef | Sergeant Dwyer | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970–1971 | Dynasty | 'Unk' Martel | TV series, 22 episodes |
| 1972 | Lane End | Chris Pappas | TV miniseries, 7 episodes |
| 1972 | Boney | Snr Constable Sassoon | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | The Far Country | | TV miniseries |
| 1972–1973 | Over There | Pop | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 1972, 1975 | Behind the Legend | John Monash | TV anthology series, 2 episodes |
| 1973 | Ryan | Vedat Avdi | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1973 | The Evil Touch | Dr Phillips | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | This Love Affair | | Anthology TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Rush | Reverend Smith | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | A Touch of Reverence | | TV miniseries |
| 1971–1975 | Matlock Police | Various roles | TV series, 7 episodes |
| 1975 | The Last of the Australians | Arnold Harris | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | Cash and Company | Lucky | TV miniseries, episode 5: "Intersection" |
| 1975 | Ben Hall | MacKenzie | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1975 | Quality of Mercy | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | Shannon's Mob | Aklov | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1975 | King's Men | Marshi | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Glenview High | Dr Watts | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Case for the Defence | Edward Freeman | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | The Lighthouse Keeper | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1979 | Prisoner | Edward Warner / Ted Warner | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1982 | M.P.S.I.B. | Tom | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1983 | Sons and Daughters | Bert Wilkins | TV series, 254 episodes |
| 1988 | Australians | San Francisco Doctor | Anthology TV series, episode 6: "Lola Montez" |
| 1988 | Rafferty's Rules | George | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1989 | G.P. | Vittorio | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1989 | E Street | William Jackman | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1983–1990 | A Country Practice | Dr Hamish Wood / Snow Brennan / Billy Perkins | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 1991 | The Flying Doctors | Franz Josef | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1996 | Home and Away | Harry Prendegrast | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1997 | Fallen Angels | Giuliano Mazzoni | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1998–2002 | All Saints | Mr Henderson / Mr Kucharski | TV series, 2 episodes |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1955 | Three in One: Joe Wilson's Mates | The Priest | Anthology film |
| 1957 | The Three Drovers | | TV movie |
| 1960 | Turning Point | Steve Pringle | TV movie |
| 1961 | A Little South of Heaven | Eddy | TV movie |
| 1963 | The Dreaming | Narrator | Short film |
| 1964 | Bertrand | Mr Watson | TV movie |
| 1966 | The Man Who Saw It | Whit Morgan | TV movie |
| 1970 | Strange Holiday | | TV movie |
| 1972 | The Office Picnic | Mr Johnson, the Boss | Feature film |
| 1973 | Flashpoint | Mine Manager | Feature film |
| 1976 | Let the Balloon Go | Mr Sumner | Feature film |
| 1976 | Break of Day | Mr Evans | Feature film |
| 1976 | God Knows Why, But It Works | First Doctor | Short film |
| 1977 | The Mango Tree | Wilkenshaw | Feature film |
| 1977 | The Claim | | Documentary |
| 1979 | Vox Pop | | Short film |
| 1981 | A Step in the Right Direction | | TV movie |
| 1981 | Hoodwink | Martin's Father | Feature film |
| 1982 | Fighting Back | Moreland | Feature film |
| 1985 | I Can't Get Started | Lazarus | Feature film |
| 1988 | Touch the Sun: Princess Kate | Taxi Driver | TV movie |
| 1992 | Resistance | Quincy | Feature film |
| 2001 | My Husband, My Killer | Andrew Kalajzich | TV movie |

## Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1939 | 1066 And All That | | Theatre Royal, Sydney |
| 1945 | The Doctor’s Dilemma | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1949 | A Marriage of Convenience | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1950 | Bound East for Cardiff | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1950 | The Long Voyage Home | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1950 | Moon of the Caribees | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1950 | In the Zone | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1950 | S.S Glencairn | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1951 | Madam Louise | | Palace Theatre, Sydney with Ben Fuller |
| 1954 | The Two Bouquets | Julian Bromley | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1957 | The Willow Pattern Plate | Fisherman / Coolie | Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney |
| 1958 | The Shifting Heart | Donny Pratt | National Theatre, Launceston, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with AET Trust |
| 1958–1960 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Barney | Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Regional Australian tour, Theatre Royal, Adelaide, Grand Opera House, Wellington, Gisborne, New Zealand, His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland with AET Trust, J. C. Williamson & New Zealand Players |
| 1960 | The Square Ring | Joe | ABC TV Studios, Sydney |
| 1960 | Hunger of a Girl | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1961 | Roots | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1961 | A Little South of Heaven | Eddie | ABC TV Studios, Sydney |
| 1961, 1966 | The One Day of the Year | Wacka | Arts Council tour, Cooma Town Hall & Tokyo |
| 1963 | Macbeth | | Tasmania with Curtain Theatre Company & AET Trust |
| 1963 | Henry V | | Tasmania with Curtain Theatre Company & AET Trust |
| 1963 | Rashomon | | Independent Theatre, Sydney with AET Trust |
| 1963 | The Dumb Waiter | | AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company |
| 1964 | George | | AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company |
| 1964 | The Proposal | | AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company |
| 1964 | The End of the Beginning | | AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company |
| 1964 | Rusty Bugles | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1964 | Sweet Day of Decision | | Old Tote Theatre, Sydney with AET Trust |
| 1965 | The Dock Brief | Herbert Fowle | West End Rialto, Brisbane with Q Theatre Company |
| 1965 | The Proposal | Stephan Stepanovich Choobukov | West End Rialto, Brisbane with Q Theatre Company |
| 1965 | The Business of Good Government | | Assembly Hall, Sydney with Q Theatre Company |
| 1966 | Tiny Alice | Julian | Old Tote Theatre Company |
| 1966 | The Gents | | AMP Theatrette, Sydney with Q Theatre Company & AET Trust |
| 1966 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | | AMP Theatrette, Sydney |
| 1968 | Dick Whittington and His Cat | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1969 | Narrow Road to the Deep North | | Independent Theatre, Sydney |
| 1970 | Death of a Salesman | Willy Loman | Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1972 | The Dock Brief | | AMP Theatrette, Sydney |
| 1974 | Lear | King Lear | Old Tote Theatre, Sydney |
| 1975 | The Department | Gordon | Marian Street Theatre with Northside Theatre Company & AET Trust |
| 1975 | A Breeze from the Gulf | | The Australian Theatre, Sydney with Peter Williams Productions |
| 1976 | All Over | The Doctor | Nimrod Theatre, Sydney |
| 1976 | Perfectly All Right | | Nimrod Theatre, Sydney |
| 1976 | The Joss Adams Show | | Nimrod Theatre, Sydney |
| 1976 | Sextet | | Nimrod Theatre, Sydney |
| 1976 | Equus | Frank Strang | Seymour Centre, Sydney with Old Tote Theatre Company |
| 1977 | The Business of Good Government | | Assembly Hall, Sydney |
| 1977 | The Three Sisters | Chebutykin | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1977 | The Entertainer | Voice of Brother Bill | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1977 | The Lower Depths | Luka | Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company with Old Tote Theatre Company |
| 1978 | Don't Piddle Against the Wind, Mate | Bob Davies | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre |
| 1978 | King Lear | Gloucester | SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre Company |
| 1979 | King Richard | 'King' Richard Brown | ABC Radio Sydney |
| 1979 | Kookaburra | Bill Clare | ABC Radio Sydney |
| 1979 | The Department | Bobby | Q Theatre, Penrith, Marsden Theatre, Parramatta, Bankstown Town Hall |
| 1979 | The Devil’s Disciple | Lawyer Hawkins / Rev Brudenell | Sydney Opera House |
| 1980 | A Night with the Q: The Dock Brief / The Sponge Room / The Proposal | | Q Theatre, Penrith with AET Trust |
| 1980 | Measure for Measure | Escalus | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1980 | Travelling North | Freddy | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1980 | The Homecoming | Max | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1980 | Happy End | Reverend | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1981 | War Horse | Jack Armstrong | Q Theatre, Penrith, Orange Civic Theatre |
| 1981 | No Names... No Pack Drill | Browning | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1981 | Buried Child | Dodge | Q Theatre, Penrith, Bankstown Town Hall, Sydney, Orange Civic Theatre |
| 1981 | On Our Selection | Dad Rudd | Q Theatre, Penrith, Orange Civic Theatre |
| 1982 | What the Butler Saw | | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1982 | The Club | | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1982 | Molly Dies | | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1982 | Charley’s Aunt | Brassett | Q Theatre, Penrith, Orange Civic Theatre |
| 1983 | The Cherry Orchard | | Sydney Opera House with STC |
| 1983 | Sweeney Todd | Beadle | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1984 | The Pillars of Society | Aune | Sydney Opera House |
| 1985 | Reedy River | Alf | Q Theatre, Penrith (also Director) |
| 1985 | What If You Died Tomorrow? | | Marian Street Theatre, Sydney with Northside Theatre Company |
| 1986 | No Sugar | Sergeant & Neal | National Arts Centre, Ottawa, West End Community Centre, Vancouver for Vancouver Expo, Fitzroy Town Hall, Melbourne with AET Trust & Western Australian Theatre Company |
| 1987 | Down an Alley Filled With Cats | | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1987, 1988 | The Department | Gordon | Seymour Centre, Sydney, Melbourne Athenaeum with Elston, Hocking and Woods, Northside Theatre Company & AET Trust |
| 1988 | Interplay '88 | | Sydney Opera House |
| 1988 | A Dream Play | | Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA, Sydney Opera House with STC for Festival of Sydney |
| 1989 | Say Goodbye to the Past | Ghost of a Shakespearean actor | Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company |
| 1989 | Windy Gully | | Bridge Theatre, Coniston, New Theatre, Sydney with Theatre South |
| 1990 | My Son The Lawyer Is Drowning | God | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 1991 | A Shayna Maidel | Holocaust Survivor | Ensemble Theatre, Sydney |
| 1994 | Brilliant Lies | | Civic Playhouse, Newcastle with Hunter Valley Theatre Company |
| | The Harp in the South | | MTC |

## Personal life and legacy

In 1949, Gabriel married opera singer Rhonney Webber. Together they had one daughter, but soon divorced less than ten years later.
In 1969, he married actress and director Doreen Warburton (OBE), who was also born in London, England, but had emigrated to Australia in 1953 and was awarded the OBE in 1972.
Gabriel passed away on 25 April 2012, at the age of 94. His wife, his daughter Laura and son John survived him after his death.
Australian actor Noel Hodda, during his eulogy, described Ben Gabriel as "an old school actor – there to serve the writer, the story and the director and by doing that, serving the audience."