# Kaarin Fairfax

Kaarin Louise Fairfax (born 30 September 1959) is an Australian actress, director and singer who played the role of Dolour Darcy in two TV miniseries, The Harp in the South (1986) and its sequel Poor Man's Orange (1987), based on books of the same names by Ruth Park.

## Career
### Acting

Fairfax acted in several Australian television series throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
She appeared in the Australian sitcom Col'n Carpenter, a spin-off from The Comedy Company, after Vikki Blanche left the series. She starred in the Rachel Perkins 2001 short film One Night the Moon alongside her husband at the time, Paul Kelly – a story of racial prejudice in the outback. She also played the role of Deb Mathieson on Australian Broadcasting Corporation TV series, Bed of Roses (2008, 2010).
Fairfax has worked as both actor and director in Australian theatre. By 2008, Fairfax had established The Little Theatre Company in Frankston, Victoria, in honour of her father George Fairfax. Fairfax directed t he musical Frankston Lights in January 2009, which included songs co-written by her children (Madeleine and Memphis) and Robert McHugh. Kaarin has been working extensively since that time, joining forces with Sally Baillieu and directing The Wetlands Project, One Last Chance, performed in the Wetlands at Tootgarook. In January 2012 she directed Good People for Red Stitch Actors Theatre.
In 2015, Fairfax co-starred in the film StalkHer alongside John Jarratt.

### Music

Fairfax was a vocalist for Wild Blue Yonder, a Sydney-based band from 1985 which had a varied line-up but had no known recordings. In the late 1970s she was part of a comedy vocal trio The Droolettes which also included Gina Riley and Gina Mendoza, with Geoff O'Connell on piano. During 1989–1991 she supplied backing vocals on tracks by Paul Kelly & the Messengers.
In 1990, under the name, Mary-Jo Starr, she released three singles and an album, Too Many Movies. She was nominated for the 1991 ARIA Award for Best New Talent and appeared on the Breaking Ground - New Directions in Country Music compilation which was also nominated for Best Country Album. She joined Truckasaurus in 1993, a Melbourne-based Grungey/country band which released Truckasaurus in October.
Together with Sally Baillieu, Fairfax runs The Lineup at Frankston Arts Centre Cube37, a musical mentorship program for young emerging artists. Madeleine and Memphis, together with band member Sam Humphrey, record under the band name Wishful. Their first EP, Fifty Days was produced by their father Paul Kelly. Fairfax and Baillieu also have an arts program on 3RPP Radio Port Phillip on the Mornington Peninsula, called Arts About.

## Personal life

Fairfax is the former wife of Australian musician Paul Kelly—they met in 1988. Their two children are Madeleine (born 1991) and Memphis (born 1993). Memphis appeared with her parents in short film, One Night the Moon. The couple separated not long after the film's release.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1982 | Starstruck | Icecream Girl | Feature film |
| 1983 | A Descant for Gossips | Vinny Lalor | TV movie |
| 1987 | Around the World in Eighty Ways | Checkout Chick | Feature film |
| 1987 | Damsels Be Damned | Michelle | Short film |
| 1988 | Belinda | Sandra | Feature film |
| 1988 | Young Einstein | The Brunette | Feature film |
| 1988 | A Crack in the Curtains | Sarah | Short film |
| 1989 | Shadow Panic | The Hothead | Short film |
| 1990 | Worse than Xmas | Angela | Short film |
| 2001 | One Night the Moon | Rose Ryan | Short film |
| 2015 | Holding the Man | Wedding Singer | Feature film |
| 2015 | StalkHer | Emily | Feature film |
| 2017 | Pillars | Rosetta | Short film |
| 2017 | What if it Works? | Dr. Karen Di Scala | Feature film |
| 2017 | West of Sunshine | Andrea | Feature film |
| 2017 | Deep Six | Bonnie | Short film |
| 2018 | The Resurgence | Melanie | Short film |
| 2018 | Just Between Us | Meryl | Feature film |
| 2018 | In the Wake | Sue | Short film |
| 2018 | The Greta Fragments | Mary | Short film |
| 2018 | Skewwhiff | Rae | Short film |
| 2019 | The Hunt | Nell | Short film |
| 2019 | The Diver | Dorothy | Short film |
| 2019 | Bloom | Aunty Vera | Short film |
| 2020 | The Green Door | Lady in Church | Feature film |
| 2020 | Paper Champions | Morine | Feature film |
| 2020 | Hakuumacaato | Marion (voice) | Short film |
| 2023 | What About Sal? | Sophie | Feature film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1980 | The Last Outlaw | Grace | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1981-84 | Cop Shop | Joan Wyndham/ Mary Palmer | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1981 | I Can Jump Puddles | Rene | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1982 | Sons and Daughters | Schoolgirl | TV series, 1 episodes |
| 1982 | Prisoner | Kathy Hudson | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1983 | Home | | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1983 | The Sullivans | Mona | TV series, 1 episodes |
| 1984 | Carson's Law | Agnes Knight | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1984 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1986 | The Harp in the South | Dolour Darcy | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Poor Man's Orange | Dolour Darcy | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Catalyst | Presenter | TV series |
| 1990-91 | Col'n Carpenter | Linda Williams | TV series, 26 episodes |
| 1992 | Tuesday Night Live: The Big Gig | Mary-Jo Starr | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995 | Correlli | Terri | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 2000 | SeaChange | Suzy | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2003 | Kath & Kim | Nurse | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2004 | Fergus McPhail | Ms. Rolla | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 2009 | Rush | Janey Merryn | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2010 | Offspring | Florist | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2008-11 | Bed of Roses | Deb Mathieson | TV series, 26 episodes |
| 2012-13 | You're Skitting Me | Additional cast | TV series, 26 episodes |
| 2017 | Method | Gina Delaware | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2018 | Picnic at Hanging Rock | Cook | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 2019 | Internment | Janet | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2022 | Darby and Joan | Heidi | TV series, 1 episode |

### As crew

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1993 | Say a Little Prayer | Drama Coach | Feature film |
| 2015 | StalkHer | Co-director | Feature film |
| 2018 | The Greta Fragments | Writer | Short film |

## Stage
### Actor

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1979 | The Woman | Astyanax / Gemil | Pram Factory with Australian Performing Group |
| | Zig Zag Follies | Lead | Adelaide Festival |
| 1980-81 | Cain's Hand | Kathy (Lead girl) | Scott Theatre, Adelaide & St Martins Youth Arts Centre with Nimrod Theatre Company |
| | Quick Ease Cafe | Comedy Lead | |
| 1980 | Slipped Disco | Cigs | Flying Trapeze Cafe, Fitzroy |
| 1983 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Bubba | Anthill Theatre, Melbourne with Australian Nouveau Theatre |
| 1984 | Beach Blanket Tempest | Gidget | Townsville, Cairns Civic Theatre, Theatre Royal, Mackay, Rockhampton, Mount Isa, Araluen Arts Centre, Playhouse, Adelaide, Canberra Theatre & University of Sydney with New Moon Theatre Company |
| 1984 | The Kid | Snake | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1984 | Top Girls | Shona / Kit | Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1985 | The Doll Trilogy: Kid Stakes / Other Times / Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Bubba | Sydney Opera House & Athenaeum Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company & Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1986 | No Worries | Ensemble | Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1987 | A Lie of the Mind | Beth | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 1987 | Shakers | | Belvoir Street Theatre |
| 1988 | Darlinghurst Nights | Gunman's Girl | Wharf Theatre, Australian National University with Sydney Theatre Company |
| 1988 | King Lear | Cordelia | Playhouse, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia |
| 1988-90 | The Glass Menagerie | Laura | Playhouse, Adelaide & Marian Street Theatre with State Theatre Company of South Australia |
| 1989 | Speed-the-Plow | Karen | Sydney Opera House, Russell Street Theatre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1990 | Beach Blanket Tempest | Gidget | Q Theatre, Penrith |
| 1994 | The Swan | Dora | Space Theatre, Adelaide with State Theatre Company of South Australia |
| 1995 | Haxby's Circus | Gina | Playhouse, Adelaide with Stare Theatre Company of South Australia |
| 1996 | Miss Bosnia | Selma | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, West Gippsland Arts Centre, Monash University, Canberra Theatre, Bendigo Performing Arts Centre, Geelong Performing Arts Centre, Gold Coast Arts Centre with Melbourne Theatre Company |
| 1999 | Into the Woods | Lucinda (Stepsister) | Playhouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company |

### Director

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| | Go Away Mr. Worrythoughts | | Frankston Arts Centre & Australian regional tour |
| | Almost with You | | La Mama & Cube37 FAC |
| | The Wetlands Project: One Last Chance | Director | Frankston Arts Centre Cube37 & 3940 Arts |
| 1992 | Funerals and Circuses | Director, Assistant | Theatre 62, Universal Theatre, Playhouse, Canberra |
| 1993 | Tall Tales and True | Director | South Australia with Magpie Theatre Company |
| 1994 | Planet K | Director | Continental Cafe, Prahran |
| 1994 | All of Me | Director | Belvoir Street Theatre & Melbourne Town Hall for Melbourne International Comedy Festival |
| 1997 | Patsy Cline: Her Songs, Her Story | Director | Universal Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1998-2002 | Mum's the Word | Director | Glen Street Theatre, Bendigo Performing Arts Centre, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Athenaeum Theatre for Melbourne Comedy Festival |
| 2001 | It's a Dad Thing | Director | Athenaeum Theatre |
| 2001 | Always ... Patsy Cline | Director | Darwin Entertainment Centre with Majestic Theatre Company |
| 2002 | Uncle Bob | Director | Red Stitch Actors Theatre |
| 2002 | The Play About the Baby | Director | Red Stitch Actors Theatre |
| 2003 | The War Against Short Trousers | Director | Chapel Off Chapel |
| 2003 | Push Up | Director | Red Stitch Actors Theatre |
| 2008 | Mum's the Word 2: Teenagers | Director | Theatre Royal, Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne |
| 2009 | Frankston Lights | Director | The Little Theatre Company |
| 2010 | Fairweather Island | Directorial consultant | Carlton Courthouse with La Mama |
| 2012 | Good People | | Red Stitch Actors Theatre |
| | Popcorn | | Popcorn Productions |

## Discography
### Albums

| Year | Title | Artist | Details |
| 1990 | Too Many Movies | Mary-Jo Starr | Label: Mushroom Records (D30224) Format: Vinyl, CD |

### Singles

| Year | Title | Artist | Album |
| 1989 | "Kissing in a Taxi" | Mary-Jo Starr | Too Many Movies |
| 1990 | "Passionate Kisses" | Mary-Jo Starr | Too Many Movies |
| 1990 | "Lonesome, Lovely & Alone" | Mary-Jo Starr | non album single |
| 1989 | "Killer in Me" | | StalkHer film soundtrack |

## Awards & nominations
### Film & TV

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
| 1987 | Belinda | AFI Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Nominated |
| 1988 | Poor Man's Orange | AFI Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2002 | Uncle Bob | Green Room Award for Outstanding Direction | Won |
| 2011 | Bed of Roses | Ensemble Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Series in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2012 | Bed of Roses | Ensemble Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Series in a Drama Series | Nominated |
| 2018 | The Greta Fragments | Top Indie Film Award for Best Writing | Nominated |

### Music

| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
| 1991 | Too Many Movies | ARIA Award for Best New Talent | Nominated | |