John Edmund

John Edmund (c. 1924 – 19 June 2003) was a theatre director in Adelaide, South Australia. He founded Theatre 62, that state's first professional theatre company.

History Edmund was born Eddie Shuttleworth in Leigh, Greater Manchester, son of an engineer, but became active in theatre. and at the end of the six-month tour decided to settle in Australia. He won a prime part in Terence Rattigan's The Deep Blue Sea with Googie Withers and John McCallum. The show toured for 15 months, then he decided to settle in Adelaide.

He was soon involved in the local theatre scene, playing the solicitor in Is Your Honeymoon Really Necessary in 1950, and in Larger than Life, opposite Jessie Matthews, and on radio in Clemence Dane's 'Call Home the Heart' starring Lyndall Barbour, Moray Powell and Leonard Thiele.

In 1962 he founded Theatre 62 in the Adelaide suburb of Hilton.

Apart from his work as theatre director and producer, he was for eight years a panelist for the Australian TV talent show New Faces.

In 1975 he became a lecturer in communications at Adelaide's Sturt College, which was later absorbed into Flinders University.

He died in hospital of a stroke, aged 79. He was under treatment for prostate cancer.

Recognition The theatre at 89 Halifax Street, Adelaide, was named John Edmund Theatre.

The National Library of Australia has a collection of biographical cuttings relating to Edmund: BID 340997