Ned Manning

Ned Manning (born 1950) is an Australian playwright, actor and teacher. His film credits include the lead role in Dead End Drive-In, and television credits include The Shiralee and Prisoner, and Brides of Christ. His plays include Us or Them, Milo, Kenny's Coming Home and Close to the Bone. In 2007 Manning played the lead in his own play, Last One Standing, at the Old Fitzroy Theatre in Sydney.

Early life Ned Manning was born in Coonabarabran, New South Wales in 1950, where he grew up on a property. His father was a progressive Labour shire president, and his mother was a socialite and budding artist. His mother died when he was twelve years old, and he wasn't particularly close with his father.

Career

Theatre Manning's first play, Us or Them, was initially produced at the Childers Street Hall in Canberra on 1 November 1977. It was then re-written and performed in 1984 at the Stables Theatre in Sydney for the Griffin Theatre Company, where it marked a turning point in Griffin's history as the play's success led to the cast and creatives being paid full professional rates. The play then transferred to the Phillip Street Theatre and on to the Q Theatre in Penrith. before productions at the Q Theatre, Theatre Up North in Townsville, Theatre South in Wollongong and regional performances. Kenny's Coming Home included songs by Shane McNamara.

Close to the Bone was written in collaboration with the Indigenous students at the Eora Centre, and first produced there in September 1991. Luck of the Draw was produced by the Darwin Theatre Company in May 1999 and was the first play written by a non-Indigenous writer to be produced by Kooemba Jdarra theatre company in Brisbane.

Manning has created many works for young audiences. He has prepared scripts for ten works for The Bell Shakespeare Company's Actors at Work program, a travelling community and schools theatrical education initiative. Other plays for young people have included Alice Dreaming, which is one of the Australian Script Centre's anthology of large cast plays. His play Romeo and Juliet Intensive was nominated for a 2011 AWGIE Award.

Film and television Manning's film credits include the lead role in the 1986 Ozploitation film Dead End Drive-In. Based on a Peter Carey short story called "Crabs", Dead End Drive-In is a post-apocalyptic tale about a young man stranded in a small town's drive-in theater when the wheels are stolen off his car. He finds himself amongst a community of misfits trapped at the site, and seeks to break out. The film, directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith, received mixed reviews and it is one of American film director Quentin Tarantino's favourites. The film received only a short box-office season; Manning was critical of the distributor Greater Union and worked with the film's other actors to secure separate release in independent cinemas.

Manning's other film credits include appearances in the 1985 film Rebel (alongside Matt Dillon and Debra Byrne), 2000 teen film Looking for Alibrandi (alongside Pia Miranda and Anthony LaPaglia). and several episodes of miniseries Tanamera – Lion of Singapore. He had a recurring role as Nick Clarke in Prisoner in 1981.

He has made guest appearances in numerous other television series including The Restless Years, Young Ramsay, Cop Shop, Bellamy, A Country Practice, Rafferty's Rules, Home and Away, Heartbreak High, Big Sky, Changi, White Collar Blue, All Saints, Offspring, Neighbours and Mr Inbetween.

Author and teacher In 2012, NewSouth Books published Manning's memoir of a life of school teaching, '"Playground Duty".

The same year, he also released his debut novel "Painting the Light" – a love letter to his parents, published by Broadcast Books.

Manning taught at Newtown High School of the Performing Arts where he was a Senior Examiner in HSC Drama, and developed a playwrighting program. He has helped local and refugee students write and perform their own plays in Bendigo and at the MTC. He has also taught playwriting at Monash University. He once received a NSW Premiers Teachers Scholarship.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type 1979 The Odd Angry Shot John Feature film 1983 Debris William 1984 G'day Love Baz 1985 Rebel Private Jones Feature film 1986 Dead End Drive-In Jimmy 'Crabs' Rossini Feature film 1993 Get Away, Get Away Benny the Brain Feature film 1998 Aftershocks Stan Gill TV movie 2000 Looking for Alibrandi Mr Coote Feature film 2003 The Postcard Bandit Branch Manager TV movie 2004 The Fall of the House Detective Travenar Short film 2011 Random 8 Paul Wilson Short film 2016 The Menkoff Method Harold Feature film

Television Year Title Role Type 1977 The Restless Years Danny Woodward TV series 1980 Young Ramsay Joe Taylor TV series, season 2, episode 5: "Gift Horse" 1980 Cop Shop Paul Filby TV series, 2 episodes 1981 Prisoner Nick Clarke TV series, season 3, 8 episodes 1981 Bellamy Sims TV series, episode 7: "Daring Young Man" 1982 1915 Captain Ashworth Miniseries, episode 4: "Your Country Needs You" 1982–1993 A Country Practice Paul Adams / Benny Benson / Col Bailey / Jeremy Small TV series, 6 episodes 1984 Bodyline Jack Fingleton Miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 The Shiralee Jim Miniseries, 2 episodes 1987 Pals Oscar TV series, 10 episodes 1988 Rafferty’s Rules Ross Hurle TV series, season 4, episode 4: "Sense of Duty" 1988 Australians Mick Hawkins Miniseries, episode 1: "Les Darcy" 1988 The Dirtwater Dynasty David Eastwick II Miniseries, 2 episodes 1989 Naked Under Capricorn Tom Copeland Miniseries, 2 episodes G.P. Ned TV series 1990 Home and Away Robbo TV series, 1 episode 1991 Brides of Christ Sean Miniseries, 1 episode 1989–1992 Tanamera – Lion of Singapore Ray Miniseries, 7 episodes 1994 Heartbreak High Marty TV series, season 1, episode 17 1995 Soldier Soldier Ed Grisham TV series, season 5, episode 5: "Far Away" 1996 Naked: Stories of Men Davo Anthology series, episode 6: "Cross Turning Over" 1999 Big Sky Ray TV series, season 2, episode 3: "Stand by Your Man" 2001 The Farm Eddie McCormick Miniseries, 3 episodes 2001 Australians at War Various characters Documentary 2001 Changi John Miniseries, episode 6: "Pacifying the Angels" 2003 White Collar Blue Brendan McAlister TV series, season 1, episode 22: "Pacifying the Angels" Mr. Chifley’s 50 Days Communist Official 2003; 2007 All Saints Angus Skinner / John Leopold TV series, 2 episodes 2012 Offspring Dream Dr Noonan TV series, season 3, 1 episode 2013 Neighbours Eddie Lawson TV series, 2 episodes 2021 Mr Inbetween Reg TV series, season 3, episode 8: "I'll See You Soon"

Theatre

As actor Year Title Role Type 1976 The Changing Room Billy Acton Theatre with Canberra Repertory Society 1976 Female Transport Tommy Acton Theatre with Canberra Repertory Society 1977; 1984; 1985 Us or Them Robert Whitcan Childers Street Hall, Canberra, Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company, Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney, Q Theatre, Penrith, Playhouse, Newcastle, Playhouse, Canberra, Bondi Pavilion, Sydney 1978 The Salzburg Everyman Civic Square, Canberra with Fortune Theatre Company Romeo and Juliet Romeo Canberra Repertory Twelfth Night Sebastian Canberra Repertory 1978 Norm and Ahmed Steward Canberra Theatre with Fortune Theatre Company 1978 Nathan and Tabileth Bernie Canberra Theatre with Fortune Theatre Company 1980 The Precious Woman Rebel / Servant / Soldier Sydney Opera House with STC Hamlet Various roles STC Street Level Glen Griffin Theatre Company 1985 Wet Dreams Gary Cell Block Theatre for Sydney Festival Dreams of a Salesman Biff STC Betrayal Robert STC 1993 Daylight Saving Tom Finn Q Theatre, Penrith 2007 Last One Standing Joe Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney with Tamarama Rock Surfers

As writer / director Year Title Role Type 1977; 1984; 1985 Us or Them Playwright Childers Street Hall, Canberra, Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company, Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney, Q Theatre, Penrith, Playhouse, Newcastle, Playhouse, Canberra, Bondi Pavilion, Sydney 1980 Kim Playwright Australian National University, Canberra, Playhouse, Canberra with Peppercorn Productions 1984 Verbals Production Assistant Stables Theatre, Sydney with Griffin Theatre Company 1989 Black Cockatoos Director Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney 1991; 1992 Close to the Bone Playwright Eora Centre Sydney, Price Theatre, Adelaide, Q Theatre, Penrith 1991 Kenny's Coming Home Playwright Q Theatre, Penrith 1994; 2001 Milo Playwright Wharf 2 Theatre, Sydney with STC, Q Theatre, Penrith, Theatre Up North, Townsville, Theatre South, Wollongong, regional tour, Queanbeyan Bicentennial Function Centre, Bridge Theatre, Coniston, Riverside Theatres Parramatta 1999; 2000 Luck of the Draw Playwright Brown's Mart Theatre, Darwin with Darwin Theatre Company, Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane with Kooemba Jdarra Theatre Company 2004–2022 Alice Dreaming Playwright / Director Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Michael Hoskins Creative Arts Centre, Armidale, Auckland Performing Arts Centre, Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Noosa Arts Theatre, Nexus Theatre, Perth, Dreamhouse Theatre, Melbourne, Young People's Theatre, Hamilton & extensive school touring 2007 Last One Standing Playwright Old Fitzroy Theatre, Sydney with Tamarama Rock Surfers 2009; 2011; 2018 Women of Troy Adaptor Studio Theatre, Sydney, Luther College, Croydon, NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney 2010 Stories from the 428 Playwright Sidetrack Theatre, Sydney 2015; 2019; 2020 Love's Magic Adaptor / Director / Playwright Melbourne Girls Grammar School, Southern Highlands Christian School, Bowral, 3 Sisters Youth Theatre, Leura 2016; 2023 Macbeth Intensive Playwright / Adaptor Frederick Irwin Anglican School, Perth, Scots School Albury 2016 The Bridge is Down Playwright Mitcham Girls High School, Adelaide 2019 Magic Box Playwright Castlecrag, Sydney 2020 Dagger's Drawn Adaptor Notre Dame College, Shepparton 2023 Romeo and Juliet Intensive Adaptor Scots School AlburyNominated for a 2011 AWGIE Award

Publications Year Title Role Type 2012 Painting the Light Writer Debut novel, Broadcast Books 2012 No Nudity, Weapons or Naked Flames – Monologues for Drama Students by 7-On Contributor Anthology of plays 2012 Playground Duty Writer Teaching memoir, NewSouth Books 2012 Drama Reloaded Contributor Textbook, Cambridge Shakespeare for Australian Schools Writer Teaching resource, series of 10 scripts Alice Dreaming Writer Teaching resource

Personal life and family

Manning married Bronwyn Bancroft, an Indigenous Australian artist, with whom he had two children, including New South Wales Young Australian of the Year for 2010, Jack Manning Bancroft.

Manning remarried to theatre director Marion Potts, with whom he had two children. In 2010, they relocated from Sydney to Melbourne when she was appointed director of the Malthouse Theatre.