The recipients of 2012 Green Room Awards were announced a few days ago when the Green Room Awards Association also announced the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given each year to a person who has contributed significantly to theatre life in Melbourne. The 2012 recipient was Colin Peasley, who retired last year from the Australian Ballet after a long and illustrious performing career, largely but not entirely with the Australian Ballet.
Peasley is seen below in two of the travesty roles for which he became so well-known, on the left as Gamache in a 1970 performance of Rudolf Nureyev’s production of Don Quixote, and on the right in a 1973 performance as the younger Step-Sister in Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella. Both images are by Walter Stringer and are from the National Library’s Walter Stringer collection.
![Colin Peasley as Gamache in 'Don Quixote', 1970](https://michellepotter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Peasley-Don-Q-1970-web.jpg)
![Colin Peasley as the younger Ugly Sister in 'Cinderella' 1972](https://michellepotter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Peasley-Cinderella-1972-web.jpg)
Again from the Stringer material held in the National Library, Peasley is seen below in the more dramatic roles of Friar Laurence in a 1975 performance of John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet with Marilyn Rowe as Juliet, and of Hilarion in a 1973 performance of Peggy van Praagh’s production of Giselle.
![Colin Peaslety as Friar Laurence, 1975](https://michellepotter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Peasley-R-J-1975-web.jpg)
![Colin Peasley as Hilarion. Photo Walter Stringer](https://michellepotter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Peasleyas-Hilarion-in-Giselle-1973-web.jpg)
Closer to the present time, here is a shot from the 2009 production of Graeme Murphy’s Nutcracker in which Peasley played one of Clara the Elder’s émigré friends.
![](https://michellepotter.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ai_gul_gasina_in_nutcracker_the_story_of_clara_cbranco_gaica_2742009_761-1070x712.jpg)
A tiny glimpse of a diverse career! A well deserved award too.
Michelle Potter, 8 May 2013
Links to National Library image credits:
Colin Peasley as Gamache in Don Quixote, 1970
Colin Peasley as the younger Step-Sister in Cinderella, 1973
Colin Peasley as Friar Laurence in Romeo and Juliet, 1975
Colin Peasley as Hilarion in Giselle, 1973