John Clarke (satirist)

John Morrison Clarke (born July 29, 1948 in Palmerston North , New Zealand ; † April 9, 2017 in Grampians National Park , Hamilton , Victoria , Australia ) was a New Zealand-Australian satirist , screenwriter , book author and actor who has lived in Australia since 1977 lived.

Life

John Morrison Clarke was born on July 29, 1948 to the married couple Neva Clarke McKenna from Gisborne and Ted Clarke from Wellington in Palmerston North , Manawatu-Wanganui region. He first attended elementary school in Palmerston North and then moved to Wellington's Scots College . After graduating there, he studied law at Victoria University of Wellington and worked towards a Bachelor of Arts degree , which he did not finish, nor did his law degree.

In 1971 Clarke went to London for two years and after his return lived another four years in New Zealand before emigrating to Melbourne , Australia in 1977 . He was married to his wife Helen, whom he had met in London, and had two daughters and later two grandchildren with her. He died of heart failure on April 9, 2017 while hiking in Grampians National Park .

New Zealand

Clarke started his stage career in 1969 with the satirical revue Extrav at Victoria University , followed by the late-night Knickers, Knackers and Knockers shows at the Downstage Theater in Wellington , which had to close in September 2013, which ran for over 18 months from 1970 . After his return from London he appeared in the theater between 1973 and 1974 with various programs. In 1976 he went on tour with his stage program in New Zealand and in the same year was honored with the title Entertainer of the Year for his work .

The two films Wild Man (1976) and Dagg Day Afternoon (1977) also fell during his time in New Zealand . Another film with him, The Adventures of Barry McKenzie , was made in 1972 while he was in London. From 1973 on , Clarke was also present on television and radio in New Zealand with his satirical contributions. He was best known in the 1970s in the role of Fred Dagg , the stereotype of a New Zealand farmer who constantly appeared in a black undershirt and wearing rubber boots, who satirically comment on questions of current politics or caricatured everyday situations in a comedy manner.

Disaffected by the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC), Clarke left New Zealand in 1977 and moved to Australia, where he promised better job opportunities for his satire.

Australia

In Australia, Clarke continued his career as a satirist, appeared on the television network of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in various roles and made a name for himself with his partner Bryan Dawe in the sketches Clarke and Dawe . He became known nationwide in 1984 and 1985 through the skits in The Gillies Report .

Further work

Clarke has authored 25 books, appeared as an actor, and wrote screenplays.

literature

• John Clarke . 2017 (English, online [PDF; 96 kB ; accessed on February 8, 2018] Creation List).

Web links

• John Clarke at the Internet Movie Database (English)
• Tony Wright, Karl Quinn : Clarke, John Morrison (1948-2017) . In: Obituaries Australia . National Center of Biography , April 10, 2017, accessed February 6, 2018 (authors write for the Sydney Morning Herald ). 

Individual evidence

1. ^ ^{A b c} John Clarke's family links to Gisborne . The Gisborne Herald , April 11, 2017, accessed February 8, 2018 .  
2. ↑ Matt Elliot : Fred Dagg Profile aka John Clarke . Audio Culture , April 10, 2017, accessed February 8, 2018 .  
3. ↑ Tom Cardy, Olivia Wannan : Curtain closing on Downstage . In: stuff news . Fairfax Media , September 18, 2013, accessed February 8, 2018 .  
4. ^ Projects - Fred Dagg . Roderick Willows Pty Ltd , accessed February 8, 2018 .  
5. ↑ Doug Sail : Fred Dagg was NZ in the 1970s . In: stuff entertainment . Fairfax Media , April 10, 2017, accessed February 8, 2018 .  
6. ↑ Satirist John Clarke, of Clarke and Dawe fame, dies aged 68 . In: abc news . Australian Broadcasting Corporation , April 15, 2017, accessed February 8, 2018 .