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Bio

JANE CLIFTON

Born 10/4/49
Height 5' 6" Hair: Bleached Blonde Eyes: Hazel Born in Gibraltar of British Army parents. Emigrated to Perth 1961. Arrived Melbourne 1965. Burwood High School then Monash University. B.A. (1972) English major. Became an Australian citizen April 16th, 1992.

Jane Clifton is the genuine show-business all-rounder. Actress, singer and, more recently, published crime novelist, Jane is often asked if there is anything she can't do, to which she simply replies 'Ballet and making money.'

A B.A.(1972) graduate from Monash University's halcyon days of sex and demos and rock 'n roll, Jane was momentarily distracted from a promising career as an English teacher (she promised her parents she'd become one) by Melbourne's burgeoning, alternative theatre and music scene.

The dim lights of Carlton's La Mama, the Pram Factory, the Flying Trapeze, T.F.Much Ballroom and the Last Laugh Theatre Restaurant beckoned. While the allure of singing in bands with names like Scumbag, Toads and Lipp and the Double Dekker Brothers proved irresistible. Form 6 at Shepparton High would have to wait.

Despite these arty beginnings, Jane has managed to carve out a three decade-long, show-business career. Including

  • a string of minor roles in numerous early Australian t.v. shows from Division 4, Homicide, Ryan, Bluey and even Holiday Island, fronting the ground-breaking feminists-on-Countdown band STILETTO,
  • touring for a year in Robyn Archer's 80's cabaret show Pack of Women
  • being part of the smash-hit stage shows
  • MUM'S THE WORD and MENOPAUSE - the MUSICAL
  • her top 10 pop singles GIRL ON THE WALL and TAXI MARY (with Jo Jo Zep).

Jane's first novel Half Past Dead a 'girlie,sexy, thriller' was published by Text in 2002.Her second novel - 'Hand in the Bush' will be published on March 28th, 2005.
Jane's first ever solo CD The Marriage of Style was released in April 2003. (You can view a live concert at : www.abc.net.au/dig/stories/s960848.htm ) And yet, despite all of the above, Jane will always be most well-known for a role she played over 25 years ago: MARGO in Prisoner/Cell-Block H

Well-travelled, urbane and witty, passionate Essendon Football Club supporter, solver of cryptic crosswords and mother of two, Jane is in constant demand as an MC, guest speaker, debater and trivia quiz mistress.
Her current work includes:

  • writing her third crime novel
  • undertaking a TAFE course to become a marriage celebrant
  • keeping up with the laundry

TELEVISION

    DRAMA:
    • Division 4
    • Homicide
    • Bluey
    • Ryan
    • Skyways
    • Holiday Island
    • Special Squad
    • Carson's Law
    • Flying Doctors
    • PRISONER/CELL-BLOCK H
    • Home (ABC)
    • Dancing Daze (ABC)
    • The Power
    • The Passion (7)
    • Janus (ABC)
    COMEDY:
    • Shoo-Be-Doos (ABC)
    • Colin Carpenter
    • Vile (SBS)
    • Comedy Festival Annual Debate - 'That Laughter Is Better Than Sex'
    • Shock Jock (tv1) 2001
    CHILDREN:
    • Five Times Dizzy (SBS) (1986)
    • Round the Twist (2000)
    TELEMOVIES: A Single Life
    • Working Up
    • Licence To Rage
    PRESENTER:
    • Review (ABC)
    • Melbourne presenter - 1993
    • 7.30 Report (ABC)
    • self-initiated, quirky, 'what's-on- round-up, Friday nights, early '93.
    • Various corporate videos.
    GUEST APPEARANCES AS SINGER/PANELIST/HOST/GUEST:
    • Countdown, Sounds,
    • Nightmoves
    • Rock Around the World
    • the Mike Walsh Show
    • the Midday Show
    • the Bert Newton Show ( 9)
    • the Peter Couchman Show (10)
    • Blankety Blanks
    • Starsearch
    • Have A Go Hey Hey It's Saturday
    • Tonight Live - the Vizard Show
    • the Peter Couchman Show (ABC)
    • the Bert Newton Show (10)
    ADS:
    • SUSSAN (1999) - national 12 months.
    • WORKCOVER - Back-pain ad with Denise Scott (1999) (Victoria only)

MUSIC

    ROCK/POP:
    • The Bulk (1965) 3 performances in the Geography room at Burwood High.
    • Lipp and the Double Dekker Brothers (1971-72)
    • sometimes 12-piece 'art-house' band in the Captain Beefheart/Zappa/Archie Shep mode.
    • Doyen of T.F.Much Ballrooms. Featuring among others JoeCamilleri, Ian Wallace and David Flett.
    • Myriad (1973) Folk/rock act with Carrl & Janie Myriad
    • Tour-support to Frank Zappa (Aust.tour 1973)
    • Scumbag (1973) Carlton 'alternative ' band featuring, among others, Red Symons and Jenny Keath.
    • Toads (1975) Carlton love-child of Martin Armiger's 'legendary' Adelaide 'alternative' band 'Toad's Nightly'.
    • STILETTO (1976-78) Carlton 'alternative/pseudo-feminist' band that clawed it's way to 'Countdown'.
    RECORDINGS INCLUDE;
    • Debutantes (OZS1005)
    • Licence to Rage (OZS1009) which included the 'almost-hit' single Bluebirds.
    • NIGHTHAWKES. (1981) R & B covers band.
    • JO JO ZEP (1982/83) Recordings include:
    • CHA - featured on 3 tracks
    • (Taxi Mary, Walk On By, You're Gonna Get It Boy)
    • Losing Game - 12' single
    • JANE CLIFTON & THE GO GO BOYS. (1984)
    • R & B covers band. Eponymous live cassette.
    • SO NICE ('96-2002) - 9 piece Brazil '66 covers band with Nichaud Fitzgibbon.
    • THE MARRIAGE OF STYLE - solo CD 2003
    JAZZ
    • Been singing in various jazz aggregates since the inaugural Jane Clifton and the Kurt Edelhagen Orchestra first appeared at the Flying Trapeze in 1979 .
    • The Unforgiven (1994)
    SOLO RECORDINGS
    • GIRL ON THE WALL (1984) Reached No.13 Nationally.
    • MY MACHINES (1984) Stiffed !
    • TURN TO DUST (1985) a jazz single onSpirit Records.
    • MOON OVER MELBOURNE (1993) ABC Records Compilation CD. (My track Carlton.)
    • GOING HOME (1993) ABC Records Compilation CD .
      My track Weavils in the Flour.)
    • THE GREAT AUSSIE CHRISTMAS.(1995)
    • Thrifty-Link Hardware promotional, compilation.
      (My track Santa Baby.)
    • INCOMMUNICAZO. (1996). Calendar plus CD for Nicky Brazil.
      (My track Did You Call Her Darling.)
    • Four tracks for Jim MacLeod's Jazztrack (ABC FM). 1996

THEATRE

    Student theatre at school and university, including Monash Players and Melbourne Youth Theatre.
    TRIBE - experimental theatre group directed by Doug Anders and which performed at La Mama, the Pram Factory and in the streets. ( 1969 - 1972.)
    LA MAMA - Assorted one-off plays, including:
    • Nightflowers by Max Richards
    • Gone To See A Man About A Dog by Peter Lillie and Cosmo Topper.
    • THE GREAT STUMBLE FORWARD - street theatre group 1973-74.
    BACK THEATRE at the PRAM FACTORY
    • A Ride Across Lake Constance by Peter Handke.Co-directed.
    • Mechanics In A Relaxed Manner by Peter Lillie and Cosmo D.Topper. Co-directed.
    Women's Theatre Group - involved in the establishment and first productions of this group, including:
    • Womens Weekly Volume 1 Womens Weekly Volume 2
    • The Love Show as well as the first Festival of Women's Theatre (1974).
    • Africa by Steve J. Spears. 1974.
    • L'Amante Anglaise and La Musica both by Marguerite Duras. Directed by Shuv'us. 1978.
    THE A.P.G. (Australian Performing Group)
    • at the Pram Factory theatre in Carlton 1973- 1978.
    • Waltzing Matilda by Tim Robertson
    • A Floating World by John Romeril. The premiere production in 1974 directed by Linzee Smith.
    • Sisters by Robin Thurston. Directed by Richard Murphett. 1976.
    • AC/DC by Heathcote Williams. Directed by Linzee Smith. 1976.
    • Mickey's Moomba by John Romeril and Tim Robertson. 1979.
    • DIMBOOLA - by Jack Hibberd. Directed by Tim Robertson. At the Chevron Hotel, Melb.. 1974.
    • THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE - by Sue Townsend. Directed by Terry O'Connell. 1986.
    • DREAMTIME - by Keith Michell. Directed by George Fairfax. At the State Theatre, Vic. Arts Centre.1990.
    • PRISONER/CELL BLOCK 'H' - the theatre version of the t.v. series.
    • By Reg Watson. Directed by Stewart Trotter. Toured the UK for 13 weeks (13 cities). (1990.)
    • LAUGHING WILD - by Christopher Durang. Directed by Pamela Hollings for the Soup Kitchen Theatre. (1990.)
    • THE SELECTION - written and directed by George Whaley for the MTC.(1991 - 92.)
    • AN EVENING WITH MERV HUGHES - commercial production (Sydney 1993.) (adapted from the British play 'An Evening With Gary Linneker'.)
    • LOVELETTERS by A.R. Gurney. With Campbell McComas for the Castlemaine Festival 1994. Also at Capers Theatre Restaurant with Jon Finlayson (1997)
    • MUM'S THE WORD by 6 Canadian women. dir: Kaarin Fairfax for Artist Services. Athenaeum Theatre and interstate tours Melbourne from April '98 to May 2000
    • GO IN TIGHT by Barry Dickins. At La Mama 2001. Dir. James Clayden.
    • MENOPAUSE - THE MUSICAL by Jeannie Linders. At the Comedy Theatre Melbourne, 2005.
    • BARMAIDS by Katherine Thompson. Dir: Terence O'Connell.
    • Australian tour Sept 'Dec. 2006 for Hit Productions.

PUBLIC SPEAKING

    Jane is an accomplished public speaker, debater, M/C and quiz-mistress.
    1991
    • SPOT ON JOAN - a tribute to Joan Kirner. M/C. (1991)
    1992
    • Launch of the ANTE/POST NATAL PACKAGE LAUNCH for QUIT. M/C
    1993
    • THE AGE ACCENT - 3LO INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
    • LUNCHEON DEBATE M/C - Grand Hyatt Ballroom. Debate topic 'Women at the forefront of change'.
    SYDNEY GOOD FOOD GUIDE Launch of the '93/'94 for The Age via Anne O'Donovan Publishing. M/C
    THE GREAT PARACHUTE DEBATE - for the Mental Health Research Institute. At the Great Hall of the National Gallery of Victoria.
    MOTHER'S DAY DEBATE AND BRUNCH for the Women's Mid-Life Health Project,Melbourne University, at the Grand Hyatt Ballroom.
    also:
    • 1997: Debated the topic 'That Silence is Golden'.
    • 1998: Debated thetopic: 'That we are becoming the men we wanted to marry'.
    • 1999: MC only
    • 2002: Debated topic: 'That the love of food is the sincerest love of all' (GBShaw)
    • 2003: 'First in Best Dressed'
    1998
    • SAFETY IN ACTION 3 day Expo and Awards Night Dinner for Workcover M/C
    1999
    • INTERNATIONAL BEER AWARDS - hosted the awards night at the Hyatt Grand Ballroom M/C
    • Opening of the new PLANETARIUM at Scienceworks M/C
    2000
    • Opening of the CLOCKTOWER CENTRE Theatre Season at the Essendon Town Hall M/C
    • SPOT ON JOAN 2 - 10 yr anniversary 2000 at the Malthouse M/C
    2001
      City of Kingston Business Women's Luncheons:
    • Guest speaker and M/C every year, from 2000 to 2007. 2 or 3 events a year, featuring a guest speaker, council speakers, corporate exercises and competitions.
    Hypotheticals ' in the 'Geoffrey Robertson-style of preparing a scenario, guiding a panel of speakers through the topic and fielding questions from the floor:
    • Ministry of Housing May 2001
    • Department of Community Services - Immunisation Programme.
    International Women's Day Events:
    • City of Moonee Valley
    • Women's Health West.
    • ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB WOMEN'S NETWORK GRAND FINAL LUNCHEON DEBATE M/C
    • ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB FAMILY DAY
    • Post-2001Grand Final M/C
    2002
    • ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB occasional host/MC at match-day corporate functions and players' forums
    • ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB WOMEN'S NETWORK GRAND FINAL LUNCHEON DEBATE M/C
    • CITY OF MELBOURNE: CONVERSATIONS at MELBOURNE TOWN HALL
    • CafĂ© Society (speaker)
    • There Is No Sanity Clause (M/C)
    • WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION Annual Awards at Flemington Atrium M/C
    • FINTONA GIRLS SCHOOL After-dinner Speaker
    2003
    • PREMIER'S LITERARY AWARDS M/C
    • MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION Function with guest speakers including CHERIE BLAIR M/C
    • MENTONE GIRLS GRAMMAR After-dinner speaker
    • ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB WOMEN'S NETWORK GRAND FINAL LUNCHEON DEBATE M/C
    • YOORALLA ' SCHOOLS OUT ON STAGE
    • Private Schools Choirs in competition at BMW Edge. M/C
    2004
    • ABC RADIO NATIONAL Host of the Radio National Quiz all year.
    • CITY OF MOONEE VALLEY COMMUNITY AWARDS M/C
    • ABC GARDENING AUSTRALIA Live at Caulfield Racecourse M/C of the Live Stage with numerous presenters and hands-on events.
    • IMMIGRATION MUSEUM Launch of the Station Pier installation M/C
    • WET NOSE DAY for SEDA (Seeing Eye Dogs Aust.) Live outdoor event at Birrarung Marr, working with dogs and their owners. M/C
    • EX LIBRIS ' PORT FAIRY LITERATURE FESTIVAL Launch M/C
    • INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY AT FED SQUARE 8 speakers and bands. M/C
    • ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB WOMEN'S NETWORK GRAND FINAL LUNCHEON DEBATE M/C
    • CITY OF MELBOURNE: CONVERSATIONS at MELBOURNE TOWN HALL - Shopping !
    2005
    • CONFERENCE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT CEO's (speaker)
    • SOCIETY OF EDITORS (speaker)
    • PERIOPTIC NURSES CONFERENCEB (speaker)
    • CITY OF GREATER GEELONG (speaker)
    • QUEENSCLIFF MUSIC FESTIVAL Media Launch with various speakers and artists. M/C
    • AUSTRALIAN OPERA Dinner dance and auction. M/C
    • MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL M/C of various panels.
    • NED KELLY AWARDS for Crime Fiction. M/C
    • ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB WOMEN'S NETWORK GRAND FINAL LUNCHEON DEBATE M/C
    • CITY OF MELBOURNE: CONVERSATIONS at MELBOURNE TOWN HALL - Women in Jazz
    2006
    • MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL '06 ' FESTIVAL CLUB HOST
    • M/C and co-ordinator of 2 weeks of events every night in the Festival Marquee, featuring local and international writers.
    • CAULFIELD GRAMMAR After-dinner speaker
    • NED KELLY AWARDSB for Crime Fiction M/C and moderator of Debate
    • ESSENDON FOOTBALL CLUB WOMEN'S NETWORK GRAND FINAL LUNCHEON DEBATE M/C
    2007
    • AUSTRALIA DAY EVE INNAUGURAL COMEDY DEBATE
      For the Aust. Day Council. Outdoor at Docklands North Quay Precinct.
    • KNOX FESTIVAL
      Miele Cookery Stage ' 2 days of hosting a line-up of celebrity chefs, cooking, interviewing, fielding audience participation. M/C
    • THE GULLIVER AWARDS
      Speaker
    • INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY for Trades Hall, in the Bourke St. Mall.
      M/C for a line-up of events and speakers including Julia Gillard and Sharan Burrow.
    • ROYAL WOMENS HOSPITAL
      Media Launch of the Mothers' Day Appeal. M/C
    • MELBOURNE WRITERS FESTIVAL '07 ' FESTIVAL CLUB HOST
      M/C and co-ordinator of 2 weeks of events every night in the Festival Marquee,
      featuring local and international writers.
    • Not forgetting:
      My two regular, annual gigs for the last ten years as compere and quiz mistress of the Williamstown Primary School Trivia Night and Community Aid Abroad's Annual Charity Quiz at the MCG ! Long may they continue to ring !
      Also: - Ascot Vale Primary Trivia Quiz - 4 years.
      - St Kilda Primary School Trivia Night June 2002

RADIO & other voice work

    RADIO:
    • 3 CR - presenter
    • serialised version of the novel 'Love On the Dole'
    • 3RRR-FM - 1978-81.
    • 3AK - 1986 during the 'Radio Titanic' period of Brian White's CBC Network.
    • Hosted a Sunday night, 3 hour, magazine style show.
    • 3RPH - Presenter since 1995.
    • ABC 774 Radio Breakfast ' regular segment with Red Symons. 2003- 05
    • Also on ABC 774 - regular fill-in presenter until 2005 .
    • ABC Radio National Quiz ' Quiz Mistress 2004 www.abc.net.au/rn/quiz
    SPOKEN WORD CASSETTES:
      For the ABC:
    • Death In Store' by Jennifer Rowe (ABC)
    • 'Listen '93' (ABC) - children's educational aid.
    • 'Listen '94' (ABC)
    • 'Listen '96' (ABC)
    • Laughter v Sex Debate (ABC)
    • Christmas Stories For Kids (ABC) 1994
      For VISION AUSTRALIA Talking Book Library:
    • Prices' by David McRobbiea
    • Death On The Cape and other stories' by Mary Higgins Clarke.
    • 'Dawn ! One hell of a life' by Dawn Fraser
    • Daughters of Nazareth'
    • Yesterday's Dust' by Joy Dettman
    • Jilleroo' by Rachel Treasure
    • Curably Romantic' by Helen Townsend
    • The Matriarch ' the Kath Pettingil Story' by Adrian Tame
    • The Long Road Home' by Felicia Starr
    • Two For The Road' by Shirley Hardy-Rix and Brian Rix (2005)
    • Dead Sexy' by Kathy Lette (2005)
    • Pleasure and Pain ' a life' by Christine Amphlett (2006)
    • What Wome Want Next' by Susan Maushart (2006)
    • A Hand in the Bush' by Jane Clifton (2006)
      For BOLINDA:
    • Great Australian Womaen' by Sussana de Vries (2005)
    • With the Kama Sutra Under One Arm' by Trisha Bernard (2007)
      • Also:
    • Voice-overs for radio and television commercials, film narrations, educational stuff for RMIT and Melbourne Uni.

WRITING

Various reviews and fashion articles published from time to time in The Age, The (now defunct) Herald and the, almost legendary, Digger. Filled in for Les Tanner's column on the back of the Saturday Age for nine weeks Feb to May '93. Also for Red Symons' This Life column in The Age 2003 A piece on Man 'O Man commissioned by Debi Enker for the Sunday Age's View magazine. A piece in The Bulletin's Commemorative '1975' edition. (Nov. 2005) Speech writing to order.

  • First novel: 'Half Past Dead' published by Text, April 2002
  • Second novel: 'A Hand in the Bush' - published by Text/Canongate April 2005
  • Third novel: 'Flush' for publication 2008
  • Awarded a Varuna Fellowship in 2006.

Awarded an Australia Council Fellowship of 6 weeks at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland to be taken up between May and September 2008, to work on a non-fiction book with the working title 'The Address Book'.

CABARET

  • LA MAMA - Supper shows run by Betty Burstall in the early seventies, featuring Tribe on their own and with many rock bands including: Spectrum and Skyhooks. 1969 - 73.
  • T.F.MUCH & MUCH MORE BALLROOM & THE REGENT (in S.Yarra) - again, cabaret work with Tribe and rock bands. 1970 - 72.
  • FLYING TRAPEZE - a duo show with Steve J. Spears, called Lilly and Jagger. Several seasons. 1974.
  • LAST LAUGH THEATRE RESTAURANT A lot of waitress and bar work before: - wrote and performed about 5 un-named shows for myself plus piano player, for the upstairs bar before it became Le Joke. 1979-80.
  • -Bent Brass - the first Australian tour for The Brass Band and Hokum W. Jeebs (solo act) both of San Francisco Melb. season plus Adelaide tour - 1979. Le Joke - compered between 1979 and 1984. including the Christmas season of 1981.
  • The Mini-Busettes - a trio composed of myself, Colette Mann and Betty Bobbitt. 3 seasons at Le Joke, a lot of interstate telethons and too many Sydney League's Clubs (1981 -82).
  • ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE JANE CLIFTON - my first full-scale show downstairs at the Last Laugh. Written by myself and Wendy Harmer and directed by Burt Cooper. Ran for 4 months in Melbourne then did a 6 week season at Kinsela's in Sydney. (1985).
  • TAKE TWO - my second show downstairs at the Last Laugh. A 'duet' show written mostly by me, performed by myself and Danny Nash and directed by Burt Cooper. (1986)
  • PACK OF WOMEN - by Robyn Archer. 8 month tour 1983.
  • COMEDY FESTIVAL ANNUAL GREAT DEBATE - 'THAT LAUGHTER IS BETTER THAN SEX' - (1992).
  • I ONLY WANNA BE WITH YOU - THE DUSTY SPRINGFIELD SHOW. Devised and directed by Terry O'Connell. 1995/96
  • Black Cat Cabaret with Peaches La Creme - June 2001
  • STAND-UP &SWING - 2004 . Corporate show - a two-hander with stand-up comedian Denise Scott
  • JANE @ JANIE'S - 2006 Monday night residency at Hardiman's Hotel, Kensington. Songs and story-telling and chat.

FILM

  • The Clinic - 1982 dir. David Stevens
  • A Slice Of Life - 1982 dir. John Lamonde (and marked 'never to be released !)
  • As Time Goes By - 1987 dir. Barry Peake.
  • A Kink In The Picasso - dir. Mark Gracie
  • Garbo - 1990 dir. Ron Cobb
  • Trapped - 1999 dir./writer Trudi Hellier

CHARITY WORK

Ten years as a volunteer broadcaster on 3RPH ' Radio for the Print-Handicapped.
Also the recording of a number of talking books for Vision Australia.
Jane has been an Australia Day Ambassador for the past 3 years and will undertake the same role in 2008.
Throughout her career, Jane has performed at countless benefits and fund-raisers for any number of causes both political and personal.