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Abigail (actress)
Encyclopedia
Abigail is an actress who emigrated to Australia
in 1968 and via the media of television became one of that country's significant sex symbol
s of the mid-1970s. Although born in England, she was educated in France
. Her mother (maiden name Joachim) was a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) of Dutch Burgher/Eurasian ethnicity. She came to Australia in 1971 to appear in the female lead in There's a Girl in my Soup in Perth.
Known simply as "Abigail", she has became best known to Australians for her nude scenes commencing in television soap opera Number 96 in the 1970s.
on stage in Perth, Western Australia
. She moved to Sydney, New South Wales and appeared in a television advertisement with Phil Silvers
and the TV series Delta.
From 1972 to mid-1973, Abigail appeared in the Network Ten
sexed-up soap opera
, Number 96
as Bev Houghton
. She was promoted as a sex symbol
and she became "Australia's undisputed number 1 female sex symbol in the early 1970s" through her role, which provided fleeting nude glimpses. As the show's most famous sex symbol many people assume that Abigail was the first woman to appear topless on Australian television; however, that credit belongs to fellow cast member Vivienne Garrett
in the same series. To the surprise of her television fans, Abigail left the cast of Number 96 in mid-1973, and her character of Bev Houghton went to Victoria Raymond (a.k.a Victoria Resch), real life sister of Candy Raymond
, who had been written into the series shortly before Abigail's departure and also presented as a sex symbol.
In 1973, after leaving Number 96, she published her autobiography
, Call Me Abigail which sold 150,000 copies in its first two weeks of sale. Also in 1973, Abigail made an attempt at a popular music
career and scored a hit with a cover of Serge Gainsbourg
's "Je t'aime... moi non plus
", which reached the top 10 in Australia. Although this debut was a success, follow-ups, including a comedic release with ventriloquist Chris Kirby, were not.
During this period she appeared in a series of brief cameo roles in a string of sex comedy films such as Alvin Purple
(1973), and its 1974 sequel Alvin Purple Rides Again
. In 1974, Abigail would perform a striptease
in the burlesque comedy, The Legend of San Peel in The Barrel Theatre a well-known strip palace in Kings Cross
, while struggling to find serious acting jobs. In 1975, in a brief return to television she appeared in Class of '75 for three weeks as a prim French
Senior Mistress in a black wig and frumpy spectacles. Also in 1975 she played Esmerelda in The True Story of Eskimo Nell
and appeared in a full frontal nude scene, the first by a female in an Australian film, and in 1976, she made a nude cameo appearance in another bawdy comedy Eliza Fraser
.
Abigail returned to Number 96 for a two episode appearance in November 1976. This new comedy character, the oft-divorced Eve, would potentially appear in a spinoff series, Fair Game, which never eventuated. She also appeared in a recurring sketch in comedy series The Norman Gunston Show called The Checkout Chicks. This sketch, a send-up of melodramatic soap operas set in a supermarket, mostly featured other former Number 96 actors - Vivienne Garrett
, Candy Raymond
, Philippa Baker, Judy Lynne
and Anne Louise Lambert. (Fans of the long-running Number 96 television series will be aware that the show was finally cancelled in July 1977). In 1977, Abigail appeared in the hospital-based series The Young Doctors
as super-efficient secretary Hilary Templeton who worked for a celebrity patient of the hospital. In the show, her boss is murdered and she leaves the storyline, only to later return with her character now running the company of her former boss. Also in 1977 she had a cameo role in film Summer City
, which is notable for being the first to have Mel Gibson
in a major role.
Abigail had some success in the theatre, specialising in comedy roles. She toured New South Wales
and Queensland
with the stage farce A Bedfull of Foreigners in 1983. In 1984 she appeared in Melvin, Son of Alvin. In 1985, Abigail scored a regular role in another soap opera Sons and Daughters
, playing the role of Caroline Morrell, alongside Normie Rowe, a role she continued until the series ended in 1987. In 1988, she appeared in Breaking Loose (1988). In 1989 she co-starred in Elly & Jools
playing the crazy Country & Western singer wannabe, Dulcie Dickson. In 1990 she was appeared in Sher Mountain Killings Mystery and was a regular cast member of short-lived soap opera Family and Friends
and in 1991 appeared in Chances. In 1994 she presented a prime-time repeat of the 1977 Number 96 retrospective, And They Said It Couldn't Last.
Abigail was interviewed on Sydney, Australia radio station 2GB
on her 60th birthday in 2006. At that time she was living on the Gold Coast, Queensland
.
In March 2011, Australian current affairs program Today Tonight produced a story on Abigail, claiming her to be a squatter in a derelict church. A rebuttal story was aired the following evening by rival current affairs program, A Current Affair. In actual fact she had been living there with permission, with her husband as her home had been partially destroyed by floods. Her damaged home was being prepared for rebuilding. The Today Tonight story captured some hidden camera footage of Abigail. She did not appear on camera consensually.
Film
Album
The track "Please Terry Do It One More Time" is the one that features Chris Kirby.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1968 and via the media of television became one of that country's significant sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
s of the mid-1970s. Although born in England, she was educated in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Her mother (maiden name Joachim) was a Ceylonese (Sri Lankan) of Dutch Burgher/Eurasian ethnicity. She came to Australia in 1971 to appear in the female lead in There's a Girl in my Soup in Perth.
Known simply as "Abigail", she has became best known to Australians for her nude scenes commencing in television soap opera Number 96 in the 1970s.
Career
Abigail began in show business in the UK, appearing in the TV shows Robin Hood and Continental Theatre. After arriving in Australia in 1971, Abigail studied civil engineering at university and acted on the side, gaining the female lead in a theatrical production of the comedy There's a Girl in My SoupThere's A Girl In My Soup (comedy)
There's A Girl In My Soup is a stage comedy written by Terence Frisby.It opened in 1966 at the Globe Theatre and ran for six and half years until 1973 - over a thousand performances - to become the longest-running comedy in the history of the West End. After three and a half years at the Globe, the...
on stage in Perth, Western Australia
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. She moved to Sydney, New South Wales and appeared in a television advertisement with Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers
Phil Silvers was an American entertainer and comedy actor, known as "The King of Chutzpah." He is best known for starring in The Phil Silvers Show, a 1950s sitcom set on a U.S...
and the TV series Delta.
From 1972 to mid-1973, Abigail appeared in the Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
sexed-up soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
, Number 96
Number 96 (TV series)
Number 96 was a popular Australian soap opera set in a Sydney apartment block. Don Cash and Bill Harmon produced the series for Network Ten, which requested a Coronation Street-type serial, and specifically one that explored adult subjects...
as Bev Houghton
Bev Houghton
Bev Houghton was a fictional character in the 1970s Australian soap opera Number 96. She was the daughter of wealthy socialite Claire Houghton , and despite her beauty and revealing costumes was revealed to be a virgin afraid of sex...
. She was promoted as a sex symbol
Sex symbol
A sex symbol is a celebrity of either gender, typically an actor, musician, supermodel, teen idol, or sports star, noted for their sex appeal. The term was first used in the mid 1950s in relation to the popularity of certain Hollywood stars, especially Marilyn Monroe and Brigitte...
and she became "Australia's undisputed number 1 female sex symbol in the early 1970s" through her role, which provided fleeting nude glimpses. As the show's most famous sex symbol many people assume that Abigail was the first woman to appear topless on Australian television; however, that credit belongs to fellow cast member Vivienne Garrett
Vivienne Garrett
Vivienne Garrett is an Australian-based theatre and television actor. She was born in Sydney and now lives in Perth. Garrett graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1970....
in the same series. To the surprise of her television fans, Abigail left the cast of Number 96 in mid-1973, and her character of Bev Houghton went to Victoria Raymond (a.k.a Victoria Resch), real life sister of Candy Raymond
Candy Raymond
Candida Raymond is an Australian actress active in film during the 1970s and early 1980s. she attended St Ives High School in Sydney. She is the sister of actress Victoria Raymond....
, who had been written into the series shortly before Abigail's departure and also presented as a sex symbol.
In 1973, after leaving Number 96, she published her autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Call Me Abigail which sold 150,000 copies in its first two weeks of sale. Also in 1973, Abigail made an attempt at a popular music
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
career and scored a hit with a cover of Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
's "Je t'aime... moi non plus
Je t'aime... moi non plus
"Je t'aime… moi non plus" is a French duet written by Serge Gainsbourg. It was written for and sung with Brigitte Bardot in 1967, but that version was not released until 1986. In 1969, Gainsbourg recorded a version with his lover, Jane Birkin. It reached number one in the UK, but was banned in...
", which reached the top 10 in Australia. Although this debut was a success, follow-ups, including a comedic release with ventriloquist Chris Kirby, were not.
During this period she appeared in a series of brief cameo roles in a string of sex comedy films such as Alvin Purple
Alvin Purple
Alvin Purple was a 1973 Australian comedy film starring Graeme Blundell, written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall.It received largely negative reviews from local film critics. Despite this it was a major hit with Australian audiences...
(1973), and its 1974 sequel Alvin Purple Rides Again
Alvin Purple Rides Again
Alvin Purple Rides Again is a 1974 Australian sex-comedy film sequel to Alvin Purple. It was directed by David Bilcock and Robin Copping. It was rated M unlike its predecessor which was rated R. Alvin Rides Again still features a lot of full frontal nudity.-Plot:The irresistible Alvin Purple...
. In 1974, Abigail would perform a striptease
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
in the burlesque comedy, The Legend of San Peel in The Barrel Theatre a well-known strip palace in Kings Cross
Kings Cross, New South Wales
Kings Cross is an inner-city locality of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately 2 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, while struggling to find serious acting jobs. In 1975, in a brief return to television she appeared in Class of '75 for three weeks as a prim French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Senior Mistress in a black wig and frumpy spectacles. Also in 1975 she played Esmerelda in The True Story of Eskimo Nell
The True Story of Eskimo Nell
The True Story of Eskimo Nell is a 1975 Australian comedy film produced, directed, and written by Richard Franklin, and starring Max Gillies as Deadeye Dick and Serge Lazareff as Mexico Pete...
and appeared in a full frontal nude scene, the first by a female in an Australian film, and in 1976, she made a nude cameo appearance in another bawdy comedy Eliza Fraser
Eliza Fraser (film)
Eliza Fraser is a 1976 Australian bawdy adventure drama film, directed by Tim Burstall and starring Susannah York, Trevor Howard, Noel Ferrier and John Castle. The screenplay was written by David Williamson....
.
Abigail returned to Number 96 for a two episode appearance in November 1976. This new comedy character, the oft-divorced Eve, would potentially appear in a spinoff series, Fair Game, which never eventuated. She also appeared in a recurring sketch in comedy series The Norman Gunston Show called The Checkout Chicks. This sketch, a send-up of melodramatic soap operas set in a supermarket, mostly featured other former Number 96 actors - Vivienne Garrett
Vivienne Garrett
Vivienne Garrett is an Australian-based theatre and television actor. She was born in Sydney and now lives in Perth. Garrett graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1970....
, Candy Raymond
Candy Raymond
Candida Raymond is an Australian actress active in film during the 1970s and early 1980s. she attended St Ives High School in Sydney. She is the sister of actress Victoria Raymond....
, Philippa Baker, Judy Lynne
Judy Lynne
Judy Lynne is an American actress who spent many years working in Australia.She is best known for her role as Doctor Susan Richards in the television soap opera The Young Doctors....
and Anne Louise Lambert. (Fans of the long-running Number 96 television series will be aware that the show was finally cancelled in July 1977). In 1977, Abigail appeared in the hospital-based series The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors
The Young Doctors is an Australian early evening soap opera. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March...
as super-efficient secretary Hilary Templeton who worked for a celebrity patient of the hospital. In the show, her boss is murdered and she leaves the storyline, only to later return with her character now running the company of her former boss. Also in 1977 she had a cameo role in film Summer City
Summer City
Summer City is a 1977 Australian film, most notable for having Mel Gibson in his first role. It was filmed in Sydney, Australia and is also known as Coast of Terror.-Plot:...
, which is notable for being the first to have Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
in a major role.
Abigail had some success in the theatre, specialising in comedy roles. She toured New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
with the stage farce A Bedfull of Foreigners in 1983. In 1984 she appeared in Melvin, Son of Alvin. In 1985, Abigail scored a regular role in another soap opera Sons and Daughters
Sons and Daughters (Australian TV series)
Sons and Daughters was a Logie Award winning Australian soap opera created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation between 1981 and 1987. The first episode aired in December 1981, during the Christmas/New Year non-ratings period, and the official broadcast date of the final...
, playing the role of Caroline Morrell, alongside Normie Rowe, a role she continued until the series ended in 1987. In 1988, she appeared in Breaking Loose (1988). In 1989 she co-starred in Elly & Jools
Elly & Jools
Elly & Jools is an Australian children's television series that originally aired on the Nine Network in 1990. It starred Rebecca Smart as Elinor 'Elly' Lockett and Clayton Williamson as Julian 'Jools' Trevaller...
playing the crazy Country & Western singer wannabe, Dulcie Dickson. In 1990 she was appeared in Sher Mountain Killings Mystery and was a regular cast member of short-lived soap opera Family and Friends
Family and Friends
Family and Friends was a short-lived Australian television soap opera debuted on 7 February 1990.The series was intended to be the Nine Network's response to the already successful soaps on the rival channels - Neighbours on the Network Ten and Home and Away on the Seven Network.Set in a suburban...
and in 1991 appeared in Chances. In 1994 she presented a prime-time repeat of the 1977 Number 96 retrospective, And They Said It Couldn't Last.
Retirement from acting
Her last television appearance was in 2002, when she briefly became a spokeswoman for Jenny Craig. She claimed to have lost 17 kilograms in seven weeks.Abigail was interviewed on Sydney, Australia radio station 2GB
2GB
2GB is a commercial radio station in Sydney, Australia broadcasting on 873 kHz, AM. It is one of Australia's most popular talk-back radio stations, and is the number one station in Sydney.-History:The station commenced broadcasting in August 1926...
on her 60th birthday in 2006. At that time she was living on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
.
In March 2011, Australian current affairs program Today Tonight produced a story on Abigail, claiming her to be a squatter in a derelict church. A rebuttal story was aired the following evening by rival current affairs program, A Current Affair. In actual fact she had been living there with permission, with her husband as her home had been partially destroyed by floods. Her damaged home was being prepared for rebuilding. The Today Tonight story captured some hidden camera footage of Abigail. She did not appear on camera consensually.
Filmography
Television- Chances as Bambi Chute (1991–1992)
- Family and FriendsFamily and FriendsFamily and Friends was a short-lived Australian television soap opera debuted on 7 February 1990.The series was intended to be the Nine Network's response to the already successful soaps on the rival channels - Neighbours on the Network Ten and Home and Away on the Seven Network.Set in a suburban...
as Doreen Stubbs (1990-1990) - NeighboursNeighboursNeighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
as Betty Bristow (1989-1989) - Elly & JoolsElly & JoolsElly & Jools is an Australian children's television series that originally aired on the Nine Network in 1990. It starred Rebecca Smart as Elinor 'Elly' Lockett and Clayton Williamson as Julian 'Jools' Trevaller...
as Dulcie Dickson (1988-1988) - Sons and DaughtersSons and Daughters (Australian TV series)Sons and Daughters was a Logie Award winning Australian soap opera created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation between 1981 and 1987. The first episode aired in December 1981, during the Christmas/New Year non-ratings period, and the official broadcast date of the final...
as Caroline Morrell (1985–1987) - Blankety BlanksBlankety BlanksBlankety Blanks was a popular Australian game show based on the American game show Match Game. It was hosted by Graham Kennedy on Network Ten. It ran from 1977-1978.Regular panelists were Ugly Dave Gray, Noeline Brown, Carol Raye and Stuart Wagstaff...
as Panellist (1977-1977) - The Young DoctorsThe Young DoctorsThe Young Doctors is an Australian early evening soap opera. The series was set in the fictional Albert Memorial hospital and primarily concerned with romances between younger members of the hospital staff, screened on the Nine Network from Monday, 8 November 1976 until Wednesday, 30 March...
as Hilary Templeton (1977-1977) - Class of '75 as Angelique Dupree (1975)
- Number 96 as Bev Houghton (1972-3) / Eve (1976)
Film
- Summer CitySummer CitySummer City is a 1977 Australian film, most notable for having Mel Gibson in his first role. It was filmed in Sydney, Australia and is also known as Coast of Terror.-Plot:...
(1977) as woman in pub - Eliza FraserEliza Fraser (film)Eliza Fraser is a 1976 Australian bawdy adventure drama film, directed by Tim Burstall and starring Susannah York, Trevor Howard, Noel Ferrier and John Castle. The screenplay was written by David Williamson....
(1976) as buxom girl - The True Story of Eskimo NellThe True Story of Eskimo NellThe True Story of Eskimo Nell is a 1975 Australian comedy film produced, directed, and written by Richard Franklin, and starring Max Gillies as Deadeye Dick and Serge Lazareff as Mexico Pete...
(1975) as Esmerelda - Alvin Rides Again (1974) as Mae
- Alvin PurpleAlvin PurpleAlvin Purple was a 1973 Australian comedy film starring Graeme Blundell, written by Alan Hopgood and directed by Tim Burstall.It received largely negative reviews from local film critics. Despite this it was a major hit with Australian audiences...
(1973) as girl in see-through outfit
Discography
Singles- 1973 Je t'aime / Last Tango in Paris Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
No.6, 11 weeks - 1973 Do It Again/Please Terry Do It One More Time Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
- 1973 These Dreams / (Just As) I Am Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
- 1974 Stay A While / (?) Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
- 1974 Biting My Nails / (?) Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
Album
- 1973 Abigail Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records (Australia)Festival Records was an Australian music recording and publishing company which was founded in Sydney in 1952 and operated until 2005....
L-35260- Side A: 1. An Occasional Man 2. My Baby Does it Good 3. New Fangled Tango 4. These Dreams 5. Do It Again 6. Je T'aime
- Side B 1. Sugar Me 2. The Man I Love 3. (Just As) I Am 4. Pillow Talk 5. Last Tango In Paris 6. Please Terry, Do It One More Time*
The track "Please Terry Do It One More Time" is the one that features Chris Kirby.
- Produced by Martin Erdman
- Recorded at Festival's 'Studio 24", Sydney Australia
- Terry appears by courtesy of Chris Kirby.