Arthur Dignam (9 September 1939 – 9 May 2020) was an Australian stage and screen actor.
Biography
Dignam was born on Lord Howe Island. He attended Newington College in Sydney as a boarder in 1955 and 1956 and then the University of Sydney.
He was best known for one of his early roles, that of Brother Francine in Fred Schepisi's The Devil's Playground (1976). While he worked mainly in film and television, he also worked in theatre, including musical theatre. He played Pontius Pilate in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972–73, and appears on the original Australian cast recording.
During 1980, Dignam was part of A Shakespeare Company, funded by a one-off grant from the Australia Council, and worked with actors Ruth Cracknell, Ron Haddrick and others on two texts for six months and then presented them at the Seymour Centre.
Dignam died on 9 May 2020, at the age of 80.
Family
His son is actor Nicholas Gledhill.
Theatre credits
The Women of Troy, Merlyn Theatre, Southbank, VIC, 6 November 2008
The Women of Troy, Wharf 1, Sydney, NSW, 16 September 2008
Julius Caesar, Wharf 1, Sydney, NSW, 28 June 2005
The Governor's Family, Belvoir St Theatre Surry Hills, NSW, 1 May 1997
Sixteen Words for Water, Subiaco Theatre Centre, Subiaco, WA, 27 July 1994
Mesmerized, Stables Theatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 8 April 1993
Life of Galileo, Nimrod Upstairs, Surry Hills, NSW, 27 June 1979
Hedda Gabler, SGIO Theatre, Brisbane, QLD, 18 April 1979
Pandora's Cross, Paris Theatre, Sydney, NSW, 29 July 1978
Ned Kelly, Her Majesty's Theatre (1960-2001), Sydney, NSW, 4 February 1978
Ned Kelly, Festival Theatre, Adelaide, SA, 30 December 1977
Big Toys, Parade Theatre, Kensington, NSW, 27 July 1977
Waiting for Godot, Octagon Theatre, Crawley, WA, 13 November 1975
Scapin, Recording Hall, Sydney, NSW, 7 March 1975
Berenice, Recording Hall, Sydney, NSW, 1975
The Rocky Horror Show, New Art Cinema, Glebe, NSW, 19 April 1974
The Threepenny Opera, Drama Theatre, Sydney, NSW, 25 September 1973
Kabul, Parade Theatre, Kensington, NSW, 31 May 1973
Hamlet, Nimrod Street Theatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 23 March 1973
Julius Caesar, Sir John Clancy Auditorium, Kensington, NSW, 28 June 1972
The Good Man of Setzuan, Parade Theatre, Kensington, NSW, 14 April 1972
Trelawny of the 'Wells', Parade Theatre, Kensington, NSW, 28 January 1972
An Evening of Victorian Music Hall, Paddington Town Hall (No 2 Hall), Paddington, NSW, 26 March 1971 Doctor Faustus, Southern Highlands Festival Theatre, Mittagong, NSW, 23 February 1971 The Recruiting Officer, Southern Highlands Festival Theatre, Mittagong, NSW, 5 February 1971 Macbeth, Nimrod Street Theatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 1971 Hadrian the Seventh, Octagon Theatre, Crawley, WA, 25 September 1970 You Can't Take It with You, The Hole in the Wall Theatre, Leederville, WA, 1970 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Octagon Theatre, Crawley, WA, 18 September 1969 War and Peace, New Theatre, Darlinghurst, NSW, 21 September 1968 The Royal Hunt of the Sun, Bonython Hall, The University of Adelaide, SA, 14 March 1966 Victimes du Devoir, Union Theatre, Parkville, VIC, 5 September 1964 Romeo and Juliet, Union Theatre, Camperdown, NSW, 18 April 1963 The Dumb Waiter & A Slight Ache, Union Theatre, Camperdown, NSW, 5 July 1962 Coriolanus, Union Theatre, Camperdown, NSW, 4 April 1962 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Wallace Theatre, Camperdown, NSW, 23 June 1961