Harry Kay
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HARRY KAY
Father and son Harry Kay were NT members, junior joining in 1951 and senior in 1953. In 1953 Harry Kay senr operated lights for United Notions in which his son performed. Harry Kay jnr was in the cast of Merry-Go- Round and the 1960 revival of Reedy River directed by Roger Milliss. Both were in the bush musical's original production.
As "one of the few Englishmen" at NT, Harry Kay senr protested at not being auditioned for Strangers in the Land. He resigned from the theatre in late 1954 to return to England and was farewelled by the Reedy River cast. Back in Australia by 1959, he resigned again from NT, leaving "the jungle of Sydney" and putting his property "the result of many years toil and much thrift" on the market.
Harry Kay jnr was one of four children. His parents were Communists who separated acrimoniously. Harry joined the Eureka Youth League and the Heathcote Bushwhackers. After the breakup of the Bushwhackers, he joined Chris Kempster and Alex Hood as the Ramblers. In 1960 the Rambleers (Denis Kevans, Alex Hood, Mark McManus, Harry Kay jnr) played eight sessions a day at David Jones). A 2001 wake for John Meredith was a Bushwhackers reunion, with Harry Kay playing mouth organ, Alex Hood set of bones, Chris Kempster guitar, and Jack Barrie lagerphone.
Was Harry Goldsmith Kay, who had been a director of Western Gold and who died in NSW in 1978, Harry Kay senior?
