John Gaden AO is one of the country’s leading actors who cut his teeth as a member of Mummers when he was at Paul’s 1959-61. He has been on stage and screen for the last 60 years and at 83 is performing with the Sport for Jove Theatre Company at the Seymour Centre this March-April in The Player Kings. This is a new adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard II, Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, Henry V, Henry VI Part 1, Henry VI Part 2, Henry VI Part 3, and Richard III by Damien Ryan Founder and director of the company. The Player Kings is staged over two epic performances during the season from 26 March to 5 April 2025.

“The story glances backward to the journey from Richard II to Richard III, in order to thrust our gaze forward to how political systems collapse and societies devour their own potential” (Seymour Centre), and John says of Damien Ryan’s creativity: “He has an extraordinary sort of understanding of the way Shakespeare works and the way it can be bridged across to a modern world without in any way destroying the fabulous sort of language and structure Shakespeare gives it; so he’s the ideal person to be directing Shakespeare and it’s a joy to work with! I mean it’s inspirational, actually.” (Honi Soit)

Some of the finest actors of Shakespeare in Australia present a hugely inventive and genuinely immersive experience. In the tradition of Shakespear’s Globe Theatre the play is performed on the York stage at Seymour Centre.

As a student John Gaden captivated the College community with his presence and wit. In The Paulines of the time his creative writing was published under “JSG” on several occasions and he was applauded as “the most consistently excellent” (The Pauline 1960) alongside Philip Clifton-Bligh in the Mummers production of Brendan Behan’s The Quare Fellow in 1960, a production very positively reviewed by the SMH.

John’s life has so many highlights and the statistics tell the story of a very rewarding career. He performed leading roles in 146 plays between 1961 and 2019 with 13 roles in 1970 alone. His Filmography includes roles in Muriel’s Wedding and 21 other motion pictures, and his TV roles span 1968 to 2022 in 19 productions including ABC’s Fisk, Rake, Mother and Son and Crawford Productions Homicide on Chanel 7.

John is one of the most distinguished Paulines who has been honoured on many occasions including AM in 1986, promotion to AO in 2018, and Helpmann Awards in 2001, 2005 and 2007.