ALISTAIR BROWNING — FAREWELL TO A BELOVED FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE
His enormous acting career on stage and screen meant there were few in NZ’s entertainment industry who hadn’t worked with him.
Alistair Browning.1954–2019.
Our dear, respected friend and colleague Alistair Browning passed away on June 2 after a long battle with cancer.
Alistair was born a twin, in extremely unusual circumstances, on February 8, 1954. His mother had given birth to one son two days earlier. She had told doctors during the pregnancy she felt certain there were two babies in her puku, but medics had assured her there was only one.
Two days after the birth of Alistair’s twin, Malcolm, his mother was rushed to hospital in Dunedin, and Alistair came into the world in a totally different city to his twin brother. That was possibly the only late entrance Alistair ever made in what was to be his life as an actor.
With an enormous career in theatre, film, and television, there is practically nobody in the NZ entertainment industry who didn’t work with him.
Among various shows we both appeared in, I had the pleasure of playing Maggie to his Brick in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at The Court Theatre, and Titania/Hippolyta to his Oberon in a lavish version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, set to Felix Mendelssohn’s classical score, in a never-to-be-repeated giant cast production, with orchestra, directed by Elric Hooper at the Christchurch Town Hall.
Alistair first appeared at The Court Theatre age 21, having begun his career at the Mercury as a theatre intern doing a variety of jobs including acting. Under the watchful eye of artistic director Elric Hooper, Alistair’s annual ubiquitous appearances at The Court developed his abilities quickly, and sparked his life-long love of the classics. He fast became a popular choice in theatre companies throughout NZ, and he enjoyed working with NZ’s leading directors in groundbreaking new work as well as classical plays.
Alistair appeared in 40 television productions in a lead, supporting or recurring role. Although he did many feature films, his talent also shone in short films.
Alistair was a flatmate of mine for quite a while, and many a night we would stay up till dawn, talking and drinking, falling about laughing. He had a thoughtful, melancholic and whimsical look in his eye, but the mood could magically transition: the grey storm clouds would pass and his eyes became lovely, creased-up, sparkling moon slivers. He laughed a lot but giggled more. His shoulders would rise up, his head tilted to one side, like a little boy.
Alistair held an International Fellowship with Shakespeare’s Globe, and was a hard worker for the Green Party and Equity New Zealand. He received a lifetime recognition for his contribution to Equity. Denise Roche, a former MP for the Green Party, says he will be sorely missed.
Alistair was a loyal and trustworthy friend. He had a burning sense of justice. He worked tirelessly as a volunteer for causes he believed in. He was a beloved friend of both domestic and wild animals, and a fine guardian of the environment, one we should endeavour to emulate.
Ērā i roto i te rangimārie rangatira, e manaaki atua. I send my thespian friend a giant spiritual hug.
Here is a poem by Alistair’s direct ancestor — something that may come as a surprise to you, because he didn’t boast about it.
Apparitions
By Robert Browning
Such a starved bank of moss
Till, that May-morn,
Blue ran the flash across:
Violets were born!
Sky–what a scowl of cloud
Till, near and far,
Ray on ray split the shroud:
Splendid, a star!
World–how it walled about
Life with disgrace,
Till God’s own smile came out:
That was thy face!
Obituary contributed by Rima Te Wiata.
