Patric Carey

Patric Carey (c1920-2006) was an Irish-born theatrical actor/producer/director who made a huge difference to New Zealand theatre and other arts, primarily in Dunedin in the 1950s and 1960s.

Patric and wife Rosalie began teaching drama in, and preparing productions from, their first house in London Street, just above Dunedin's CBD, in the mid-1950s.

After a few years they moved up to No 104, a house designed by William Mason (architect) and used as his home from 1864. There they began an illustrious period of contribution to the arts in Otago and beyond. Theatrical productions using keen amateurs were staged in their living-room, in their garden, and in gardens, churches, and other places elsewhere around Dunedin, until in 1961 they succeeded against fearful odds) in adding a theatre to the back of the house adjoining the said living-room.

The house and theatre called the Globe, modelled on Shakespeare's, became a second home for some Dunedin people who loved participating in one or more of the aspects of theatrical production. Every couple of weeks a new play would appear and run for a week or so. All of the plays of James K. Baxter were developed and premiered there. The first Australasian production of Beckett's Waiting for Godot took place there, and many other plays by world-famous playwrights may have had their first New Zealand productions there. The theatre also hosted exhibitions of painting and sculpture and musical events. Some plays, such as Endgame in 1968, were taken on tour to places such as Gore, Balclutha, and Timaru.

Eventually, after over 170 productions, Patric "retired" to Lake Mahinerangi in the early 1970s then moved to Gore in 1983, helping to transform the artistic life of its 9,000 inhabitants over the next 20 years. Gore's culture is no longer famous only for country music. Rosalie moved to Whangarei and continued her work in drama and literature. Their son, Christopher, is in a senior teaching role in Whangarei, and their daughter, Belinda, a musician,lives in Wellington Where she was Head of the arts faculty at Welington High School.