Doreen Warburton Collection

Doreen Warburton, was born 22 March 1930. She began her professional career at the age of 17 with the Joan Littlewood's "Theatre Workshop" (then based in Manchester, UK). She toured for five years with this company. Doreen moved to Australia and was the first woman to direct a play at the Sydney Opera House. As an actor, she gathered a group of five professional performers – Ben Gabriel, Edward Hepple, Robert McDarra, Terry McDermott and Walter Sullivan in 1963 to form a theatre company. The company launched the Q Theatre Group’s Lunch Hour Theatre on 2nd December, 1963 at the AMP Theatrette (250 seater) at Circular Quay, which became a regular lunch-time theatre for many years. By the early 1970s Q Theatre’s repertoire had expanded to 67 plays, including eight new Australian works. By then Penrith City Council provided a venue for the Q-Theatre at the old Railway Institute Building, which was to converted into a playhouse with many shows including rock musicals like the 'St Mary's Kid' in 1978. After 20 years a new theatre was created on intersection of Belmore and Railway Streets, Penrith. Doreen Warburton retired from her role in 1989 and in 1990 Helmut Bakaitis became the Artistic Director. The company became the "Railway Street Theatre Company" which was a merger between the New England Theatre Company and Q Theatre. In 2005, the Q Theatre had a purpose built space created within the refurbished Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre. Doreen received an Order of the British Empire in 1979 for her significant contributions to development of theatre in Australia. In addition to her theatre work, Doreen was a member of the Australian Council and its Drama Panel, as well as the Council of the Nepean College of Advanced Education. Doreen Warburton died on 19 July 2017. Warburton's wide ranging documents and photographs were donated by Brian Warburton to Penrith City Library's Archival Collection.

Doreen Warburton's Collection includes: Productions, Programs, Posters, Photographs, Press clippings, 1st Q Theatre in Railway Street. 2nd Q Theatre – Extension in Railway Street, History of the Q Theatre, The Q Story 1977-2005, of the refurbished Q foyer, Lunch hour performances at Martin Place, moving to into The Joan Performing Arts Centre