DOROTHY JOHNSTONE

Dorothy knew the words of most of the G&S songs as well as she knew her nursery rhymes as her parents were members of the Aberdeen Opera Company, so an interest in amateur theatre was very much part of her upbringing. She too performed with Aberdeen Opera and Aberdeen Lyric before moving to Hong Kong where she joined the Hong Kong Singers. Arriving in Edinburgh in 1980, she joined the Southern Light Opera company and has appeared in all but 4 of their productions since then. She has also appeared with Tempo, Allegro, Bohemians, S.M.Y.C.M.S. and the Twilighters. She recently received a NODA award for 55 years active service to amateur theatre (she started at a very early age) and has been fortunate to play many fabulous principal roles of varying genres in G&S, operetta and musicals old and new.

In her younger days, Dorothy enjoyed playing parts such as The Quaker Girl, the red haired Anne (Anne of Green Gables), Mi (Land of Smiles), Adele (Die Fledermaus), Valencienne (The Merry Widow), Manon (Land of Smiles) and many more, but more recently has played mature character roles, her favourites being Anna (King and I), Mrs. Blitztein (Blitz), Yente (Fiddler on the Roof), Dorothy Brock (42nd Street), Mrs. Potts (Beauty and The Beast), Mother Superior in the Scottish premiere of Sister Act, Vera (Stepping Out: The Musical), Mrs Tottendale (The Drowsy Chaperone), Mrs. Strauss (Titanic), and Mrs. Evangeline Harcourt (Anything Goes) to name but a very few of her favourites.

Dorothy has always had a love for drama and has appeared in several plays in the past with Leitheatre and Southern Light Drama including The Hollow, the dramatic Pack of Lies, various Arthur Miller plays and the more light hearted Alan Ayckbourn comedies.
She was delighted to be on stage in the Festival Theatre in September with S.L.O. in their production of Southern Light Sings For The King’s which saw the return to theatre after 18 months of Covid Restrictions. The atmosphere on stage and in the auditorium was electric showing just how much theatre has been missed and the importance of live theatre.

This will be Dorothy’s third appearance with Threepenny Theatricals having played Mrs. Coade in the production Dear Brutus and the somewhat eccentric Lady Angkatell in The Hollow last year. She is very much looking forward to playing the part of Mrs Graves, a name which somehow suits the character, in this enchanting play. In September she will be back on stage with the company in the role of grandmother Patricia in the thought provoking play The Herd which was postponed from February.

She is a real grandma to her 4 lovely grandchildren who bring her such joy.
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Dorothy is the NODA rep. for Edinburgh and Lothians and enjoys sharing her knowledge and supporting amateur theatre in the District.

- Biography taken from the programme for Enchanted April (2022)