Vivienne Garrett

Vivienne Garrett is an Award-winning Australian theatre artist, voice over artist, and actress. She was born in Sydney, NSW. She graduated with Bachelors of Art from The National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1970. After completing her graduation; she went to Canada in Simon Fraser University for completing her Post graduation in Voice and Shakespearean Text. Apart from an actress, she is also a Yoga instructor and Therapist. In her schooling, she chose by Geoff Harvey, The musical director of TCN-9, and started performing as a singer and dancer in children's Television show, Comedy Capers.

At the same time,as a teenager, she worked in the movie The Unloved in 1968, which produced by NLT Productions. After graduating from NIDA, she toured with a theatre and has gone as a guest in many popular shows like Homicide and Matlock Police. Garrett is known for her role as Rose Godolfus in the most popular show Number 96. When, Number 96 aired in March 1975, it brought nude and bikini scenes for the first time on Australian Television. The actress, Abigail, who is known as become the first lady who appeared topless.

Although it was the actress Garrett who appeared topless in the first episode and deserved the credit. The episode screened only in Sydney; the shot was cut by censor after complaints from viewers in other localities of Australia. Garrett signed the contract for five months with the channel then she left the series. Her character died with the scene that Garrett raped by a group of bikers, and then; she died. After leaving Number 96, she appeared as a guest role in Division 4, she also worked in a company of Rex Cramphorn for three years, where she included in several film productions nationally, and internationally like, The Tempest, Shakuntla, Muriel, Berenice, Scapin, and The Ring of Recognition.

She also appears in a comedy show The Norman Gunston Show and it written by Bill Harding and set in a supermarket. It stars included other past actors of 'Number 96' TV series like Candy Raymond, Philippa Baker, Anne Louise Lambert, John Paramor, Johnny Lockwood, and Judy Lynne. In 1976, Garrett came to India and learned about Yoga, Meditation, and Philosophy in a Monastery for twelve months under the guidance of Muktananda Baba in Ganeshpuri. After that, she returned to Australia and worked for Australian Film Television and Radio School and acted in many theatre and stage shows.

Her Television credits include Minty, The Shark Met, Streetsmartz, Lift, Mother and Son, Bodyline, Cop Shop. Her films credit includes I met a Girl, Boundaries of The Heart, Blackfellas, Let’s Get Skase, Caddie. In 1995, she won the Swan Gold award for best actress for her theatre plays Dead Funny at Perth Theater Company. Garrett also became a theatre director on productions include The Spook, Breaststroke, Magritte, Tartuffe. Garrett also became a voice-over artist and taught at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, TAFTA, NIDA, University of Notre Dame Australia. Her theatre plays includes The Dybbuk, Variations, Top Girls, The House of the Deaf Man, The Bride of Gospel Place, As You Like It, On Our Selection, Waiting for Godot, My Shadow and Me, The Lady of the Camellias, Fish, Hamlet.

Garrett now moved to Margaret River in Western Australia and working for 'The Western Australian Academy of Performing' as a lecturer. Her favorite TV programs are The Blocklift. Her favorite films are Busting Out the Bells, Rosemary’s Way, Book Week, The Decant, and Depraved. Her favorite quote is, The ideal of the intellect is to manifest wisdom, The ideal of the heart is to manifest love, and the ideal of the resulting act of will is not manifest truth. Insofar as thoughts of the intellect true for wisdom and feelings of the heart strive for love, you abide in the truth. It is very simple.’ Garrett is married to a west Australian and ha two Children.

Her father was a great sportsman and a POW Changi survivor. Her father became an 'Australian professional Squash champion' for eleven years. Her father kept his War experience to himself until later in his life, and then he revealed them in poignant detail. It was heart-breaking. Squash and tennis taught Garrett that a healthy commitment and healthy life could give us strength.