Angela Webber
Encyclopedia
Angela Webber was an Australia
n author, TV writer, producer and comedian.
, and Nan, a journalist
. She grew up in West Ryde
, and was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
in Croydon
(together with schoolmate Johanna Pigott
), where she was elected School Captain
and was a winner of a prestigious PLC Gold Medallion in 1972. After finishing school, Webber enroled at the University of Sydney
, where she studied architecture
and discovered her passion for writing comedy.
's youth radio network Triple J
, as a member of the comedy group The 'J-Team', which also included the late Lance Curtis
. The J-Team were featured alongside co-hosts Jonathan Coleman and Ian Rogerson (a.k.a. "Jonno and Dano") in this freeweheeling Sunday afternoon satirical comedy program. The group then moved on to a popular stint as the stars of the Triple-J breakfast show, which was nominally hosted by DJ Rusty Nails.
It was here that Webber met her husband-to-be, Stuart Matchett, and became known for her comedic alter-ego, the anarchic punk pensioner
'Lillian Pascoe', who had a fondness for heavy metal
music and who regularly proclaimed her slogan "Rage 'til ya puke!". She also made numerous guest appearances on radio and TV as Lillian and released a novelty single which parodied the hip hop classic "The Message".
In 1984, at just 29 years of age, Webber was diagnosed with breast cancer
. With Matchett beside her, she underwent the many treatments with great grace and humour.
After the birth of her daughters, Lily and Sally, she wrote The P-Plate Parent with Richard Glover, in which she spoke of the adventures of being a mother. She also wrote material for TV performers such as Gerry Connolly, Garry McDonald
, Dave Allen
and Pamela Stephenson
.
Webber's most successful and best-known work came later in her life in the form of the children's TV series Mortified
. This series was a comedy drama playing on the embarrassment that children often feel towards their parents, and in 2006 won an Australian Film Institute Award
for Best Children's Television Drama. Mortified has since been sold to more than 15 countries, including Britain, France
, Italy
and Argentina
.
. She died at her Coogee
home from cancer-related causes on 10 March 2007. She is survived by her husband Stuart Matchett
, her daughters Lily and Sally, and a wide circle of friends.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n author, TV writer, producer and comedian.
Early life
Webber was born in 1954 to Bruce Webber, the head of light entertainment for ABC radioABC Radio
Cumulus Media Networks is an American radio network owned and operated by Cumulus Media. it controlled many of the assets of the former ABC Radio Networks, which Citadel Broadcasting purchased in June 2007...
, and Nan, a journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. She grew up in West Ryde
West Ryde, New South Wales
West Ryde is a suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. West Ryde is located 16 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Ryde and is part of the Northern Suburbs area....
, and was educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney
The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney is an independent, Presbyterian, day and boarding school for girls in Croydon, an inner-western suburb of Sydney, Australia...
in Croydon
Croydon, New South Wales
Croydon is an affluent suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Croydon is located 11 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district. Croydon is split between the two local government areas of Burwood Council and the Municipality of Ashfield.The...
(together with schoolmate Johanna Pigott
Johanna Pigott
Johanna Paton Pigott is an Australian musician, singer/songwriter and screenwriter. Her best known hit songs are Dragon's "Rain" which peaked at #2 on the Australia singles charts in 1983 and John Farnham's "Age of Reason". "Rain" was co-written with partner Dragon's Todd Hunter and his brother...
), where she was elected School Captain
School Captain
School Captain is a student appointed or elected to represent the school.This student, usually in the senior year, in their final year of attending that school...
and was a winner of a prestigious PLC Gold Medallion in 1972. After finishing school, Webber enroled at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
, where she studied architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and discovered her passion for writing comedy.
Career
In 1981, Webber joined the ABCAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's youth radio network Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
, as a member of the comedy group The 'J-Team', which also included the late Lance Curtis
Lance Curtis
Lance Curtis was a popular Australian actor, writer and comedian who became well known in Australia in the early 1980s through his many radio, TV and film appearances...
. The J-Team were featured alongside co-hosts Jonathan Coleman and Ian Rogerson (a.k.a. "Jonno and Dano") in this freeweheeling Sunday afternoon satirical comedy program. The group then moved on to a popular stint as the stars of the Triple-J breakfast show, which was nominally hosted by DJ Rusty Nails.
It was here that Webber met her husband-to-be, Stuart Matchett, and became known for her comedic alter-ego, the anarchic punk pensioner
Pensioner
In common parlance, a pensioner is a person who has retired, and now collects a pension. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom and Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the United States, the term retiree is more...
'Lillian Pascoe', who had a fondness for heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
music and who regularly proclaimed her slogan "Rage 'til ya puke!". She also made numerous guest appearances on radio and TV as Lillian and released a novelty single which parodied the hip hop classic "The Message".
In 1984, at just 29 years of age, Webber was diagnosed with breast cancer
Breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer originating from breast tissue, most commonly from the inner lining of milk ducts or the lobules that supply the ducts with milk. Cancers originating from ducts are known as ductal carcinomas; those originating from lobules are known as lobular carcinomas...
. With Matchett beside her, she underwent the many treatments with great grace and humour.
After the birth of her daughters, Lily and Sally, she wrote The P-Plate Parent with Richard Glover, in which she spoke of the adventures of being a mother. She also wrote material for TV performers such as Gerry Connolly, Garry McDonald
Garry McDonald
Garry George McDonald, AO is an Australian stage and screen actor.-Early life and career:McDonald was born in Sydney and was educated at Cranbrook School and National Institute of Dramatic Art....
, Dave Allen
Dave Allen (comedian)
David Tynan O'Mahoney , better known as Dave Allen, was an Irish comedian, very popular in Great Britain, Australia, and Canada in the 1960s and 1970s. He also became known in the United States through repeats of his shows on public television. His career had a major resurgence during the late...
and Pamela Stephenson
Pamela Stephenson
Pamela Helen Stephenson Connolly is a New Zealand-born Australian clinical psychologist and writer now resident in the United Kingdom. She is best known for her work as an actress and comedian during the 1980s...
.
Webber's most successful and best-known work came later in her life in the form of the children's TV series Mortified
Mortified
Mortified was an Australian children's television series, co-produced by the Australian Children's Television Foundation and Enjoy Entertainment for the Nine Network Australia, Disney Australia and the BBC. The series premiered on 30 June 2006 and ended on 11 April 2007 with two seasons and a total...
. This series was a comedy drama playing on the embarrassment that children often feel towards their parents, and in 2006 won an Australian Film Institute Award
Australian Film Institute Awards
The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award, known as the AACTA Award , is an accolade presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts . The awards recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry and television industry, including directors,...
for Best Children's Television Drama. Mortified has since been sold to more than 15 countries, including Britain, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
Later life
In 2005 Webber was diagnosed with lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
. She died at her Coogee
Coogee, New South Wales
Coogee is a beachside suburb of local government area City of Randwick. It is located 8 kilometres south-east of the Sydney central business district, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is also a part of the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney....
home from cancer-related causes on 10 March 2007. She is survived by her husband Stuart Matchett
Stuart Matchett
Stuart Matchett is an Australian radio announcer and program director.He started in radio at Brisbane community station 4ZZZ-FM in 1975. He was a presenter at Triple J from 1978 to 1986 and for several years in this period he hosted a weekly "Almanac" program, broadcast on Sundays, which looked at...
, her daughters Lily and Sally, and a wide circle of friends.
See also
- List of breast cancer patients according to survival status
- List of Old Girls of PLC Sydney