Dennis Hans Olsen AM (born 28 February 1938) is an Australian singer, actor, director and pianist. His performances include opera, musical theatre, cabaret, radio, television and film. He is best known as an exponent of "patter" roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operas and his performances of Noël Coward songs.

At first trained as a pianist, Olsen soon switched to acting, beginning his career with Australian theatre companies in the 1960s. After success with Opera Australia, Olsen briefly joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in England. He returned to Australia in 1971, playing in theatre as well as Gilbert and Sullivan over the next four decades.

Early life and career

Olsen was born in Adelaide, South Australia, and is of Danish descent. He originally trained for a professional career as a pianist. He decided to become an actor and attended the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, graduating in 1962. He has appeared with the following theatre companies: Old Tote Theatre Company, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Melbourne Theatre Company and Sydney Theatre Company. Some of the plays in which Olsen has appeared include: The Importance of Being Earnest, The Crucible and The Venetian Twins.

In 1969, Olsen attracted notice as a guest artist playing the patter roles in the Australian Opera's productions of Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore, Iolanthe and The Pirates of Penzance. He then joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company in England. The following year, he starred in An Ideal Husband and The Cherry Orchard on tour in Australia. For the latter, he won Melbourne's Erik Award for best actor of the year. He played Bunthorne in Australian Opera's 1980 production of Patience, recording the role in 1995 at the Sydney Opera House. Olsen's production opened in Victoria in June 1991 followed by a tour including South Australia and Western Australia (July) and the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland (September). He directed Trial by Jury and played the Learned Judge in the Sydney Festival's 1997–98 production.

In 2008, Olsen was made a patron of the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of South Australia Inc.

Filmography

Films

  • The Fourth Wish (1976) as Ross
  • Break of Day (1976) as Roger
  • Struck by Lightning (1990) as Barnabas

Television mini-series

  • Sara Dane (1982)
  • Under Capricorn (1983)

References

  • Olsen stage credits as a director and actor
  • "A Song to Sing 0" – Cremorne Theatre, Brisbane
  • Olsen and Thomas Edmonds Gilbert and Sullivan Highlights compact disc information

Performance photos

  • Olsen as Percy Grainger in Percy and Rose – ACT Heritage Library
  • Olsen as Sir Joseph Porter, KCB in H.M.S. Pinafore – National Library of Australia
  • Olsen as Emcee in Cabaret [http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.pic-vn3567121&referercode=ma] and [http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.pic-vn3567161&referercode=ma] and [http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.pic-vn3567167&referercode=ma] – National Library of Australia
  • Olsen as Jesus in The Wakefield Mysteries [http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.pic-vn3567206&referercode=ma] and [http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview?pi=nla.pic-vn3567208&referercode=ma] – National Library of Australia