By Wendy Beckett of Beckett’s Restaurant Glebe, Bulletin 9/2023, November
Glebe has long been the home of artists whether in rentals, in share houses, couch surfing or having the luck of home ownership. The list of famous folk living in the area; authors, actors, composers, opera singers, film and theatre producers, visual artists and journalists is extensive, so much so, that the Glebe Society is nominating locations for Blue Plaques to commemorate them. I have been researching the names, and the number of artistic and intellectual residents is huge.
To mention a few well-known names past and present: Robert Pullan, Peter Cochrane, Ross Gittins, Brian Toohey, Adele Horin, Steve Wallace, Lynette Curran, Patrick Cook, Jean Kitson, Gale Edwards, Elisabeth Cummings, Les Tanner, Thomas Rainford, Arthur Dignam, Lyn Collingwood, Deborah Galanos, Les Murray, Richard Tipping, even Peter Corris’s fictional character lived in Glebe! There have been and continue to be many films and TV series produced in Glebe owing to its beautiful old houses and the magic reflective waters of Blackwattle Bay. For example: Brides of Christ, The Chaser, Bump, Gardening Australia, Mao’s last dancer, The Last Days of Chez Nous, Looking for Alibrandi, The Year of Living Dangerously, Caddie, Rats in The Ranks and on the list goes.
Bangarra Dance Theatre started in St James Hall on Bridge Road and rehearsed there for years. And the designer of Speedos and kite man Peter Travis also lived in Glebe in Leichhardt Street. The sculptures on top of the Queen Victoria Building were designed by William Priestly Macintosh who lived in Glebe in 1897.
Throughout the years locals have had their favourite social places to meet and dine – from the Ancient Briton Hotel, the Toxteth, Badde Manors, The Different Drummer, and the Boatsheds which once existed at the end of Glebe Point Road. And there’s another favourite in the arts community – a mysterious church-like restaurant called Darling Mills. (on the corner of Glebe Point Road and St Johns Road). It has been restored and returned to the Glebe community renamed Becketts and is even more beautiful than it was before.
Becketts, as in the days of old, is frequented by locals and the arts community alike. From early diners to business meetings, to film and TV producers and actors; it has become a favourite place to share a quality meal with piano in the background by Glenn Rhodes. A place for grown-ups. Run by Wendy Beckett, a playwright/theatre director herself and resident of Glebe for 40 years, Becketts has brought back the romantic artistic past. Downstairs in a wine cellar beneath the restaurant, playwrights and actors perform short pieces of just 30 minutes, accompanied by dinner and wine for one night only.
Recently the cellar hosted Heather Mitchell playing a piece from the play Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Thomas Weatherall of the TV series Heartbreak High performed on another night and political comedian Peter Burner was there for a special ‘night of the playwrights’. Jonathan Biggins (known for the political satire ‘review’ at STC and now the Seymour Centre) also performed at Becketts recently. He did a piece from Samuel Becketts’: Krapp’s Last Tape. Next up is Australian classical composer and pianist Ross Edwards celebrating his 80th birthday with his musician friends. Locals are welcome to join him in a celebratory dinner.
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On January 24 playwright David Williamson will celebrate his new play, just written at age 80 with the public invited to dine with him. Becketts Restaurant has brought back the spirit of the past where people in the arts are not out of reach, but willing and open to joining with their community, to be in a beautiful setting for a drink, a sumptuous French meal and good conversation. Becketts has restored something special to Glebe, its artistic spirit is back!
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