Ted Craig, the Australian actor, director and producer who built a distinguished career in British theatre while remaining a champion of new writing, has died in London. He was 86.

Born in Melbourne in 1940, Craig began his career in television while still a teenager, joining GTV-9, one of the pioneers of Australian broadcasting. Starting in the mail room, he progressed to floor manager and camera assistant before moving to Adelaide station ADS-7, where he became a producer in the early 1960s.

His work there encompassed children’s puppet shows, current affairs, Meet the Press and religious dramas. Theatre, however, soon became his principal passion. While acting with Adelaide theatre companies, Craig won the Best Supporting Actor award at the 1964 Adelaide Festival of Arts for his performance as Nonno in Tennessee Williams’s The Night of the Iguana.

Ted Craig (1940-2026)

He subsequently moved to Britain, joining the resident company at the Lyceum Theatre in Crewe as an actor and director. Appointed Artistic Director in 1968, he mounted productions including the British premiere of Patrick White’s The Ham Funeral.

In 1973, Craig returned to Australia as Resident Director of the Old Tote Theatre Company,...