Australian Biography: Noel Tovey

To suggest that Noel Tovey’s life has been colourful is a major understatement. Rising from an impoverished life as an Aboriginal child in the 1930s to becoming a West End choreographer to returning to Australia as a champion of gay and Aboriginal rights – he blazes like a guiding light on a cultural horizon.

In the first six minutes of this most compelling interview, Tovey recounts stories of sexual abuse and being witness to suicide. Reflecting on his life with interviewer Robin Hughes in this documentary, Tovey is both wise and emotional. He fights back tears, recounting incidents that could have crushed many spirits. Instead he draws upon such experiences for his art.

Born in 1933, Tovey’s only memories of his childhood in inner Melbourne are characterised by drunkenness. Lice-ridden and starving, he was also regularly sexually abused by his “uncle” in exchange for food until he was sent with his sister to a foster father in Burren, northern NSW. Here he continued to be sexually abused by his new guardian until being sent to a school for crippled children in Manly. It was here he first experienced a visiting theatre troupe which had a profound effect on his artistic outlook.

With his striking looks, the youthful Tovey spent time as a rent boy before eventually becoming a professional performer in the Melbourne theatrical scene, including for the Tivoli. During a party held by female impersonator Max Du Barry, he was arrested, hoodwinked into a false confession that he had sex with Du Barry and shuffled off to Pentridge Prison, where he was abused by guards. But a dream in which he says his elders spoke to him armed him with the determination to turn his life around.

Tovey reinvented himself as “Rohan Scott-Rohan” in London, where he became principal dancer at Sadler’s Wells Opera, choreographed The Boyfriend and met his partner, Dave, of 17 years, who died during the 1980s HIV-AIDS pandemic. He even directed the banned 1971 Australian production of ‘nudie-musical’ Oh Calcutta!

During this interview Tovey imparts many accrued lessons in Aboriginal rights (there is a suggestion his people have not done enough to help themselves), the arts (theatre boards are too focused on ‘outcomes’), and gay pride. At one point, Hughes even asks which was the bigger stigma: being poor, Aboriginal or gay? You’ll have to tune in for the answer.

Australian Biography: Noel Tovey airs 10pm Wednesday on SBS ONE.