| Benita Collings | |
| Birth Place: | Australia |
| Known For: | Presenter on Play School (1969–1999), character actress |
| Years Active: | 1955–present |
Benita Collings (born 1940)[1] is an Australian theatre, television and film character actress and children's television presenter best known for her role on ABC TV's Play School. Collings has also featured in documentaries and commercials.
Collings started her career in 1955 at the Independent Theatre under Dame Doris Fitton and also trained in ballet and jazz, under Ronne Arnold. By 1960, she had joined the Ensemble Theatre under producer and director Hayes Gordon, appearing in numerous plays including a production of Neil Simons, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, directed by Jon Ewing, Absurd Person Singular and Doctor in the House.[2]
Collings is best known for her long-running stint as a presenter for Play School on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) from 1969 until 1999. She was one of the longest-serving presenters after a 30-year tenure, and although is credited with appearing in the most episodes, her tenure on the show was surpassed by Don Spencer, who presented from 1968 until 1999[3]
[4] [5] Collings described her first audition for Play School as awful because she didn't learn her script ahead of time. Two years later, Collings was invited back for a second audition based on her storytelling skills alone and got the part that invited her into the living rooms of thousands of Australian children in 401 episodes.[6] [7]
Her time on Play School saw her educating children by singing songs, making crafts, discussing days of the week, reading stories and famously playing with such toys as Big Ted, Humpty and Jemima.[8] Being an introvert, Collings took some time to accept the fame that Play School gave her, as she learned to accept compliments from strangers in the street.[9] On working with her occasional on-screen companion, John Hamblin, Collings stated: "He was delicious to work with – wicked and such fun". Big Ted is Collings' favourite Play School toy character.
In addition to her position as an Australian children's television presenter, Collings has been a screen performer, appearing in many of Australian television dramas, including Homicide, Division 4, Matlock Police, The Restless Years, The Sullivans, The Young Doctors, Sons and Daughters, Rafferty's Rules and A Country Practice amongst others.[10]
Collings appeared in the feature film Knowing as the mother of Nicolas Cage's character.[11]
In 2019, Collings took part in a comedy revue about older people and the young people they deal with called Senior Moments, alongside John Wood and Geoff Harvey.
Collings has expressed her concern with modern children being glued to technology rather than forming a connection with humans.
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Sunstruck | Alice | Feature film |
| 2005 | A Black and White World | Florist | Film short |
| 2009 | Knowing | John's Mother | Feature film |
| 2010 | The Tree | Aunt Mary | Feature film |
| 2011 | Sleeping Beauty | Dinner Guest | Feature film |
| The Eye of the Storm | Lady at lunch | Feature film | |
| 2013 | The Egg | Narrator | Film short |
| 2019 | Barking Mad | Muriel | Film short |
| 2021 | The Pitch | Celia Montgomery | Feature film |
| Strung | Beatrice | Feature film |
| Year | Title | Role | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | The Right Thing | Jean | TV movie | |
| 1966 | The Private World of Miss Prim | Typist | TV series, 11 episodes | |
| 1968 | Contrabandits | Air Hostess | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1969–1999 | Play School | Presenter | TV series | |
| 1970 | The Rovers | Margaret Walsh | TV series | |
| 1971 | The Comedy Game | Turner | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1972 | The Godfathers | Miss Lark | TV series, 1 episode | |
| Spyforce | Sister Hilda | TV series, 2 episodes | ||
| 1970–1973 | Homicide | Joan Greaves / Freda Clarke / Catherine Davies | TV series, 3 episodes | |
| Division 4 | Nina Radcliffe / Louise Jenkins / Barbara Young | TV series, 3 episodes | ||
| 1974 | Silent Number | Mary | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1973–1974 | Our Man in the Company | Turner | TV series, 15 episodes | |
| 1974 | Matlock Police | Betty Holmes / Susan Middleton | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 1975 | TV series, 1 episode | |||
| Quality of Mercy | TV series, episode 7. "Twice Blessed" | |||
| 1977 | The Sullivans | Lucette | TV series | |
| 1977–1982 | The Restless Years | Clare Moran | TV series, 677 episodes | |
| 1982 | Secret Valley | TV series, 3 episodes | ||
| 1982; 1984 | A Country Practice | Jill Stevens / Natalie Baker | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| 1983 | Return to Eden | Estelle Rutherford | TV miniseries, 1 episode | |
| 1984 | Kindred Spirits | Tarot Reader | TV movie | |
| 1984–1987 | The New Adventures of Blinky Bill | Host | TV series | |
| 1985 | Epic (Australian version) | The Narrator | Animated TV movie | |
| 1987 | Sons and Daughters | June Halliday | TV series, 2 episodes | |
| Rafferty's Rules | Magda | TV series, 1 episode | ||
| Danger Down Under (aka Reed Down Under) | Dr Eileen Townsend | TV movie | ||
| Computer Ghosts | Eva | TV movie | ||
| 1991 | Play School's 25th Anniversary | Herself | TV special | |
| 1996 | Play School 30th Anniversary | Herself | TV special | |
| The Glynn Nicholas Show | Gremlins | TV series, 1 episode | ||
| 2001 | Pizza | Wowser lady | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 2006 | 50 Years Of ABC Television | Herself | TV special | |
| 2016 | Herself | TV special | ||
| Janet King | Robin King | TV series, 4 episodes | ||
| 2018 | Resting Pitch Face | Olivia's Mum | TV series, 1 episode |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Burke's Backyard | Guest (celebrity gardener) | TV series, 1 episode |
| People's Choice Awards | Herself | TV special | |
| 1999 | Good Morning Australia | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2006 | Today Tonight | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2015 | Studio 10 | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2015; 2019 | The Daily Edition | Guest (second episode with John Wood)) | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2016 | Have You Been Paying Attention? | Guest Quiz Master | TV series |
| 2016; 2019; 2021 | Today Extra | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2016; 2021 | The Morning Show | Guest (first episode with Penny Cook & Lex Marinos) | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 2022 | ABC 90 Celebrate! | Guest | TV special |
| Australia's Got Talent | Herself – Chris O'Brien Lifehouse Choir | TV series, 1 episode |