Life of ‘unknown’ who played opposite Toogood in shows

Vivienne Tait was a humble woman; a good mother. She also played opposite Selwyn Toogood in several theatre productions.

Despite this, Tait had been relegated to the status of unknown in the history books (namely, Te Papa’s Spencer Digby-Ronald Woolf collections it is working to digitise, which features a promotional picture of the two for a play).

That is, until Tait’s daughter Lissie Hogg got in touch with The Dominion Post.

Born in Wellington in 1911 to Scottish migrants, Tait ‘‘was very involved in repertory over a number of years,’’ Hogg said about her mother. It turns out Tait played opposite Toogood as his stage wife in three productions.

Despite their on-stage courtships, Toogood and Tait were never romantically involved, Hogg said.

She ended up marrying Penrose Rollings, an up-and-coming lawyer in Wellington, in 1937. He died in 1943 from tuberculosis, aged 38, in Christchurch.

At the time of his death the pair had two children, Clare and Kit. Tait

travelled back to Wellington with her children to live with her parents, and married Ralph Hogg in 1948. He was also involved in repertory theatre, and the pair had known one another for a number of years. With Hogg she had Lissie, and another daughter Jackie.

Lissie Hogg said the children had some knowledge of her mother’s involvement with Toogood in plays growing up. Selwyn had a brother,

Warren, who used to play the dame in Christmas pantomimes. The children were always taken to see the shows.

Tait’s theatre work was never a career; she did spend a period of time as a librarian but once she remarried she focussed on being a mother – Hogg does not remember a time when Tait was in paid employment when she was growing up. ‘‘She did theatre for the love of it.’’

Vivienne Tait spent most of her life in Wellington, except for a short period when she was in her late 80s. She died in 2006, aged 95.

‘‘She lived a very full life,’’ Hogg said. ‘‘She was very fit and active, a great storyteller. She was loved by everybody – grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, friends. She was always positive and cheerful. Just an easy person to be around. She was a treasure.’’

This week, Hogg visited a plaque dedicated to her mother on the anniversary of her birthday, in a rose garden near the entrance of Karori Cemetery. While Tait was not a big drinker, she always enjoyed a sherry at 5pm. On her visits to the plaque, Hogg too, has a sherry.