Queen requests copy of Marjorie Lawrence documentary

A COPY of a documentary about a Surf Coast-born international opera star is on its way to Windsor Castle after an official request from the Queen.

South Australian filmmakers Wayne Groom and Dr Carolyn Bilsborow created biopic Marjorie Lawrence: The World at Her Feet.

The film, which took two years to make, is the story of the Deans Marsh-born opera singer who became the most famous Australian woman in the world at the peak of her international singing career during the 1930s and 1940s.

The feature-length documentary, narrated by Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, had its world premiere at Winchelsea’s Globe Theatre in early December and was released in cinemas across Australia through Sharmill Films.

It was favourably reviewed by critic David Stratton, who gave it four out of five stars and included the documentary in his list of best films of 2021.

“Our film was definitely a labour of love, made on a tiny budget in difficult COVID-19 circumstances, but it turned out to be a fascinating journey of discovery of the wonderful life of a gifted Australian Wagnerian soprano, her rise to fame and the tragedy that almost destroyed her in Mexico,” editor Dr Bilsborow said.

The filmmakers wrote to Queen Elizabeth II in February, soon after a successful Adelaide screening at the Palace East End Cinemas.

Never expecting to receive a reply, they were very surprised to get a letter from Windsor Castle earlier this month.

“We wrote to the Queen more as a courtesy, to inform her that our film features images of her as a young princess at a meeting with Marjorie in 1945, just before Marjorie’s performance in the Music Room of Buckingham Palace, and to remind the Queen of the amusing incident that occurred during the recital,” Mr Groom, who directed the documentary, said.

The filmmakers discovered while researching Lawrence’s biography, that the concert she gave at Buckingham Palace was going well but was noisily interrupted when one of the corgis owned by the Queen (later the Queen Mother) began to bark and howl.

Lawrence stopped singing and politely said: “Your Majesty, I don’t think your corgi likes my singing?” Queen Elizabeth allegedly replied: “On the contrary, Miss Lawrence; my corgis are Welsh and as everyone knows, all Welsh love singing, he was just trying to show his appreciation!”

Dr Bilsborow hoped the DVD would be a welcome relief.

“The Queen has been through a tough period in recent times and hopefully this film and its sweet memories will cheer her up,” she said.

Marjorie Lawrence: The World at Her Feet will soon be available to view online in Australia on documentary streaming website DocPlay.