Val Lehman: “Driver”

Val was born in Western Australia and attended St. Hilda’s CEGGS. In the early 1950s the family relocated to Victoria and Val completed her general education at Melbourne’s Westleigh College before going on to RMIT and a Fine Art course. In 1962 Val married her first husband – an army officer – and three children, Cassandra, Joanne and Jason soon followed. Throughout the sixties and early seventies, the family was stationed in Townsville, the UK and Singapore. It was during this period Val became heavily involved in amateur dramatics, directing and acting in a number of productions.

Upon settling back in Australia, Val was overwhelmingly drawn into pursuing a full-time acting career. By this time she had separated from her husband and was a 29 year-old single mother of three young children. She soon began working in Theatre in Education with the Children’s Arena Theatre, honing her acting skills and learning about all aspects of her chosen profession. In 1978 Val auditioned for a new TV show set in a women’s prison. Although originally sent by her agent to read for the role of Vera ‘Vinegar Tits’ Bennett, the casting director had different ideas, and arranged for Val to read for the ‘Earth Mother’ character ‘Queen Bea’ Smith.

Although Val was allowed some freedom to appear in other productions whilst in Prisoner, notably Outbreak Of Love, a mini series for the ABC, and her first major film role in Kitty And The Bagman’, she decided being pinned down to Bea was too restrictive and left Prisoner in 1983. The role of Bea had earned Val the title of one of Australia’s leading actors, given her three prestigious Logie awards and boundless experience in her profession. After leaving the show Val returned to her first love – theatre – and appeared in several Australian productions, including Trafford Tanzi, Farewell Brisbane Ladies, In Duty Bound, A Streetcar Named Desire, Lie Of The Mind, The Foreigner and A Touch Of Silk. On screen she appeared in guest roles in shows like Prime Time, and Flying Doctors, another film,  I Live With Me Dad, and her personal favourite, the major role of Bert’s mum in the acclaimed mini series A Fortunate Life.

Along with many other TV appearances, Val was a guest on most of the popular TV chat shows, the peak of which was the Best of Parkinson in Australia. In 1989 she was invited to visit the UK to undertake a three month personal appearance tour.  She stayed seven years. While in the UK Val was able to pursue her dream of acting on the British stage, and appeared in productions of Steel Magnolias, Driving Miss Daisy, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, The Life of Beatrix Potter, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Chicago, When We Are Married, Anyone For Murder, The Wizard Of Oz, Aladdin and a highly acclaimed tour of the Stephen King thriller, Misery’.  She also directed productions of Last of the Red Hot Lovers, and French Paste.