Angela Webber (12 January 1955 – 10 March 2007) was an Australian author, TV writer, producer and comedian.

Early life

Webber was born in 1955 to Bruce Webber, the head of light entertainment for ABC radio, and Nan, a journalist. She grew up in

West Ryde West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some R ...

, and was educated at the

Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney The Presbyterian Ladies' College, Sydney (PLC Sydney) is an independent school, independent Presbyterian Church of Australia, Presbyterian Single-sex school, single-sex Pre-school education, early learning, Primary school, primary and Secondary sc ...

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

(together with schoolmate

Johanna Pigott Johanna Paton Pigott (born ca. 1955) is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter and screenwriter. Her best known hit songs are Dragon's "Rain" which peaked at No. 2 on the Australian Kent Music Report Singles Chart in 1983, Note: Used f ...

),. where she was elected

School Captain A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsor ...

and was a winner of a prestigious PLC Gold Medallion in 1972. After finishing school, Webber enrolled at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

, where she studied architecture and discovered her passion for writing comedy.

Career

In 1981, Webber joined the

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

's youth radio network

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

, as a member of the comedy group The "J-Team", which also included the late Lance Curtis. The J-Team were featured alongside co-hosts Jonathan Coleman and Ian Rogerson (a.k.a. "Jonno and Dano") in this freewheeling Sunday afternoon satirical comedy program. The group then moved on to a popular stint as the stars of the Triple-J breakfast show, which was anchored by DJ Rusty Nails. It was here that Webber met her husband-to-be, Stuart Matchett, and became known for her comedic alter-ego, the anarchic

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

pensioner A pensioner is a person who receives a pension, most commonly because of retirement from the workforce. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom (along with OAP, initialism of old-age pensioner), Ireland and Australia where someone of p ...

"Lillian Pascoe", who had a fondness for heavy metal music and who regularly proclaimed her slogan "Rage 'til ya puke!". She also made numerous guest appearances on radio and TV as Lillian and released a novelty single which parodied the hip hop classic " The Message". In 1984, at just 29 years of age, Webber was diagnosed with breast cancer. With Matchett beside her, she underwent the many treatments with great grace and humour. After the birth of her daughters, Lily and Sally, she wrote ''The P-Plate Parent'' with Richard Glover, in which she spoke of the adventures of being a mother. She also wrote material for TV performers such as Gerry Connolly,

Garry McDonald Garry George McDonald AO (born 30 October 1948) is an Australian actor, satirist and comedian. In a career spanning five decades he has had many theatre, television and film roles, and has been listed as a National Living Treasure. He is bes ...

, Dave Allen and

Pamela Stephenson Pamela Helen Stephenson, Lady Connolly (born 4 December 1949) is a New Zealand-born psychologist, writer, and performer who is now a resident in both the United Kingdom and the United States. She is best known for her work as an actress and co ...

. Webber's most successful and best-known work came later in her life in the form of the children's TV series ''

Mortified ''Mortified'' is an Australian children's television series, co-produced by the Australian Children's Television Foundation and Enjoy Entertainment for the Nine Network Australia. The series premiered on 30 June 2006 and ended on 9 May 2007 wi ...

''. This series was a comedy drama playing on the embarrassment that children often feel towards their parents, and in 2006 won an

Australian Film Institute Award The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, known as the AACTA Awards, are presented annually by the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA). The awards recognise excellence in the film and television industry ...

for Best Children's Television Drama. ''Mortified'' has since been sold to more than 15 countries, including

Britain Britain most often refers to: * The United Kingdom, a sovereign state in Europe comprising the island of Great Britain, the north-eastern part of the island of Ireland and many smaller islands * Great Britain, the largest island in the United King ...

, France, Italy and

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

Later life

In 2005 Webber was diagnosed with lung cancer. She died at her Coogee home from cancer-related causes on 10 March 2007.

Early life

Career

Later life

References

See also