Glenda has been surrounded by theatre all her life. Her father, Bill Wilkes, was a singer, actor and director as well as a founding member of the Regals Musical Society. Her brother, Warrick, was a professional actor and musician. Her mother, Edith Paul, studied at the Independent Theatre, performed in many professional and community theatre operettas and productions and was a long-term director of Bankstown Theatrical Society. Glenda credits her mother for instilling a love of theatre in her and for teaching her the stage craft that has proven invaluable in both performing and directing.
Glenda performed her first show with Rockdale Musical Society, aged 8. She then went on to perform with various companies across Sydney including Regals, Bankstown, Strathfield Light Opera, The Guild at Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Chatswood, Powerhouse Productions, Highlands, Arcadians, Miranda Musical Society, and others, as well as many concerts and theatre restaurants. She studied ballet with the distinguished Isobel Anderson. She has also studied jazz, ballroom and Irish dancing. Glenda is trained in classical singing with Margaret Andrews.
She met her husband, Greg, during a production of Cinderella at Bankstown Musical Society and they have played opposite each other in many shows. Their children, Dan, Lauren, Lesley, and Jordan have all performed on stage in principal roles.
Glenda will be making her Guild Theatre directorial debut this year with a production of the Ray Cooney farce Chase Me, Comrade!
Credits
Guild Theatre
Previous Roles:
Amanda in Private Lives | Margo Crane in The Wisdom of Eve | Ellen Wheeler in Night Watch | Joanne/Joe in Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean | Meg Moynihan in Hotel Sorrento | Jean in Funny Money | Tallulah Bankhead in Looped
Other Companies
Previous Roles:
Maria in The Sound of Music | Aldonza in Man of La Mancha | Lilli in Kiss Me Kate Fantine in Les Miserables | Charity in Sweet Charity | Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady