Betty Burstall

Betty Margaret Burstall (4 February 1926 – 14 June 2013) was an Australian theatre director who founded the La Mama Theatre in Melbourne in 1967. Burstall and her theatre are credited with leading the growth of contemporary theatre in Melbourne during the 1960s and 1970s.

Burstall was inspired to establish the theatre after returning from New York City. She introduced off-Broadway contemporary theatre to Melbourne through La Mama. Numerous actors and writers have appeared and worked at La Mama, including Graeme Blundell, Kerry Dwyer, Jack Hibberd, and John Romeril, all of whom formed the Australian Performing Group. In 1976, Burstall turned over the day-to-day operations of La Mama to Liz Jones, who remains the theatre's artistic director as of 2013. Burstall remained the chief script adviser until about 1998.

Betty Burstall died on 14 June 2013, at the age of 87. Her late husband, film director Tim Burstall, died in 2004. She was survived by two sons and their wives, five grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The actress Sigrid Thornton is her daughter-in-law.

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