Lynn Carol Rainbow-Reid (born 19 September 1942) credited also as Lynne Rainbow, is an arts administrator and philanthropist and former actress of stage, radio, television and film, dancer and voice artist and archivist.

Early life Rainbow was born in Australia to Judge Alfred Ernest Rainbow and his wife.

A fourth generation performer, her great-grandfather was British theatrical tycoon and singer John Fuller, who emigrated to New Zealand and was known as the 'Silver throated tenor of New Zealand'. Her grandfather was also a theatre tycoon, Sir Benjamin Fuller, who established he's own company Fuller's Theatres Circuit, with brother John Fuller Jnr. launching a number of venues across Australasia

Rainbow's mother was a dancer, whose partner was Ron Shand.

Rainbow was educated in Sydney at the Ascham School before studying acting under Dame Doris Fitton at the Independent Theatre school in Sydney. She subsequently attended the Sorbonne in Paris and the Dante Alighieri in Italy, training in physical movement, voice and dance

Entertainment career Rainbow has worked in the entertainment industry throughout England, the US and her native Australia. Serving as a judge by day, and dancing as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake by night, she has been involved in stage, film, TV and radio for over three decades.

Rainbow began working in theatre with Independent Theatre, before taking television roles from the early 1970s onwards, including guest spots in the Crawford Productions police dramas Homicide, Division 4 and Matlock Police, and in an episode of the situation comedy series The Group. In 1974, she starred as Victoria in a theatre production of Somerset Maugham's Home and Beauty.

She is best known for her role in the TV series Number 96 as original character Sonia Freeman, the chemist, from March 1972. She stayed in the role until 1973, during which time her character was involved in numerous controversial storylines, including Sonia engaging in an apparent incestuous relationship, an inter-racial kiss, with Chad Farrall, (which was apparently the reason why thes series was not able to be sold overseas, primarilty to American)Giles, Nigel "NUMBER 96 : AUSTRALIAS MOST NOTORIOUS ADDRESS" and losing her husband Dr. Gordon Vansard in a car accident (played by Joe James (born Brighton, England , UK; 4 August 1925 - died; Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), New South Wales, Australia; 16 June, 2017)) and then suffering a nervous breakdown, before returning exclusively for the film version of the series in a major storyline in which now remarried to a journalist Duncan Hunter whom with his partner flight attendent Diana Moore (played by Rebecca Gilling) are planning to send her mad, to obtain her interitence.

Rainbow reprised the role of Sonia Freeman in the film version of the serial, Number 96, in 1974. In the film, a newly married Sonia returns to Number 96, but again worries she is losing her mind. Rainbow shot all her scenes for the film in a single day, before rushing off to give a theatre performance as Elvira in Blithe Spirit that night.

After Number 96 Rainbow continued to make guest appearances in Australian television drama series, featuring in the miniseries Against the Wind (1978), took a regular role in the soap opera The Young Doctors, guest starred in six episodes of A Country Practice, and appeared in an early episode of Home and Away.

Personal life and honours Rainbow married British Australia actor Tom Oliver in 1973. They first met on the set of Number 96 (before his long run as Lou Carpenter in Neighbours).

Rainbow was awarded in the Queens Birthday Honours with the Order of Australia (AM) with the citation being for "significant service to the community through support for a range of cultural and charitable organisations, and to the performing arts as an actor".

The Actors' and Entertainers' Benevolent Fund Queensland (of which she is vice-president) honoured Rainbow with the 2024 Alan Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award.https://www.facebook.com/share/2wFbvUvakJs1XSsW/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Filmography (selected)

Film Year Title Role Type 1974 Number 96 Sonia Hunter Feature film 1983 Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four Voice Animated TV movie 1985 Nicholas Nickleby Voice Animated TV movie 1993 You and Me and Uncle Bob Miss Gibbs TV movie

Television Year Title Role Type 1967 Blandings Castle Aggie TV series 1967 Room at the Bottom Wendy TV series 1968 Misleading Cases Felicity Haddock TV series 1969–71 Homicide Pam Gibson / Anna Leurini / Lucy Le Marc TV series 1970–72 Division 4 Christine Hassett / Barbie Ryan / Jennie West TV series 1971 The Group TV series, 1 episode 1971; 1974 Matlock Police Jan/Wilma Grimes TV series 1972–73 Number 96 Sonia Freeman TV series, 53 episodes 1974 Out of Love TV series, 1 episode 1976 King's Men TV series, 1 episode 1978 Against the Wind Mrs. Louisa Wiltshire TV miniseries 1978; 1979 Cop Shop Gloria Matthews / Anne Mitchell TV series 1980 The Young Doctors June Holland TV series 1982; 1984 A Country Practice Margaret Skilton / Mrs. Quinn / Susan Moore TV series, 6 episodes 1988 Captain James Cook TV miniseries, 1 episode 1988–91 Home and Away Neighbour / Heather Davidson TV series 2021 Cinematic Revelations archival documentary as Herself 2020-2016 Legacy Retrospectives contributor/subject various documentary's on the history of TV and theatre

Radio

Years Company Works 1960-1970s ABC Radio National for (ABC National) Shakespearean plays and classical works for the ABC 1983 Animated feature for Burbank Films Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four Film and radio syndication (as voice artist) 1960-1990 Various Commercial voice (narrational's and commercial's) voice (as herself)

Theatre Year Title Role Type 1962 Gods of Red Earth Independent Theatre, Sydney 1963 The Gallant Tailor Independent Theatre, Sydney 1967 Little Women Jo Jeanetta Cochrane Theatre, London with Bloomsbury Plays Ltd 1969 Eden House Independent Theatre, Sydney 1970 On Approval Helen Hayle St Martins Theatre, Melbourne 1974 Blithe Spirit Elvira 1974 Don’t Listen Ladies! Marian Street Theatre, Sydney 1974 Home and Beauty Marian Street Theatre, Sydney 1975 How the Other Half Loves Opera House, Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch with J. C. Williamson & Kerridge Odeon Corporationhttps://natlib.govt.nz/records/23101907?search%5Bi%5D%5Bname_authority_id%5D=-156538&search%5Bpath%5D=items 1976 Snap! Independent Theatre, Sydney 1977 The Happy Hunter Yvonne Marian Street Theatre, Sydney 1977 Away Match Lucy Durrant Marian Street Theatre, Sydney 1980 The Breadwinner Margery Marian Street Theatre, Sydney 1987 The Diary of Anne Frank Phillip Street Theatre, Sydney 1993 Out of Order Gladys Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Regal Theatre, Perth, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide 2024 The Stage on Sunday Herself Stables Thearre, Sydney with Seaborn, Broughton & Walford Foundation & Theatre Heritage Australia

References

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