In memory of Tom Kneebone
May 12, 1932 to November 15, 2003

 “[Mr. Kneebone], I am pleased that your remarkable achievements are being recognized with this prestigious honour. You have rendered service of great distinction which has enriched life in our province.”
James K. Bartleman,
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario

Pictured here is James Bartleman (left) and Tom Kneebone.

“One of this country’s national treasures.”
-- Night Out, DuBarry Campau

“His eyes are alright, but I think his nose is crossed.”
-- New York Times, Walter Kerr

“The consummate cabaret performer.” -- Peter Goddard

“With leprechaun whimsy, and a pace as assured as the Dominion Observatory Time Signal, his major weapon is a wonderfully mobile face that he seems never to have grown accustomed to. Small wonder. His features might have been drawn by a child. Eyes like silver dollars, a nose that wobbles to a Pinocchio point, and a mouth tight and tiny as Charlie Brown’s when he is sad.”
-- Time Magazine

“An inspired comic.” -- Arnold Edinburgh

Tom Kneebone has appeared with the London Old Vic, The Stratford Festival, The Shaw Festival, the Canadian Opera Company, the National Ballet of Canada. The National Tap Dance Company, The Charlottetown Festival, on Broadway and countless radio and television productions, distinguishing himself as one of Canada’s leading performers in the classical and musical theatre.

With many plaudits, he has pursued a long and eclectic career.

His major theatre credits include “Misalliance”, with Zoe Caldwell, Peter in “Peter Pan”, Babs in “Charley’s Aunt”, Hans in “Hans Christian Anderson” with Veronica Tennant, the M.C. in “Cabaret”, Terri Denis in “Privates on Parade”, Henry in “My Fat Friend” with Rita Tushingham, and at the Stratford Festival as the Dauphin in “St. Joan”, Feste in “Twelfth Night” and Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn.

With these kudos behind him, he has established himself as the country’s foremost cabaret performer in “Oh Coward!”, “That Hamilton Woman”, “Up Tempo”, “Suddenly This Summer”, “Ding Dong at the Dell”, “The Hollywood Blues”, “Spring Thaw”, “The Apple Tree”, “Gilbert and Sullivan Tonight”, “T.K.’s Kabaret”, “The Kneebone Collection” and “Noel and Gertie”.

His enduring partnership with Dinah Christie has resulted in a braid spectrum of national appearances from cabarets to concert halls with the leading symphony orchestras. In Toronto he has performed with Miss Christie at Massey Hall, Roy Thomson Hall and the Imperial Room at the Royal York Hotel.

His innumerable television appearances embrace hosting a seventeen part series “Fantastica” for Columbia’s Screen Gems, network dramatic and variety shows ranging from Shaw’s “Major Barbara”, to his own one-man show, and films that include: “The Luck of Ginger Coffey”, “Triangle” (which won an award at the San Francisco Film Festival), “The Road to Avonlea” and “The Housekeeper”.

As a writer he has created and devised the following theatre pieces: “Noel and Gertie”, “Hey Porter!”, “Gilbert & Sullivan Tonight”, “A Little Street Music”, “A Child’s Christmas in Brockville (Parts 1 & 2)”, “Songs My Mother Taught Me”, “Jenny Lind”, amd for CBC Arts National has written and narrated, “Noel Coward – A Portrait”, “The American Theatre Music of Kurt Weill”, “Billie’s Babes” and “Kneebone and Christie”.

On the concert stage he has narrated, “Carnival of the Animals”, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, “A Child’s Christmas in Wales”, with the Festival Singers and Edith Sitwell’s “Façade”, with Lois Marshall.

His directorial credits include the Canadian Premiere production of “Brighton Beach Memoirs”, and the international twenty-fifth anniversary production of “Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris” at Massey Hall.

He is the recipient of the Order of Ontario, The Order of Canada, The Queen’s Jubilee Medal, the ACTRA Award, the Toronto Telegram Award, the Theatre Plus Award for Best Performer, and the Arts and Letter’s Club Award.

In 1987 Kneebone took over the artistic directorship of “The Smile Theatre Company”. Within his second year at the Artistic Director, The Smile Theatre Company was awarded the prestigious Brenda Donahue Award for distinguished contribution and achievement within the Toronto theatre community. John Fraser of the Globe & Mail writes:
“At the mention of his name some people just started giggling. Not the loud raucous guffaws, but the gentle sophisticated chuckles that are the reward of intelligent humour that has been painstakingly crafted to seem as effortless as breathing – that’s Tom Kneebone.”

Tom Kneebone passed away on November 15, 2003. He will be deeply missed by everyone in his Smile family. However, we are determined to persist in the important work he was so passionate about -- work that we know he would want to continue. We intend to honour his memory with a legacy of smiles.

Click here for The Globe and Mail obituary in our News section.

Click here for information on the Tom Kneebone Legacy Society.