Vale Jacqueline Dark

The 'indefatigably upbeat' Australian mezzo-soprano died this week, aged just 55.
Jacqui Dark. Head of smiling woman with green eyes and blonde wavy hair against black backdrop.

Acclaimed and much loved Australian mezzo-soprano Jacqueline Dark has died following the resurgence of a rare form of cancer she had previously battled for much of 2022.

Dark, fondly known as “Jacqui”, was born in Ballarat, Victoria in 1968 and cut her teeth as a performer in the regional city’s vibrant amateur music theatre community. She died at St George Private Hospital, Sydney on the night of Tuesday 3 October, aged 55.

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Richard Watts OAM is ArtsHub's National Performing Arts Editor; he also presents the weekly program SmartArts on Three Triple R FM. Richard is a life member of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival, a Melbourne Fringe Festival Living Legend, and was awarded the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards' Facilitator's Prize in 2020. In 2021 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Green Room Awards Association. Most recently, Richard received a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in June 2024. Follow him on Twitter: @richardthewatts