Lloyd Berrell (13 February 1926 – 30 December 1957) was a New Zealand actor who played Reuben "Roo" Webber in the original Sydney production of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. He worked extensively in Australian radio and theatre, appearing in a large portion of the films being shot locally at that time. He also starred in the original stage production of Sumner Locke Elliott's Rusty Bugles as well as numerous productions for the Mercury Theatre.

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Berrell was born in Wellington, New Zealand, and was an only child while his father was a doctor. His family moved to Australia when Berrell was a child, and he began acting on radio, appearing on The Youth Show.^[1][2][3] In this role, he performed a variety of acts and often worked as a compère.^[4]

Berrell received acclaim for playing the title role in the radio play Ned Kelly in 1942.^{[citation needed]}

In 1944 Berrell was questioned by police for his role in disturbances in a strike by Actors Equity.^[5]

During World War II, he served in the Australian Broadcast Control Unit from 1944 to 1946.^[6] In 1945 he was in Sons of the Morning on stage at the New Theatre.^{[citation needed]}

In 1948, Berrell had a key role in the long-running play Rusty Bugles. That year, he performed in A Pickwick Story for Mercury Mobile Players, a company originally established by Peter Finch.^[7]

By 1948 he earned over £1,000 a year, mostly in radio.^[8]

In 1950 he was in a production of Julius Caesar at the Independent Theatre alongside Rod Taylor. The following year he did Anna Christie for John Alden.^{[citation needed]}

Berrell did voice over for the documentary Fighting Blood (1951). He was also in several plays at the Mercury Theatre in Sydney in 1952, including The Twins, Point of Departure, and The Happy Time.^[9]

In 1953 he won a Macquarie Award for best actor in a radio drama.^[10] He also took a lead role in the Australian radio version of "Tom Corbett Space Cadet" for Artransa in 1953, originally a U.S. TV and radio series between 1950 and 1955. Then, Berrell formed a short lived radio production company with James Workman, called Workman-Berrell Productions.^[11]

His last appearance on Australia radio was in 'The Closing Door'.^[12]

Berrell was married in 1946 but the marriage ended in 1948. Berrell tried to sue his ex-wife in an attempt to get her back, but lost the case when he admitted to have spanked his wife twice. Together, they had one child.^{[14][15][16][17]} The divorce came through in 1951.^[18]

His second marriage, to Betty, who was a fellow actor, was a happy one.^[19] According to a historian, "it was a successful marriage; Betty was good for Lloyd. He had been a hard worker and player. He drank heavily and ran himself into the ground. Betty had helped him turn his life around."^[20]

• Rusty Bugles by Sumner Locke Elliott – Independent Theatre, Sydney, 1948
• A Pickwick Story adapted by Creswick Jenkinson – Sydney Town Hall, 1948
• Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare – Independent Theatre, Sydney, 1950 – with Rod Taylor
• Anna Christie by Eugene O'Neill – John Alden Company, 1951 – with Lyndall Barbour, Lou Vernon
• The Twins by Plautus – Mercury Theatre, Sydney, 1952 – with Rod Taylor and Ruth Cracknell
• Point of Departure by Jean Anouilh – Mercury Theatre, Sydney, 1952 – with Alan White
• The Happy Time by Samuel A. Taylor – Mercury Theatre, Sydney, 1952 – with Rod Taylor
• Summer of the Seventeenth Doll by Ray Lawler – Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, 1956
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare – Elizabethan Theatre Trust, Sydney, 1957
• The Relapse by John Vanbrugh – Elizabethan Theatre, Sydney, 1957 – with Zoe Caldwell