[3] The company was established in late 1974 by four actors and directors – Rodney Delaney, Matthew O'Sullivan, Betty Cheal and Lynne Porteous.
The critics were unanimous in their praise and both productions were picked up by the Arts Council of New South Wales for a seven-week tour of regional centres.
[7][8] The company was offered the chance to take over the Downstairs Theatre of the newly opened Seymour Centre, a three-theatre complex on the campus of the University of Sydney.
[14] At the beginning of 1976, “The Golden Pathway Annual” toured to Queensland, then played a short return season in Sydney as the opening production of what was now The Actors Company Theatre.
An American programme of “Promenade, All” by David Robison (another Australian premiere) and Eugene O'Neill's little-seen “Desire Under the Elms” played through April and May.
[16] A double bill of Ionesco's “The Lesson” and Olwyn Wymark's “Lunchtime Concert” played through September–October; “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett was staged in October–November.
[17] The company comprised a core group of five people – Rodney Delaney and Matthew O'Sullivan (the two artistic directors), administrator Michael Tobin, Sonia Lester (public relations and marketing) and stage manager Tony Wright (who also directed “The Happy Apples”).
The cast played the same roles in both productions with Peter de Salis as Hamlet, Les Asmussen and Scott Lambert as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
[19] September and October saw a children's play, “The Tails of Koalaroo” during the day, and Ibsen's “Ghosts” and “City Sugar” by Stephen Poliakoff with Bevan Wilson(another Australian premiere) alternating at night.
[20] November–December brought another Pinter play, the Australian premiere of “No Man's Land” with Rodney Delaney directing veteran British actor Alexander Archdale.
The eight-week season was almost booked out before it opened but a huge fire in the block behind the Ultimo theatre forced the closure of the building for some weeks.
[22] This was followed by the company's most successful production, both critically and financially: Rodney Delaney directed “The Glass Menagerie” with Shirley Cameron and Diana O’Connor.
In September–October the Company did three Australian works: David Williamson's “The Removalists”, “Halloran’s Little Boat” by Thomas Keneally and “An Evening with Adolf Hitler”.
A new production of “Othello” directed by David Goddard and starring Monroe Reimers, opened in late March and played through till May.