Richard Wherrett revealed the experience of his unhappy childhood in the autobiograpy, Desire Lines, written jointly with his brother Peter Wherrett (q.v.). He was a student at the University of Sydney and then left for London where he first studied and then taught at the East 15 drama school. On his return to Australia he began work as director of the Australian Theatre for Young People and from there moved to associate director of the Old Tote Theatre Company.
In 1973 Wherrett co-founded Nimrod Theatre and in 1980 he became the first artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company. He also directed the Melbourne Festival (1992-1993) and was a guest director for many Australian theatre companies. Amongst his best known productions were Michael Gow's Away, Steve J. Spears' Elocution of Benjamin Franklin, that successfully transferred to London and New York, and the epic Nicholas Nickleby. In the commercial theatre Wherrett directed many successful productions including the arena version of Jesus Christ Superstar and the musical Shout!
Wherrett believed in Australian theatre and was always supportive of young people. He also supported the annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras and served on the Theatre Board of the Australia Council. In January 2001 Wherrett's keynote address at Performance 2001, voicing concerns about the current state of theatre in Australia, caused controversy. He did not back down from his views and always looked towards future contributions to his profession.
