Peter Houghton and Anne Browning first crossed paths in 1997 while cast in a production of Hamlet in Melbourne. Playing lovers on stage, the pair were initially strangers. Houghton recalls noticing Browning for the first time in the Melbourne Theatre Company cafeteria, describing her as formidable with intense, striking green eyes. I asked Anne what the stars could have in store for us in 1972. Slightly scary green eyes looking at me, i still recall those intense. But also quite formidable, i thought to myself: she is very attractive. But humour was the key, at first it was a little awkward. I quickly flicked to the next page but somewhere in my brain I knew it was the truth. It is very much her style – and I liked that it had a question mark on the end of it. She was living with her sister and I was living in this big groovy warehouse in Richmond with other actors. The bohemian setting made me look a bit more impressive and artistic than I was, i liked that when she’d come to my place. We were massively overpacked and it quickly emerged that neither of us was good at camping.
As rehearsals progressed, the actors bonded over a shared sense of humor. While waiting for their cues on the dusty rehearsal room floor, they would pass the time by mocking the vintage 1970s magazines left behind in the corner of the room, inventively critiquing the models’ attire and appearances. We’d flip through the faded 70s magazines left in the corner and make jokes about what the models in flares or with chopped beards might be saying as they shot the images, instead of practising our lines. Had two children and performed all over the world, since meeting in that rehearsal room we’ve spent almost 30 years together.
The course of their relationship shifted when Houghton discovered an old horoscope column. He asked Browning about her star sign, and upon learning they were both Scorpios, he jokingly read her fortune from the discarded publication. The passage, however, proved unexpectedly poignant: “You have met someone now through work who will be one of the most important people in your life, perhaps a partner and soulmate.” She told me her sign was Scorpio – the same as mine. One day by chance I flipped to the horoscopes. I felt embarrassed because it sounded like some kind of calculated romantic ploy.
Though they initially laughed off the prediction, the realization stuck with Houghton. Later, as the production continued, the two were walking together on St Kilda Road after a performance when Houghton decided to be honest. He told her, “I think I’ve got one of those crushes on you.” Browning’s understated reply—asking, “Well, that’s good. Isn’t it?”—served as the confirmation he had hoped for.
Their bond deepened following the show’s conclusion as they began a formal relationship, centered on dinner dates and frequent theatre outings. Early on, they tested their compatibility during a difficult hiking trip to Wilsons Prom. The experience, marked by poor camping skills and an excessive amount of gear, ended with a celebratory meal at KFC, cementing a mutual appreciation for life’s less serious moments. Filling our days and nights with dinner and theatre dates, after the show closed our connection grew and we officially became a couple.
Over the last three decades, the couple has shared a life that includes two children and professional collaborations across the globe. Houghton credits their lasting success to a shared lightness of spirit, which has helped them navigate significant life challenges, including the loss of a parent. He notes that their partnership is built on implicit trust and the ability to consistently support one another’s personal and professional dreams.
The two remain active theatre artists to this day, viewing their long-term union as a testament to reliability and friendship. While Houghton remains skeptical of astrology in general, he makes a clear exception for the out-of-date horoscope that first brought them together.
Houghton and Browning, alongside Tom Gutteridge, are currently performing in the world premiere of Crapbox. The production is scheduled to run from 27 October to 7 November at the Explosives Factory in St Kilda, Melbourne.
