Perryman became a staple of Australian showbusiness, having performed on stage from the age of three in a production of the famed Austrian operetta
The White Horse Inn. Perryman in 1952, then aged 19, joined the company of
J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd as a member of the chorus and in the following year was understudying leading roles in stage musicals, under
Evie Hayes in a local production of
Call Me Madam. Perryman was strong in voice and personality, and a long series of understudy and small roles eventually led her, through the recommendation of
John McCallum (who was then joint managing director of J. C. Williamson Theatres), to take the lead in the key Australian production of
Funny Girl, a performance that won her an
Erik Award for Best Actress and led to major roles in other productions. These included
I Do! I Do! in 1969, and
The Two of Us in 1971.
No, No, Nanette in 1972 won her another Erik Award for Best Actress for her role as Lucille Early, then in 1973 she starred in
A Little Night Music. In 1976 she played Gladys Zilch in
Leading Lady, a musical production created especially for her. She also toured during 1977 in
Side by Side by Sondheim. She played Miss Hannigan in
Annie in 1978. Perryman won the
A.F.I. (Australian Film Institute) Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in 1980. She toured in the musicals
Chicago in 1988 and
The Boy From Oz in 1998. ==Personal life==