Helen Morse
Helen Morse (born 24 January 1947) is an English-born Australian actress who has appeared in films, on television and on stage.[1] She won the AFI Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for the 1976 film Caddie, and starred in the 1981 miniseries A Town Like Alice. Her other film appearances include Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), Agatha (1979), Far East (1982) and The Eye of the Storm (2011).
Helen Morse | |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 January 1947 Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1965–present |
Early life and education
Morse was born in Harrow on the Hill, Middlesex, England, in 1947. She was the oldest of four children; her parents were a doctor and nurse.[2] She moved to Australia in 1950 with her family.[3] She attended school at Presbyterian Ladies' College in Burwood, Victoria, and graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1965,[3] and trained with Brian Syron in Sydney.
Career
Film & Television
Morse won the Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance in the 1976 film Caddie. Her notable screen performances also include roles in the film Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) and the television miniseries A Town Like Alice.
Morse had roles on many television productions, including three episodes of The Doctor Blake Mysteries in 2014 (Series 2), 2015 (Series 3), and 2016 (Series 4).
Theatre
Since her early work with Jim Sharman in the 1960s and 70s – A Taste of Honey, Terror Australis, As You Like It,[4] Morse has worked in over ninety theatre productions.
Morse has worked with many companies including Melbourne Theatre Company, Ensemble Theatre, The Independent, Nimrod Theatre Company, Marian Street Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Hunter Valley Theatre Company, Queensland Theatre Company, Harvest Theatre Company (South Australia) and the State Theatre Company of South Australia.
In 2002 and again in 2008, Morse played the role of Theodora Goodman in Adam Cook's adaptation of Patrick White's The Aunt's Story.[5] Her 2004 performance as Nancy in Bryony Lavery's Frozen for the Melbourne Theatre Company earned her a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play nomination. She has since been nominated for productions of John by Annie Baker (Melbourne Theatre Company), and Memorial by Alice Oswald (Brink Productions). In 2020, she won a Green Room Award for her performance in 33 Variations by Moisés Kaufman (Cameron Lukey and Neil Gooding Productions).
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | The Return of the Boomerang | Film short | |
| 1970 | Adam's Woman | Maggie | Feature film |
| 1974 | Petersen | Jane / Charles' mistress | Feature film |
| 1974 | Stone | Amanda | Feature film |
| 1975 | Picnic at Hanging Rock | Mlle. de Poitiers | Feature film |
| 1976 | Caddie | Caddie Marsh | Feature film |
| 1978 | Tapak Dewata Java | Film short | |
| 1979 | Agatha | Evelyn | Feature film |
| 1979 | The First Christmas | Voice | Film short |
| 1982 | Far East | Jo Reeves | Feature film |
| 1984 | Iris (aka Out of Time) | Iris / Sammie | Feature film |
| 1997 | The Bridge | Film short | |
| 2000 | Lost | Mrs. Harris | Film short |
| 2011 | The Eye of the Storm | Lotte | Feature film |
| 2015 | Downriver | Mary | Feature film |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Twelfth Night | Olivia | Teleplay |
| 1966 | The Runaway | Jenny | Teleplay |
| 1966; 1967 | Australian Playhouse | Beatrice / Patty Hutton | TV series, 2 episodes: "No Dogs On Diamond Street" / "Sailor's Trousers" |
| 1967 | The Queen's Bishop | Teleplay | |
| 1967–72 | Homicide | Stella Lee / Joanne Edwards / Pamela Chandler | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1967 | You Can't See 'Round Corners | Karen | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1967 | Contrabandits | Angela Carrol | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1968 | The Great Barrier Reef | Narrator | Film documentary |
| 1968 | This Day Tonight | Herself on stage set 'Terra Australis' with Garry McDonald & Peter Rowley | ABC TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Love and War – Intersection | Teleplay | |
| 1969–74 | Division 4 | Mrs. Kirby / Angela Hughes / Penny Horton / Christine Marriott / Tina Findlay / Angela McGregor | TV series, 6 episodes |
| 1969 | Riptide | Joanna Decker | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | The Pressure Pak Show | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970 | A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1970 | Barrier Reef | Joan Norris | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971 | The Legend Of Robin Hood | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1971 | Spyforce | Joan / Nurse | TV series, 2 episodes: "The Escape" |
| 1972 | The Spoiler | TV series, 1 episode | |
| 1972 | Travels of Marco Polo | Princess Cocacin (voice) | Animated TV movie |
| 1972 | Crisis | Margie | TV pilot |
| 1972 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | Dockdaisy | Teleplay |
| 1972 | Matlock Police | Susan Williams | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1972 | Quartet | TV series, 1 episode: "The Last Great Journey" | |
| 1972 | The Kenneth Connor Show | Various characters | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1973; 1974 | Ryan | Shirley Green / Goldie Taylor | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1974 | Things that Go Bump in the Night | Kalie Ingham | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1974 | Marion | Marion Richards | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1974 | This Love Affair | TV series, 1 episode 11: "A Family Christmas" | |
| 1974 | A Touch of Reverence | TV miniseries | |
| 1975 | Ivanhoe | Voice | Animated TV movie |
| 1976 | Luke's Kingdom | Kate | TV miniseries, 13 episodes |
| 1976 | Power Without Glory | TV miniseries | |
| 1976 | Obsession – Kill Kaplan! | Teleplay | |
| 1979 | The Sullivans | TV series | |
| 1980; 1982 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1981 | A Town Like Alice | Jean Paget | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1982 | Logie Awards of 1982 | Herself | TV special |
| 1982 | The Mike Walsh Show | Guest - Herself | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1982 | Silent Reach | Antonia Russell | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 1982 | Parkinson in Australia | Guest (with Bryan Brown) | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1983 | Australian Movies to the World | Herself | TV special |
| 1985 | Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse | Beryl Stapleton (voice) | Animated TV movie |
| 1985 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Maid Marion (voice) | Animated TV movie |
| 1991 | In Sydney Today | Guest | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1992 | Bony | unknown | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1993 | Review | Guest presenter | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1995; 1997 | Good Morning Australia | Guest | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1997 | Night of the Bogongs | Narrator | TV documentary |
| 1999 | Stone Forever | Herself | TV special |
| 2000 | Pozières | Herself | TV movie documentary |
| 2002 | Caddie on Location | Herself | Film documentary |
| 2003 | Love Letters from a War | Narrator | TV movie |
| 2004 | A Dream within a Dream: The Making of 'Picnic at Hanging Rock' | Herself | Film documentary |
| 2008 | The Prime Minister is Missing | Narrator | TV documentary |
| 2010 | City Homicide | Penelope McVeigh | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2010 | Mary McKillop: Soul of the Sunburnt Country | Mary McKillop (voice) | Video documentary |
| 2012 | The Mystery of a Hansom Cab | Mother Guttersnipe | TV movie |
| 2014, 2016 | The Doctor Blake Mysteries | Agnes Clasby | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 2014 | Picnic at Hanging Rock: Everything Begins and Ends | Herself | Film documentary |
| 2016 | Molly | Grandmother | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Barracuda | Margot Taylor | TV miniseries, 2 episodes |
Theatre
As actor
| Year | Title | Role | Venue / Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Extracts from Shakespeare | Celia in As You Like it and Jaquenetta in Love's Labour's Lost | UNSW |
| 1964 | Our Town | Mrs Gibbs | UNSW Old Tote Theatre |
| 1964 | Two Programs of One Act Plays: Love and How to Cure It | Linda | UNSW Old Tote Theatre |
| 1964 | Two Programs of Short Plays: The Chinese Wall / Hamlet | Mee Lan the Chinese princess / Ophelia | University of NSW, Old Tote Theatre |
| 1965 | Uncle Ben | Hetty | UNSW |
| 1965 | A Series of Dance Pieces: Ballad of the Drover's Wife | Dance group | UNSW |
| 1965 | Othello | UNSW Old Tote Theatre | |
| 1965 | Down in the Valley / Leonard Teale & Andy Sundstrom | Jenny Parsons | UNSW Old Tote Theatre |
| 1965 | The Plough and the Stars | Bessie Burgess | UNSW Old Tote Theatre |
| 1965 | A Taste of Honey | Cell Block Theatre, Darlinghurst | |
| 1965 | The Business of Good Government | Assembly Hall, Sydney | |
| 1967 | The Imaginary Invalid | UNSW Old Tote Theatre | |
| 1967 | A Lily In Little India | Independent Theatre | |
| 1967 | The School for Scandal | UNSW Old Tote Theatre | |
| 1968 | Terror Australis | Jane Street Theatre | |
| 1968 | Private Lives | Hunter Theatre, The Junction, Palace Theatre, Sydney | |
| 1968 | Present Laughter | Hunter Theatre, The Junction, Palace Theatre, Sydney | |
| 1969 | Pygmalion | UNSW Parade Theatre, Canberra Theatre Centre | |
| 1969 | The Merchant of Venice | UNSW Parade Theatre | |
| 1970 | The Seagull | Scott Theatre, Adelaide | |
| 1970 | What the Butler Saw | Phillip Street Theatre | |
| 1971 | As You Like It | Celia | UNSW Parade Theatre |
| 1971 | The Man of Mode | UNSW Parade Theatre | |
| 1971 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | UNSW Parade Theatre, Canberra Theatre | |
| 1971 | The Dutch Courtesan | UNSW Parade Theatre | |
| 1971 | The National Health or Nurse Norton's Affair | UNSW Parade Theatre | |
| 1971 | Lasseter | UNSW Parade Theatre | |
| 1971 | The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui | UNSW Parade Theatre | |
| 1972 | Rooted | Nimrod Theatre Company | |
| 1972-73 | Tom | Russell Street Theatre | |
| 1976 | The Wolf | Vilma | UNSW Parade Theatre |
| 1977 | The Time Is Not Yet Ripe | Doris | Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre |
| 1978 | A Visit with the Family | Kit | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1979 | Rain | Sadie Thompson | Ensemble Theatre |
| 1979 | Not I | Mouth | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1979 | Vicki Madison Clocks Out | Vicki Madison | Nimrod Theatre Company |
| 1980 | Cyrano de Bergerac | Roxanne | Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre |
| 1982 | Duet for One | Stephanie Abrahams | His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Playhouse Adelaide, Marian Street Theatre, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Playhouse Canberra, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Melbourne Athenaeum, Theatre Royal, Sydney |
| 1985 | Private Lives | Playhouse, Newcastle | |
| 1985 | Blithe Spirit | Civic Playhouse, Newcastle | |
| 1985 | Pride and Prejudice | Queensland | |
| 1986 | A Happy and Holy Occasion | Brenda | Playhouse, Newcastle |
| 1986-87 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche DuBois | His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Playhouse, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre Sydney |
| 1987 | Away | Shanghai | |
| 1987 | Twelfth Night | Playhouse, Melbourne | |
| 1987 | The Rivers of China | Katherine Mansfield | Wharf Theatre, Playhouse Melbourne |
| 1988 | Europe by Michael Gow | Barbara | Australian national tour |
| 1988 | Hedda Gabler | Hedda | Playhouse, Melbourne |
| 1989 | The Cherry Orchard | Carlotta | Playhouse, Melbourne |
| 1989-90 | The Recruiting Officer | Playhouse, Melbourne | |
| 1989-90 | Our Country's Good | Lizzie Morden | Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse Adelaide |
| 1989-90 | Mrs Klein | Russell Street Theatre, Marian Street Theatre | |
| 1990 | The Tempest | Ariel | Playhouse, Melbourne| |
| 1990 | Nothing Sacred | Playhouse, Melbourne | |
| 1990 | Away | Coral | Malthouse Theatre |
| 1991 | The Crucible | Elizabeth Proctor | Playhouse, Melbourne |
| 1991 | The Marriage of Figaro | Playhouse, Melbourne | |
| 1991 | On Our Selection | Playhouse, Melbourne | |
| 1992 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Playhouse Adelaide | |
| 1992 | 'Tis Pity She's a Whore | Playhouse, Adelaide | |
| 1992-93 | Death and the Maiden | Wharf Theatre, Russell Street Theatre, Playhouse Perth, Space Theatre, Adelaide, Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company | |
| 1993 | Under Milk Wood | Playhouse, Adelaide | |
| 1994 | The Tin Soldier and The Paper Bag Princess | Narrator | Lyric Theatre |
| 1995 | Arcadia | Hannah | Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse Adelaide, Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Canberra Theatre, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth |
| 1995-96 | Good Works by Nick Enright | Malthouse Theatre, Space Theatre, Adelaide, Wharf Theatre | |
| 1997 | A Little Night Music | Playhouse, Melbourne, Princess Theatre Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Sydney, | |
| 1998 | The Woman in the Window by Alma De Groen | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne | |
| 2000 | Keene / Taylor Theatre Project | Sydney Opera House | |
| 2001 | The Twilight Series | Ensemble | Collins Street Baptist Church |
| 2001 | Kaddish | Span Gallery, Melbourne with Keene/Taylor Theatre Projects | |
| 2001-02 | The Aunt's Story | Theodora Goodman | Playhouse, Melbourne, Belvoir Street Theatre, Playhouse, South Bank |
| 2003-04 | Frozen | Nancy | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company / Melbourne Theatre Company Nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play |
| 2004 | Hats Off! to Sondheim | National Theatre, Melbourne | |
| 2005 | The Breath of Life | Glen Street Theatre, Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Jetty Memorial Theatre, Coffs Harbour, Ipswich Civic Hall, Sunshine Coast Events Centre, Queensland University of Technology, Dunstan Playhouse | |
| 2005 | Ivanov | fortyfivedownstairs | |
| 2007 | Beckett Poetry and Prose | Parade Theatre | |
| 2007 | Homer's Iliad | The Stork Hotel, Melbourne | |
| 2007 | The Odyssey | The Stork Hotel, Melbourne | |
| 2007 | Beyond Cuisine | Fortyfivedownstairs | |
| 2008 | Architektin | Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide | |
| 2008 | The Aunt's Story | Theodora Goodman | |
| 2009 | The Year of Magical Thinking | Didion | The New Dolphin Theatre, Crawley, Albany Town Hall Theatre |
| 2010 | Duets for Lovers and Dreamers | Fortyfivedownstairs | |
| 2011 | Sundowner | Phee Broadway Theatre, Castlemaine | |
| 2012 | Signs of Life | Western Australia tour & Sydney Opera House | |
| 2012 | The Curtain | Southbank Theatre | |
| 2013 | Sundowner | National tour | |
| 2013 | Brel | Singer | Space Theatre, Adelaide |
| 2014 | Once in Royal David's City | Belvoir | |
| 2016 | Wit | Fortyfivedownstairs | |
| 2017 | John by Annie Baker | Mertis Katherine Graven | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre Company Nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play |
| 2017 | Angels in America | Fortyfivedownstairs | |
| 2018 | Memorial by Alice Oswald | Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, Playhouse, South Bank, Barbican Centre, London with Brink Productions Nominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play | |
| 2019 | 33 Variations | Dr Ladenburger | Comedy Theatre, Melbourne Won a Green Room Award |
| 2020 | Escaped Alone | Belvoir | |
| 2022 | Escaped Alone & What If If Only | Mrs Jarrett / Fs | Southbank Theatre |
| The Funniest Man in the World | Keene/Taylor Theatre Projects |
As director
| Year | Title | Role | Venue / Company |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | National Playwrights Conference 2000 - The Workshop Program | Director | State Theatre Company Rehearsal Room, Scott Theatre, Adelaide |
Personal life
Morse was married from 1967 until 1976 to Australian actor and director Sandy Harbutt, who she met while starring in a stage production of A Taste of Honey in Newcastle.[7] They also starred together in Stone.
References
- George Tosi, "Helen Morse and Richard Mason", Cinema Papers, August 1982, pp. 311–315.
- Musgrove, Nan (27 August 1975). "Film role of the year for Helen Morse". The Australian Women's Weekly – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
- Moran, Albert; Keating, Chris (4 August 2009). The A to Z of Australian Radio and Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 264. ISBN 978-0-8108-7022-2. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- "On the Couch with Helen Morse". Arts Review. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- Bryce Hallett The Aunt's Story Review in The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 August 2002
- https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/2365
- "Marriage comes before a career". Australian Women's Weekly. 12 June 1968 – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
External links
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