Helen Morse

Helen Morse
Born (1947-01-24) 24 January 1947 (age 77)
OccupationActress
Years active1965–present

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).

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 Joan 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

[6]

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

  1. ^ George Tosi, "Helen Morse and Richard Mason", Cinema Papers, August 1982, pp. 311–315.
  2. ^ Musgrove, Nan (27 August 1975). "Film role of the year for Helen Morse". The Australian Women's Weekly – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
  3. ^ a b 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.
  4. ^ "On the Couch with Helen Morse". Arts Review. 10 November 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  5. ^ Bryce Hallett The Aunt's Story Review in The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 August 2002
  6. ^ https://ausstage.edu.au/pages/contributor/2365 [bare URL]
  7. ^ "Marriage comes before a career". Australian Women's Weekly. 12 June 1968 – via Trove, National Library of Australia.