# Janet Andrewartha

Janet Andrewartha (16 September 1951 – 26 July 2024) was an Australian television and theatre actress and director and singer. Andrewartha began her career as a high school music teacher before attending drama school. She graduated in 1979 and began securing television and theatre roles.
Andrewartha's most significant roles were in Australian television series, most prominently Rebecca "Reb" Kean in Prisoner and Lyn Scully in the soap opera Neighbours.
Outside of television she actively pursued a theatre career starting in the early 1980's and performed in the genre for over four decades, working in numerous productions with the Melbourne Theatre Company, Playbox Theatre Company and numerous others.

## Early life

Andrewartha was born in Melbourne, Victoria. In her early life, Andrewartha did not plan to become an actress and worked as a music teacher. While she worked in a high school, the principal asked Andrewartha to stage an end of year musical with her year 10 classes. She knew nothing about theatre and was asked to study to aid the production. Andrewartha took a part-time drama course and after one year decided to quit teaching to pursue acting full-time. She attended a three-year drama school course at the National Theatre in Melbourne. Andrewartha graduated from the National Theatre in 1979.

## Career
### Theatre

In 1981, Andrewartha toured her one-woman theatre show in Melbourne titled, Singing in the Raid. In 1982, she got to perform her show at the National Theatre. She played Iris in the production Framework at the Universal Theatre, in Fitzroy. in 1984 she took the role of Polly in the Victorian arts centre production of The Three-penny Opera.
In 1985, she took roles in Russell Street Theatre productions. She acted in Barry Dickins' Reservoir by Night and in Shirley Gee's Never in My Lifetime opposite Kevin Harrington. Her Prisoner character Reb was written out of the series but Andrewartha reprised the role in June 1985.
Andrewartha continued working with the Melbourne Theatre Company on several productions, including a role in the Australian outing of Tom & Viv. For her portrayal of the role, Andrewartha won a leading actress accolade the 1987 Green Room Awards. In 1988, she took the role of Great Aunt Dinah in Tristram Shandy and Joan Dinkum Assorted.
Despite her success, Andrewartha was not asked to return for the show's last series and she resumed her work with the Melbourne Theatre Company. In 1991, she played Sandra in another Melbourne Theatre Company production, Sunday Lunch; she also took the lead role of investigative journalist Jean in Michael Gurr's Sex Diary of an Infidel. During the 1992 season, Andrewartha played the lead role of Emilia in Othello. In 1993, she took a role playing barmaid Breda in A Happy and Holy Occasion and later played Lisa in The Garden of Granddaughters. Andrewartha played Caroline in another play by Gurr, titled Underwear, Perfume and Crash Helmet, which debuted in 1994. In the 1995 season she took the role of Mary Margaret in Good Works. Her 1997 theatre roles included a part in the Sydney Theatre Company collaboration Jerusalem and Isola in Navigating. In 1998, she secured the role in Hotel Sorrento and she later played Liz in Rising Fish Prayer. That year, Andrewartha also directed a theatre production titled Neon Angel.

### Television

Andrewartha although had an extensive career in theatre, starting appearing in television role in the early 1980, with an early role in court drama Carson's Law, she became known internationally however in her early career for her television role in the cult drama series Prisoner joining the cast in 1984 as rebellious biker Rebecca "Reb" Kean.
In 1990-1991 she took a role in drama serial Embassy as Marion Stewart, the strong wife of an Australian ambassador. For her role of Marion, she was nominated an Australian Film Institute Award for "Best Performance by an Actress in A leading Role in a Television Drama" at the 1991 Australian film institute awards(the forerunner of what is now the AACTA Awards)
In 1999, Andrewartha joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours, playing the role of Lyn Scully. Andrewartha left the show in 2006. She immediately resumed working in theatre. In 2007, Andrewartha took a hiatus from acting while she helped care for her ill mother, until her death in January 2008. She also used the time off to help her daughter with her education. She later returned to Neighbours for a guest role in 2008 and once again in 2009 and remained with Neighbours for another two years. In 2011, Andrewartha decided to leave the series once again. She stated that she was only supposed to return in a guest role and ended up staying on. Andrewartha chose to leave to pursue other acting roles. The actress later reprised the role for further guest roles in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
In 2017, Andrewartha joined the cast of Seven Types of Ambiguity in the recurring role of Kathleen. Her most recent roles were in 2023 in the SBS drama miniseries Safe Home as Diana and her last role was in 2024 Paramount+ thriller Fake as Kath Tovey.

## Death and tributes

Andrewartha died in her sleep in Melbourne, Australia on 26 July 2024 at the age of 72, within three months of receiving a cancer diagnosis.
Neighbours co-star and friend Jackie Woodburne paid tribute, saying she "was one of the finest actors of a generation. I will miss her every day". Stefan Dennis, Jason Herbison, Holly Valance, Carla Bonner also paid tribute as well as casting director Jan Russ, Jane Hall and Lucinda Cowden.
Stefan Dennis said he was: "So very upset to lose the lovely Janet. She truly was an exceptional actress who was a pleasure to work with and to be around. We will all miss you dear girl."

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Ground Zero | New neighbour | Feature film |
| 1995 | Sticktoitiveness | | Short film |
| 1998 | Amy | Singing receptionist | Feature film |
| | Ruthven | The Bride | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1979 | Patrol Boat | Uncredited | TV series, guest role |
| 1983 | Carson's Law | Phoebe King | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1983 | Home | Bellamy | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1984–1985 | Prisoner | Reb Kean | TV series, 94 episodes |
| 1989 | This Man... This Woman | Pat | TV miniseries, 1 episode |
| 1990–1991 | Embassy | Marion Stewart | TV series, 25 episodes |
| 1991; 1993 | A Country Practice | Lisa Davis | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Janus | Anna | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1994–1995 | Blue Heelers | Det. Bridget Ryan | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1997 | State Coroner | Eileen Hardy | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1998 | Moby Dick | Ahab's wife (uncredited) | TV miniseries, episode 1 |
| 1999–2006, 2008–2011, 2016–2017, 2019 | Neighbours | Lyn Scully | TV series, 1059 episodes |
| 2017 | Seven Types of Ambiguity | Kathleen | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 2021 | Harrow | Mrs Peek | TV series, 1 episode |
| 2023 | Safe Home | Diana Thompson | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 2024 | Fake | Kath Tovey | TV series, 8 episodes (final role) |

## Stage
### As performer

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1981–1982 | Singin' in the Raid | | Forfeit Fondue Theatre, National Theatre, Melbourne; Solo cabaret show |
| | Once a Catholic | | MTC |
| 1983 | Ticka-Tocka-Linga | | Victorian regional tour with Victorian State Opera & St Kilda Festival |
| | Love Letters | Melissa Gardner | Victorian Arts Centre |
| 1983 | Framework | Iris | Universal Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1983 | Lysistrata | Mhyrrine | Stork Theatre for Epidavros Summer Festival |
| 1984 | The Threepenny Opera | Christine Mahoney / Polly | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTX |
| 1984 | Pax Americana | The Ideal Woman / various roles | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1984 | The Curse of the Werewolf | Various roles | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1985 | Visions | The Maid | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1985 | Reservoir by Night | Lead female | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1985 | Never in My Lifetime | Tessie | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1985 | Breaking the Silence | Polya | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1986 | Tom & Viv | Vivienne Haigh-Wood | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1986 | Dead to the World | Rosa Hernandez | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1987 | The Three Musketeers | Mde Bonacueu / various roles | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1987 | A Soldier's Tale | Narrator | Victorian Arts Centre |
| 1988 | Tristram Shandy – Gent | Great Auntie Dinah / Bridget / Goody Coddling / German scholar | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1988 | Dinkum Assorted | Joan | Sydney Opera House with & STC & Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1991 | Miss Saigon | | Theatre Royal Drury Lane with Cameron Mackintosh |
| 1991 | Sunday Lunch | Sandra Van Der Vera | Russell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1992 | Othello | Emilia | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1992 | Sex Diary of an Infidel | Jean | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1993 | A Happy and Holy Occasion | Breda Mulcahy | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1993 | The Garden of Granddaughters | Lisa | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat, Ford Theatre, Geelong, Monash University, Wharf Theatre, Sydney with Playbox Theatre Company & STC |
| 1994 | Underwear, Perfume and Crash Helmet | Caroline | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1995 | Good Works | Mary Margaret | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1997 | Jerusalem | Jocelyn / Maureen | Wharf Theatre with STC & Playbox Theatre Company |
| 1997 | Navigating | Isola | Suncorp Piazza, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre & Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC |
| 1998 | Hotel Sorrento | Hilary | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with HIT Productions |
| 1998 | Rising Fish Prayer | Liz | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, Glen Street Theatre with Playbox Theatre Company |
| 2004 | Honour | Honor | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2007 | All My Sons | Kate Keller | Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2012 | Music | Margie | Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC |
| 2013 | Other Desert Cities | Polly Wyeth | Playhouse, Brisbane with Black Swan State Theatre Company & Queensland Theatre |

### As director

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1996 | Burning Time | Assistant Director | Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne with Playbox Theatre Company & Black Swan State Theatre Company |
| | Our Country’s Good | Director | National Theatre Drama School |
| | Don’s Party | Director | National Theatre Drama School |