Helen Morse

Helen Morse (born 24 January 1947) is an English-born Australian actress who has appeared in films, on television and on stage. She won the AFI (AACTA) 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. She moved to Australia in 1950 with her family. She attended school at Presbyterian Ladies' College in Burwood, Victoria, and graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1965, and trained with Brian Syron in Sydney.
Career
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. Since her early work with Jim Sharman in the 1960s and 70s – A Taste of Honey, Terror Australis, As You Like It. Morse has worked in over ninety theatre productions. 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
Morse has worked with many companies including Melbourne Theatre Company, The Ensemble, The Independent, Nimrod Theatre Company, Marian Street, 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. 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 Moises Kaufman (Cameron Lukey and Neil Gooding Productions).
Other theatre credits include
Terror Australis
A Taste of Honey
The Woman in the Window by Alma De Groen
Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music
Stephanie Abrahams in Duet for One
Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire
Title role in Hedda Gabler
Katherine Mansfield in The Rivers of China
Barbara in Europe by Michael Gow
Carlotta in The Cherry Orchard
Ariel in The Tempest
Lizzie Morden in Our Country's Good
Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible
Hannah in Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
Away by Michael Gow
Good Works by Nick Enright
The Twilight Series FED/FEST
Death and the Maiden with Sydney Theatre Company
The Funniest Man in the World with Keene/Taylor Theatre Projects
Kaddish with Keene/Taylor Theatre Projects
Sundowner by Kate and David Denborough, 2013 national tour
Once in Royal David's City by Michael Gow, 2014 Belvoir
Angels in America by Tony Kushner, 2017 staged at Fortyfivedownstairs theatre in Melbourne
33 Variations by Moises Kaufman, 2020 Comedy Theatre Melbourne
Filmography
Film
Television
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! 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
|-
| 1969
| Love and War – Intersection
|
| Teleplay
|-
| 1969–74
| Division 4
| Mrs. Kirby / Angela Hughes / Penny Horton / Chrsitine 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
|-
| 1981
| A Town Like Alice
| Jean Paget
| TV miniseries, 3 episodes
|-
| 1982
| Logie Awards of 1982
| Herself
| TV special
|-
| 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
|}
Personal life
Morse was married from 1967 until 1976 to Australian actor and director Sandy Harbutt, with whom she starred in Stone''.
References
External links
Helen Morse at the National Film and Sound Archive
Living people
1947 births
Australian film actresses
Australian stage actresses
Australian television actresses
English emigrants to Australia
Best Actress AACTA Award winners
Logie Award winners
National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni
People from Harrow on the Hill
People educated at the Presbyterian Ladies' College, Melbourne