Helen Morse (born 24 January 1947) is an English-born Australian actress who has appeared in films, on television and on stage.George Tosi, "Helen Morse and Richard Mason", Cinema Papers, August 1982, pp. 311–315. 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. 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
Film and 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, 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.Bryce Hallett The Aunt's Story Review in The Sydney Morning Herald, 16 August 2002 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 film1974 Petersen Jane / Charles' mistress Feature film 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 short1979 Agatha Evelyn Feature film 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 Type1966 Twelfth Night Olivia Teleplay The Runaway Jenny Teleplay 1966; 1967 Australian Playhouse Beatrice / Patty Hutton 2 episodes: "No Dogs on Diamond Street" / "Sailor's Trousers"1967 The Queen's Bishop Teleplay You Can't See 'Round Corners Karen 1 episode Contrabandits Angela Carrol 1 episode 1967–1972 Homicide Stella Lee / Joanne Edwards / Pamela Chandler 3 episodes 1968 The Great Barrier Reef Narrator Film documentary1969 Love and War – Intersection Teleplay Riptide Joanna Decker 1 episode 1969–1974 Division 4 Mrs. Kirby / Angela Hughes / Penny Horton / Christine Marriott / Tina Findlay / Angela McGregor 6 episodes1970 A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur's Court Voice Animated TV movie Barrier Reef Joan Norris 1 episode1971 The Legend of Robin Hood Voice Animated TV movie Spyforce Joan / Nurse 2 episodes: "The Escape"1972 The Spoiler 1 episode Travels of Marco Polo Princess Cocacin (voice) Animated TV movie Crisis Margie TV pilot The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Dockdaisy Teleplay Matlock Police Susan Williams 1 episode Quartet Episode: "The Last Great Journey" The Kenneth Connor Show Various characters 4 episodes 1973; 1974 Ryan Shirley Green / Goldie Taylor 2 episodes1974 Things that Go Bump in the Night Kalie Ingham 1 episode Marion Marion Richards Miniseries, 4 episodes This Love Affair Episode 11: "A Family Christmas" A Touch of Reverence Miniseries 1975 Ivanhoe Voice Animated TV movie1976 Luke's Kingdom Kate Miniseries, 13 episodes Power Without Glory Miniseries Obsession – Kill Kaplan! Teleplay 1979 The Sullivans Dr Jessica Barrett 1981 A Town Like Alice Jean Paget Miniseries, 3 episodes1982 Logie Awards of 1982 Herself TV special Silent Reach Antonia Russell Miniseries, 2 episodes 1983 Australian Movies to the World Herself TV special1985 Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse Beryl Stapleton (voice) Animated TV movie The Adventures of Robin Hood Maid Marion (voice) Animated TV movie 1992 Bony 1 episode 1993 Review Guest presenter 1 episode 1997 Night of the Bogongs Narrator 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 2008 The Prime Minister is Missing Narrator TV documentary2010 City Homicide Penelope McVeigh 1 episode Mary McKillop: Soul of the Sunburnt Country Mary McKillop (voice) Video documentary 2012 The Mystery of a Hansom Cab Mother Guttersnipe TV movie 2014 Picnic at Hanging Rock: Everything Begins and Ends Herself Film documentary 2014, 2016 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Agnes Clasby 3 episodes2016 Molly Grandmother Miniseries, 2 episodes Barracuda Margot Taylor Miniseries, 2 episodes
Theatre
As actor Year Title Role Venue / Company1964 Extracts from Shakespeare Celia in As You Like it and Jaquenetta in Love's Labour's Lost UNSW Our Town Mrs Gibbs UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney Two Programs of One Act Plays: Love and How to Cure It Linda Two Programs of Short Plays: The Chinese Wall / Hamlet Mee Lan the Chinese princess / Ophelia1965 Uncle Ben Hetty UNSW A Series of Dance Pieces: Ballad of the Drover's Wife Dance group Othello UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney Down in the Valley / Leonard Teale & Andy Sundstrom Jenny Parsons The Plough and the Stars Bessie Burgess A Taste of Honey Cell Block Theatre, Sydney The Business of Good Government Assembly Hall, Sydney1967 The Imaginary Invalid UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney A Lily In Little India Independent Theatre, Sydney The School for Scandal UNSW Old Tote Theatre, Sydney1968 Terror Australis Jane St Theatre, Sydney Private Lives Hunter Theatre, The Junction, Palace Theatre, Sydney Present Laughter 1969 Pygmalion UNSW Parade Theatre, Sydney, Canberra Theatre Centre The Merchant of Venice UNSW Parade Theatre, Sydney1970 The Seagull Scott Theatre, Adelaide What the Butler Saw Phillip St Theatre, Sydney1971 As You Like It Celia UNSW Parade Theatre, Sydney The Man of Mode The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui UNSW Parade Theatre, Sydney, Canberra Theatre The Dutch Courtesan UNSW Parade Theatre, Sydney The National Health or Nurse Norton's Affair Lasseter The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui 1972 Rooted Nimrod Theatre, Sydney 1972–1973 Tom Russell St Theatre, Sydney 1976 The Wolf Vilma UNSW Parade Theatre, Sydney 1977 The Time Is Not Yet Ripe Doris Sydney Opera House 1978 A Visit with the Family Kit Nimrod Theatre, Sydney1979 Rain Sadie Thompson Ensemble Theatre, Sydney Not I Mouth Nimrod Theatre, Sydney Vicki Madison Clocks Out Vicki Madison 1980 Cyrano de Bergerac Roxanne Sydney Opera House 1982 Duet for One Stephanie Abrahams His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Playhouse Adelaide, Marian St Theatre, Sydney, Newcastle Civic Theatre, Playhouse Canberra, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Melbourne Athenaeum, Theatre Royal Sydney1985 Private Lives Playhouse, Newcastle Blithe Spirit Pride and Prejudice Queensland tour 1986 A Happy and Holy Occasion Brenda Playhouse, Newcastle 1986–1987 A Streetcar Named Desire Blanche DuBois His Majesty's Theatre, Perth, Playhouse, Melbourne, Her Majesty's Theatre Sydney 1987 Away Shanghai Twelfth Night Playhouse, Melbourne The Rivers of China Katherine Mansfield Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse Melbourne 1988 Europe by Michael Gow Barbara Australian national tour Hedda Gabler Hedda Playhouse, Melbourne 1989 The Cherry Orchard Carlotta 1989–1990 The Recruiting Officer Our Country's Good Lizzie Morden Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse Adelaide Mrs Klein Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Marian St Theatre, Sydney1990 The Tempest Ariel Playhouse, Melbourne Nothing Sacred Away Coral Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne1991 The Crucible Elizabeth Proctor Playhouse, Melbourne The Marriage of Figaro On Our Selection 1992 A Midsummer Night's Dream Playhouse, Adelaide 'Tis Pity She's a Whore 1992–1993 Death and the Maiden Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Russell St Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse Perth, Space Theatre, Adelaide, Sydney Opera House with STC 1993 Under Milk Wood Playhouse, Adelaide 1994 The Tin Soldier and The Paper Bag Princess Narrator Lyric Theatre, Brisbane 1995 Arcadia Hannah Playhouse, Melbourne, Playhouse Adelaide, Sydney Opera House, Theatre Royal, Hobart, Canberra Theatre, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth 1995–1996 Good Works by Nick Enright Malthouse Theatre, Space Theatre, Adelaide, Wharf Theatre, Sydney 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 House2001 The Twilight Series Ensemble Collins Street Baptist Church Kaddish Span Gallery, Melbourne with Keene/Taylor Theatre Projects 2001–2002 The Aunt's Story Theodora Goodman Playhouse, Melbourne, Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Brisbane 2003–2004 Frozen Nancy Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Wharf Theatre, Sydney with STC / MTCNominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play 2004 Hats Off! to Sondheim National Theatre, Melbourne2005 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 Ivanov fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne2007 Beckett Poetry and Prose Parade Theatre, Sydney Homer's Iliad The Stork Hotel, Melbourne The Odyssey Beyond Cuisine fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne2008 Architektin Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide The Aunt's Story Theodora Goodman 2009 The Year of Magical Thinking Joan Didion The New Dolphin Theatre, Crawley, Albany Town Hall Theatre, Perth 2010 Duets for Lovers and Dreamers fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne 2011 Sundowner Phee Broadway Theatre, Castlemaine2012 Signs of Life Western Australia tour & Sydney Opera House The Curtain Southbank Theatre, Melbourne2013 Sundowner Australian national tour Brel Singer Space Theatre, Adelaide 2014 Once in Royal David's City Belvoir Theatre, Sydney 2016 Wit fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne2017 John by Annie Baker Mertis Katherine Graven Fairfax Studio, Melbourne with Melbourne Theatre CompanyNominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play Angels in America fortyfivedownstairs, Melbourne 2018 Memorial by Alice Oswald Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide, Playhouse, Brisbane, Barbican Centre, London with Brink ProductionsNominated for a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Play 2019 33 Variations Dr Ladenburger Comedy Theatre, MelbourneWon a Green Room Award 2020 Escaped Alone Belvoir St, Sydney 2022 Escaped Alone & What If If Only Mrs Jarrett / Fs Southbank Theatre, Melbourne The Funniest Man in the World Keene/Taylor Theatre Projects
As director