Elise Lamb

Last updated
Elise Lamb
Elise Lamb Sydney Film Festival.jpg
Lamb at the 2012 Sydney Film Festival
Born
Rebecca Elise Lamb

(1986-03-27) 27 March 1986 (age 37)
NationalityAustralian
Alma mater
Occupation(s)Actress, dancer, writer, director, producer
Years active2001 present
Awards Australian Writers' Guild Monte Miller Award (Nominated)

Rebecca Elise Lamb (born 27 March 1986), known professionally as Elise Lamb, is an Australian actress, dancer, writer, director and producer of theatre and film. Lamb is a graduate of the prestigious Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and is known for her extensive stage work including her portrayal of Zelda Fitzgerald in the Australian premiere of William Luce's one-woman play The Last Flapper. As a writer, she has been Long-Listed twice for the Australian Writers' Guild Monte Miller Award with her screenplays The Australian Girl and Rocking Out. [1] Her short film The Wilted Rose had its world premiere screening in competition at the Brisbane International Film Festival [2] where it won Best Brisbane Short Film.

Contents

Early life and education

Lamb was born and raised in Brisbane, Australia. [3] She studied classical ballet through the Royal Academy of Dance from the age of 3 and studied Musical Theatre at the Australian Dance Performance Institute. When Lamb was 15 years old she was chosen to dance for Australian vocal artist Vanessa Amorosi and girl group Bardot at the Opening Gala of the 2001 Goodwill Games . She graduated from Canterbury College in 2003 where she studied drama and music and performed in the school's production of Guys and Dolls .

Lamb studied acting in Los Angeles at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute and at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. She then trained as an actor at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney before going on to study Classical Acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). [4]

In 2016, Lamb graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with a Master's Degree in Advanced Theatre Practice. [5]

In 2019, Lamb graduated from the Griffith Film School with a Graduate Certificate in Screen Production.

Career

Acting

Lamb began her professional career at the age of 17 when she was employed as a cast member at Warner Bros. Movie World on the Gold Coast, Australia. There she spent her first 5 years out of high school portraying numerous roles including DC Comics hero Batgirl, The Justice League 's Hawkgirl, Shrek 's Princess Fiona, Scooby-Doo 's Daphne Blake and was a dancer in the Looney Tunes Musical Review. [4] She was the youngest performer to present the Movie Magic Special Effects Show and was a member of its closing cast in 2005. She also performed in the Police Academy Stunt Show and was an original cast member of the Scooby-Doo Disco Detectives.

In 2007, Lamb danced with The Australian Ballet for their Brisbane season of Don Quixote at QPAC and performed in Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel at the Twelfth Night Theatre.

In 2008, Lamb relocated to Osaka, Japan for 2 years to work for Universal Studios Japan where she reprised her role as Princess Fiona, impersonated Marilyn Monroe, originated the role of Cinderella in the Magical Starlight Parade (IAAPA Big E Award "Best Overall Production"), danced as a Rockette in the annual Christmas Parade and performed the roles of Wendy and Jane in the Thea (Themed Entertainment Association) Award-winning Peter Pan's Neverland . [4]

After completing her training at NIDA in 2012, Lamb appeared in numerous independent Australian films including The Pale Moonlight opposite Matt Boesenberg and Blown for Tropfest which she also wrote, directed and produced. She also appeared as Juliet in the Romeo and Juliet live marketing campaign for the Queensland Theatre Company.

In 2014, she starred as Zelda Fitzgerald in William Luce's one-woman play The Last Flapper at Brisbane Arts Theatre. [3] [6]

In 2015, Lamb played Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew for Phoenix Ensemble [7] and reprised her role as Zelda Fitzgerald in The Last Flapper for Brisbane Fringe Festival. [8] In December 2015, she was awarded the Ian Potter Cultural Trust Award, a professional development grant for emerging Australian artists which allowed her to study at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. [9]

After graduating from Central in 2016, Lamb secured small roles in The Crown and feature films Stan and Ollie and All the Money in the World . She was also featured in a Commercial for Cadbury with fellow Australian Jesinta Franklin. Lamb performed in new writing at Off West End theatres Arcola Theatre, Theatre N16, Pleasance Theatre, The Vaults, Leicester Square Theatre and Battersea Arts Centre. She also played WWI Correspondent Louise Mack in her debut play The Australian Girl and Australian Suffragette Muriel Matters in her short play "Deeds, Not Words".

In 2022, she played Lee in Marvin's Room by Scott McPherson at Ad Astra Theatre Company. [10] Reviewers described Lamb's performance as "a standout" and "a perfect casting choice". [11]

Directing

Lamb directed her debut short film Blown for Tropfest in 2012. Lamb was a trainee director at the Brisbane Arts Theatre from 2014 to 2015. She had her theatre directorial debut with their 2015 season opener The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [4] [12] [13] [14] [15] and was the assistant director for their 1000th production Noises Off . In 2015, she also directed Elvis Is Dead by Canadian playwright James Hutchison for the Short & Sweet Theatre Festival at The Arts Centre Gold Coast. [16] Lamb was a member of the Young Vic Directors Program (2016-2018).

Lamb's 2019 Griffith Film School Thesis Film Method In Madness which she wrote, directed and produced, stars Ted Lasso's Cristo Fernández as Hamlet and was a Finalist in Kenneth Branagh's Shakespeare Shorts and Won "Best Director" and "Best Cinematography" at the Paris International Film Awards.

Writing

In 2012, Lamb wrote her debut short film Blown for Tropfest and See You Soon. Whilst a student at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Lamb began writing her debut play The Australian Girl, inspired by the life of Louise Mack, the first female war correspondent during World War I. Central funded research and development in Belgium for the play and the first draft was presented in a semi-staged reading at LOST Theatre in London during the summer of 2016. In 2017, The Australian Girl received further support from the Old Vic New Voices and a full length version of the play premiered Off West End at Theatre N16 as part of their Military Season Aftershock. Her short play A Dance Of Two Sisters about two Polish sisters during World War II was presented at the Pleasance Theatre. In 2018, her second short play Deeds, Not Words about Australian Suffragette Muriel Matters was also presented at the Pleasance Theatre. Lamb was a member of the National Theatre's Writers Group (2018) and was an Associate Artist of Theatre 1880 (2016-2018).

In 2020, Lamb began adapting her stage play The Australian Girl for screen. The short Proof of Concept script was Runner-Up "Best Unproduced Short Screenplay" at the Oscar-qualifying Raindance Film Festival and Won "Best Short Screenplay" and the "Grand Jury Prize" at the Female Voices Rock Film Festival in New York. In 2022, she was award the Raindance Screenwriting Fellowship to develop a long-form project.

Personal life

There was already a Rebecca Lamb registered with Spotlight and Equity, as a result Lamb changed her name professionally to "Elise Lamb". She was previously credited as "Rebecca Elise Lamb". [17]

Although born in Australia, Lamb has Scottish, Irish, English and French ancestry.

Filmography

Acting credits

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2012BlownThe Girlfriend Tropfest Short Film
Also director, writer and producer
2012See You SoonThe GirlShort Film
Also writer and producer
2013One June AfternoonChloe
2013House of CardsTalia
2014The Pale MoonlightHoward's WifeShort Film
Premiered at Fantasia International Film Festival
2017 All the Money in the World Hotel MaidDirected by Ridley Scott
2018 Stan and Ollie Plymouth GirlDirected by Jon S. Baird
2019Method in MadnessThe Stage ManagerShort Film
Also director, writer and producer
2019Skin & BlisterVictoriaShort Film
Also director, writer and producer
2021 Seriously Red Tamworth Festival GirlDirected by Gracie Otto

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 The Crown White House GuestSeries 2, Episode 8
Directed by Stephen Daldry
2021 Young Rock Market GoerSeries 1, Episode 2
Directed by Daina Reid

Commercial

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 Cadbury – Dark Milk: The Joyful DebateCinema WomanPremiered during Masterchef Australia

Music video

YearTitleArtistRoleNotes
2011Anything Worth AnythingStoneMasonMadeleine Triple J Unearthed

Director, writer and producer credits

Film

YearTitleDirectorWriterProducerNotes
2012BlownYesYesYes Tropfest Short Film
2012See You SoonNoYesYesShort Film
2019CagedYesYesYesShort Film
Also editor
2019Method in MadnessYesYesYesShort Film
Also editor
2019Skin & BlisterYesYesYesShort Film
2019Op ShopYesYesYesShort Film
Also cinematographer and editor
2020A MessageYesNoYesShort Film
Also cinematographer and editor
Premiered at Monster Fest
2023 The Wilted Rose YesYesYesShort Film
World Premiere in competition at Brisbane International Film Festival

Theatre

Acting credits

YearProductionRoleVenueNotes
2006 A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum VibrataSpotlight Theatre
2006 Gypsy Hollywood BlondeSpotlight Theatre
2007 Don Quixote Grand LadyLyric Theatre QPAC Presented by The Australian Ballet
Directed by David McAllister
2007 Carousel Ensemble Twelfth Night Theatre
2008–2010 Peter Pan's Neverland Wendy/Jane/Show Captain Universal Studios Japan Won – Thea Award "Event Spectacular"
2012 Romeo and Juliet Juliet New Farm Park Presented by Queensland Theatre Company
Directed by Todd MacDonald
2014 Mixed Doubles Various Brisbane Arts Theatre
2014 The Last Flapper Zelda Fitzgerald Brisbane Arts Theatre Also producer
One-woman show
Australian premiere
2014Merry Fecking ChristmasFiona The Arts Centre Gold Coast Presented by Underground Productions
Short & Sweet Theatre Festival
2015 The Taming of the Shrew KatherinaPavilion TheatrePresented by Phoenix Ensemble
2015 The Last Flapper Zelda Fitzgerald Reload Espresso BarAlso producer
Brisbane Fringe Festival
2016Strictly Come BarkingTracey Hen and Chickens Theatre
2016The Australian Girl Louise Mack LOST Theatre Also writer and director
Semi-staged reading
2017Keep Them CloseThe Sexy Cat Battersea Arts Centre Also producer
Presented by Theatre 1880
2017Fathers and DaughtersLara Leicester Square Theatre
2017Fixed Action PatternKaylaThe Vaults TheatrePresented by Theatre 1880
Written by Francis Grin
2017A Dance Of Two SistersEvelyn Pleasance Theatre Also writer and director
Off West End premiere
2017The Australian Girl Louise Mack Theatre N16Also writer and producer
Off West End premiere
2018ListenThe Woman Arcola Theatre
2018Deeds, Not Words Muriel Matters Pleasance Theatre Also writer
Off West End premiere
2018Lost in BankMeghan Greenwich Theatre Also writer
Off West End premiere
2019Deeds, Not Words Muriel Matters Brisbane Powerhouse Also writer
Short & Sweet Theatre Festival
2021Deeds, Not Words Muriel Matters Brisbane Arts Theatre Also writer and director
2022 Marvin's Room LeeAd Astra Theatre Company

Director credits

YearTitleVenue / CompanyNotes
2015 The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) Brisbane Arts Theatre Written by Reduced Shakespeare Company
2015Elvis Is Dead The Arts Centre Gold Coast Written by James Hutchison
Short+Sweet Theatre Festival
2015 Noises Off Brisbane Arts Theatre Written by Michael Frayn
Brisbane Arts Theatre's 1000th Production
2016The Australian Girl LOST Theatre Semi-staged reading
2017A Dance of Two Sisters Pleasance Theatre
2021Deeds, Not Words Brisbane Arts Theatre
2023Bloom Girl Thomas Dixon Centre Also Dramaturge
Written by Charli Burrowes

Writer credits

YearTitleNotes
2017A Dance of Two SistersShort Play
2017The Australian GirlFull Length Play
2018Deeds, Not WordsShort Play
2018Lost in BankShort Play
2023All The Light Is GoneFull Length Play
In Development

Producer credits

YearTitleVenue / Production CompanyNotes
2014 The Last Flapper Brisbane Arts Theatre Australian Premiere
Written by William Luce
2015 The Last Flapper Reload Espresso BarBrisbane Fringe Festival
2017Keep Them Close Battersea Arts Centre / Theatre 1880Written by Mathias Swann
2017The Australian GirlTheatre N16 Off West End premiere

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNominated WorkResult
2023 Brisbane International Film Festival Best Brisbane Short Film The Wilted Rose Won
2023 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Award (AACTA) Best Short Film The Wilted Rose Contender
2023 Australian Writers' Guild Monte Miller Award
(Long-Listed)
Rocking OutNominated
2022 Austin Film Festival Script Competition - Short Screenplay
(Semi-Finalist)
The Australian GirlNominated
2022 Australian Writers' Guild Monte Miller Award
(Long-Listed)
The Australian GirlNominated
2021Female Voices Rock Film Festival (NYC)Grand Jury PrizeThe Australian GirlWon
2021Female Voices Rock Film Festival (NYC)Best Short ScreenplayThe Australian GirlWon
2021 Raindance Film Festival Script CompetitionBest Unproduced Short ScreenplayThe Australian GirlRunner-up
2021Paris International Film AwardsBest DirectorMethod In MadnessWon
2021 Nashville Film Festival Screenwriting CompetitionBest Short Screenplay
(Quarter-Finalist)
The Australian GirlNominated
2021Los Angeles International Screenplay AwardsBest Short Screenplay
(Semi-Finalist)
The Wilted Rose Nominated
2021Los Angeles International Screenplay AwardsBest Short Screenplay
(Quarter-Finalist)
The Australian GirlNominated
2021 WIFT (Women in Film & Television) V-Fest Best Queensland Film
(Final 3)
Skin & BlisterNominated
2020 Shakespeare Shorts Best Film Inspired by Shakespeare
(Final 13)
Method In MadnessNominated
2020 Hollyshorts Screenwriting Competition Best Female Short Screenplay
(Semi-Finalist)
Don't Make Her AngryNominated
2020Bendigo Queer Film FestivalInternational Short Film Competition
(Final 12)
Op ShopNominated
2016 Ian Potter Cultural Trust Award Performing ArtsActing / Writing / DirectingWon

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoffrey Rush</span> Australian actor

Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Tony Award. He also received three British Academy Film Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. Rush is the founding president of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts and was named the 2012 Australian of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julie Taymor</span> American film and theatre director and writer (born 1952)

Julie Taymor is an American director and writer of theater, opera, and film. Her stage adaptation of The Lion King debuted in 1997 and received eleven Tony Award nominations, with Taymor receiving Tony Awards for her direction and costume design. Her film Frida, about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, was nominated for five Academy Awards, including a Best Original Song nomination for Taymor's composition "Burn It Blue". She also directed the 2007 jukebox musical film Across the Universe, based on the music of the Beatles.

Esther Davis is an Australian actress and singer, best known for her roles as Phryne Fisher in Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries and its film adaptation, Miss Fisher & the Crypt of Tears, and as Amelia Vanek in The Babadook. Other major works include a recurring role as Lady Crane in season six of the television series Game of Thrones, Sister Iphigenia in Lambs of God, and the role of Ellen Kelly in Justin Kurzel's True History of the Kelly Gang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eileen Atkins</span> English actress (born 1934)

Dame Eileen June Atkins, is an English actress and occasional screenwriter. She has worked in the theatre, film, and television consistently since 1953. In 2008, she won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress and the Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or Movie for Cranford. She is also a three-time Olivier Award winner, winning Best Supporting Performance in 1988 and Best Actress for The Unexpected Man (1999) and Honour (2004). She was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1990 and Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa McCune</span> Australian actress

Lisa McCune is an Australian actress, known for her role in TV series Blue Heelers as Senior Constable Maggie Doyle, and in Sea Patrol as Lieutenant Kate McGregor RAN. She has won four Gold Logie Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Muggleton</span>

Amanda Lillian Muggleton is an English Australian theatre, television and film actress. She is best known for her supporting television soap opera role in Prisoner as Chrissie Latham, with appearance between 1979 and 1983.

Rebecca Lenkiewicz is a British playwright, screenwriter and former actress. She is best known as the author of Her Naked Skin (2008), which was the first original play written by a living female playwright to be performed on the Olivier stage of the Royal National Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julia Zemiro</span> Australian television host and comedian

Julia Zemiro is a French-born Australian television presenter, radio host, actress, singer, writer and comedian. She is best known as the host of the music quiz and live performance show RocKwiz. Zemiro is a fluent French speaker and has acted in French.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heather Sears</span> British actress (1935–1994)

Heather Christine Sears was a British stage and screen actress.

Tania Jane Lacy is an Australian comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivia Tennet</span> New Zealand actress, dancer and choreographer

Olivia Tennet is a New Zealand actress and dancer best known in her home country for her role as Tuesday Warner on the nightly medical drama Shortland Street, along with several roles in television and theatre. Outside of New Zealand, she is best known for her roles in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Power Rangers RPM (2009), and the independent film Blood Punch (2013).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elissa Down</span> Australian filmmaker

Elissa Down is an Australian filmmaker, who in 1999 and 2000, was nominated for Young Film-maker of the year at the WA Screen Awards.

Sarah Aubrey is a British-born Australian actress. She has had guest roles in episodes of Pieces of Her, The Secret Life of Us, All Saints, Water Rats and Frayed, along with numerous animation series and TV commercials. She also won the Best Actress award at the 2002 Tropfest film festival and is one of Australia's top voice talents.

Stephen James King is an Australian TV and stage actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neva Carr Glyn</span> Australian actress (1908–1975)

Neva Carr Glyn or Neva Carr Glynn was an Australian stage, film and radio actress born in Melbourne to Arthur Benjamin Carr Glyn, a humorous baritone and stage manager born in Ireland, and Marie Carr Glyn, née Marie Dunoon Senior, an actress with the stage name "Marie Avis". She had one half-sister Gwendoline Arnold O'Neill and two half-brothers Sacheverill Arnold Mola and Rupert Arnold Mola. She was named "Neva" after a great-aunt, who was a contralto of some quality. Both spellings of her surname appear in print roughly equally and apparently arbitrarily.

Tracy Ifeachor is a British television and theatre actress best known for playing the role of Aya Al-Rashid in The CW vampire series The Originals and Abigail Naismith in both parts of the Doctor Who Christmas special, "The End of Time".

Genevieve Clay-Smith is an Australian writer and director. She is an advocate of inclusive filmmaking.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna McGahan</span> Australian actress and playwright (born 1988)

Anna McGahan is an Australian actress and playwright. She is best known for playing the roles of Nellie Cameron on the television series, Underbelly: Razor (2011), Lucy in House Husbands (2012–2014), and Rose Anderson in The Doctor Blake Mysteries (2015–2018).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miranda Tapsell</span> Australian actress (born 1987)

Miranda Tapsell is a Larrakia Aboriginal Australian actress of both stage and screen, best known for her role as Cynthia in the Wayne Blair film The Sapphires and her 2015 performance as Martha Tennant in the Nine Network drama series Love Child. In 2016, she portrayed Fatima in the Stan series Wolf Creek.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elise McCann</span>

Elise McCann is an Australian actress and musical theatre performer most well known for originating the role of Miss Honey in the Australian production of Matilda the Musical and as Lucille Ball in Everybody Loves Lucy.

References

  1. "2023 Monte Miller Award winners announced". Australian Writers Guild .
  2. "Shorts from Home". Brisbane International Film Festival . 24 September 2023.
  3. 1 2 Dionysius, Bobbi-lea (2 May 2014). "The Last Flapper: Theatre Review". AussieTheatre.com. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Byrnes, Tim. "Rebecca Elise Lamb's Complete Works of Shakespeare". Scenestr Magazine. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  5. "Student Profiles". Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  6. "The Last Flapper". Brisbane Arts Theatre. Archived from the original on 9 December 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  7. "Shakespeare Comedy with a 1950s Twist". Stage Whispers. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  8. "The Last Flapper at Brisbane Fringe Festival". The Brisbane Reviewer. Retrieved 8 August 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. "Grants Database". Ian Potter Cultural Trust. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  10. "Marvin's Room". Ad Astra Theatre Company.
  11. "Marvin's Room Review". Bravo Brisbane.
  12. "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)". Brisbane Arts Theatre. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  13. "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged): Theatre Review". Scenestr Magazine. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  14. "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged): Theatre Review". Absolute Theatre. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  15. "Shakespeare in Two Hours". Courier Mail. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  16. "They Are Short But Very Sweet". Gold Coast Bulletin. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
  17. "Spotlight Actresses". Spotlight. Archived from the original on 12 August 2017. Retrieved 9 December 2017.