Fiona Corke

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Fiona Corke
Born (1961-09-24) 24 September 1961 (age 63)
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6.14 in)
Spouse Nick Carrafa

Fiona Corke (born 24 September 1961) is an Australian actress best known for her role as Gail Robinson on the Australian soap opera Neighbours .

Contents

Early life

Corke grew up in Chewton near Castlemaine, Victoria, in Australia. She lived in Melbourne from the age of 18. [1]

At the age of 20, Corke began her acting career with New Theatre Day Time, a theatre-in-education group. She auditioned for her role as Gail in Neighbours a week before leaving on a holiday to New York. While away, she received the news from her manager that she had scored the role, and had to come back to Australia several weeks early. [2]

Career

Corke began her career with a minor role in the 1985 TV film I Live with Me Dad . That same year, she appeared as a guest star in Zoo Family . In 1986, she then had a role in Prisoner: Cell Block H as Alison Mills, who dated derided prison officer Rodney Adams. The role was intended to be ongoing, however, it prematurely ended when Prisoner was cancelled. Corke then joined the cast of Grundy stable-mate Neighbours in 1987, playing regular character Gail Lewis/Robinson, staying with the show until 1989.

Corke has also made guest appearances on a variety of prime time shows and had a recurring role as Trudi Dawson on the ABC drama SeaChange .

After Corke returned for a cameo appearance as Gail in Neighbours in 2005, she returned three more times for guest appearances in 2006, 2007 and again in 2019 for an extended guest stint which saw the return of all of Paul Robinson’s ex-wives in a plot devised by Gail and Paul's daughter Elle, played by Pippa Black.

In 2007 and 2008, Corke appeared in Rush and several episodes of City Homicide . [3]

Corke wrote, produced and directed her first short film Woundead, which was selected for the 2009 St Kilda Short Film Festival.

Personal life

Corke is married to actor and musician Nick Carrafa who also appeared in Neighbours as Tony Romeo.

Corke has lived in Victoria's Macedon Ranges since 2002. [1] She is a well-known wildlife activist and campaigner. In 2007, she co-founded the Macedon Ranges Wildlife Network with other local wildlife carers and rescuers. She is also vice president of the Australian Society for Kangaroos, raising awareness of the cruelty involved in the culling/shooting of kangaroos under government permits. [1]

Corke took several years hiatus from acting due to a bad skin cancer on her face. [1]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984Love Me Stupid... A Story of BloodJennyShort film
1992 A Slow Night at the Kuwaiti Cafe
1993 My Forgotten Man (aka Flynn)Miss Taylor
1993 Gross Misconduct Detective Coote
1994A Lamb of Our Own FlockMother
1994UndyingCara
2007Little DeathsEllie

As producer / director

YearTitleRoleNotes
2009WoundeadProducer / directorShort film

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985 I Live with Me Dad Nursing SisterTV movie
1985 Zoo Family Fiona1 episode
1986 Prisoner Alison Mills2 episodes
1986 The Fast Lane Susie1 episode
1987–1989; 2005; 2006; 2006; 2019 Neighbours Gail Lewis Robinson 325 episodes
1992 Cluedo Jan Mustard1 episode
1992 Chances Nightingale Dali3 episodes
1993 Phoenix Dog 11 episode
1994 The Man from Snowy River Lola Hatton1 episode
1995 Police Rescue Sandra1 episode
1996 Mercury Karin Grunewald2 episodes
1996; 1997 Blue Heelers Thea Copeland2 episodes
1996; 2000 Halifax f.p. Lisa McNamara / Christine2 episodes: "Cradle and All", "The Spider and the Fly"
1998 Driven Crazy Rhonda3 episodes
1998–2000 SeaChange Trudi Dawson6 episodes
2001 The Saddle Club Dee Marsden1 episode
2002 Short Cuts Elisa Bennett4 episodes
2007–2009 City Homicide Judith Welling3 episodes
2009 Rush Kate Hawker1 episode
2016 Winners & Losers Gloria White2 episodes

Theatre

As actor

YearTitleRoleNotes
1984On the Line La Mama, Melbourne
1985Hello Mr StarChurch Theatre, Melbourne
1985Rebel Without a Cause University of Melbourne
1985; 1987The Journey La Mama, Melbourne, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Wharf Theatre, Sydney, Majestic Cinemas, Sydney
1990–1991 Peter Pan Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, UK [4]
1992Up 'N' Under Universal Theatre, Melbourne
2023Fiona Corke: A Language Older Than Words La Mama, Melbourne [5]

As writer

YearTitleRoleNotes
2023Ground ControlWriter Gasworks Arts Park for Melbourne Writers' Theatre [6]
2025Metropolis Monologues: The DrowningWriterThe Stables @ Meat Market for Melbourne Writers' Theatre [7]

[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Fiona Corke on rescuing animals in the Macedon Ranges". Star Weekly. 23 August 2016.
  2. "Fiona's Lucky Break". perfectblend.net.
  3. "Australian Television: City Homicide: episode guide: series 1". Australia Television Information Archive. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  4. "The Neighbours Connection". Panto Archive.
  5. "Artist Statements". La Mama. 2023.
  6. "2023 Playwrights – Gasworks Script Lab". Melbourne Writers' Theatre. 2023.
  7. "Metropolis Monologues". Melbourne Writers' Theatre. 2025.
  8. "Fiona Corke theatre credits". AusStage.