Lisa Armytage

Last updated
Lisa Armytage
Born
Somerset, England
Occupations
  • Actress
  • voice artist
Years active1979–present
Children2

Lisa Armytage is an English actress, known for her roles in Australian film and television. After moving to Australia, Armytage appeared in Cop Shop for three months as the girlfriend of Constable Tony Benjamin (Gregory Ross). She guested in Prisoner and starred in the ABC radio play Footmarks in the Sand. In 1986, Armytage co-starred in her first Australian feature film Cool Change as cattle farm owner Joanna Regan. She had to learn to ride a horse and muster cattle for the role. She then appeared in the Nine Network miniseries The Lancaster Miller Affair as Anne Lancaster. From 1987 until 1989, Armytage played Dr Beverly Marshall in the Australian soap opera Neighbours . Her character was introduced as a love interest for series regular Jim Robinson (Alan Dale). After leaving Neighbours, Armytage appeared in various stage productions and television dramas, including The Flying Doctors and The Miraculous Mellops . She returned to the UK in 2003, where she became a voice artist for commercials, audio dramas, and audio books. She joined the cast of audio soap Riverside in 2022, which is based on a series of stories originally published in The People's Friend .

Contents

Early and personal life

Armytage was born in Somerset, England. She has three brothers and a sister. [1] She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and had a season with the National Youth Theatre. [1] [2] She also appeared at the Bristol Old Vic. [1]

Armytage met her husband-to-be, an Australian lawyer, during her last years of classes. [3] They married after a nine week relationship and emigrated to Melbourne. They have two daughters. [1] [3] Armytage studied a Bachelor of Arts degree in Australia and had intentions of becoming a teacher. [4]

Career

Armytage admitted that it took time to find work after she and her husband moved to Australia in 1979. [3] In 1981, she had a 12-week stint in Cop Shop as Jennifer Grant, the girlfriend of Constable Tony Benjamin (Gregory Ross). [3] She also appeared in a production of Roger Pulvers' play The Covenant of the Rainbow at the La Mama Theatre. [5] This was followed by an appearance in the ABC one-off drama On the Line and a guest role in an episode of Prisoner . [3] In August 1984, Armytage starred in the ABC radio play Footmarks in the Sand, which was written by Danish actress and playwright Astrid Saalbach. Director John Hannaford believed Footmarks in the Sand should be recorded outside, and recording took place at Black Rock making it the first ABC radio play to be recorded on location for many years. Armytage plays Stella, who along with her boyfriend Paul, plans a trip to the beach, but their outing is filled with tension. [6]

Armytage's big break came in 1986 with a co-starring role in her first Australian feature film Cool Change . [3] She plays Joanna Regan, a cattle farm owner and love interest for Jon Blake's character. Armytage spent a week learning how to ride a horse and muster cattle for the role. [7] Cool Change was filmed over six weeks in Mansfield at producer Geoff Burrowes' mountain property. [3] Not long after she wrapped filming, Armytage began work on the Nine Network miniseries The Lancaster Miller Affair in which she plays the major role of Anne Lancaster, the wife of Bill Lancaster played by Nicholas Eadie. [3] [4]

After taking a break from acting to have her second child, Armytage was cast as Dr Beverly Marshall in the soap opera Neighbours . [4] She initially signed a 12-month contract. [4] Beverly was introduced as a love interest for series regular Jim Robinson, following discussions between Alan Dale and the writers about the lack of romance in Jim's life. [4] Armytage admitted that it was a difficult decision to sign on for 12 months and had not intended to take on a major role because of her young children, however, she felt she was able to combine the two and her situation was working well. She also admitted to being nervous about the recognition that came with the role, as Neighbours was one of Australia's most popular television shows at the time. [4]

In October 1988, David Brown of TV Week reported that Armytage and Neighbours had "parted company", and she would be filming her final scenes in November. [8] Brown confirmed that her character would not be written out and instead another actress was being sought for the role. [8] Armytage later stated that she quit the show because she was spending too much time away from her family. She also said that she should have asked for a break or for her hours to be cut, but she was "a very 'all or nothing' person at the time" and resigned instead. [9] In February 1990, Armytage accepted libel damages from the News of the World in the High Court after they published an article stating that she had been sacked from Neighbours because she was a bad actress. [10] Her lawyer explained that she left the show due to an exhausting schedule and family commitments. News Group Newspapers Limited also issued an apology for publishing the allegation. [10]

After leaving Neighbours, Armytage appeared in a production of Coralie Lansdowne Says No at The Playbox Theatre, alongside Ailsa Piper and Terence Donovan. [11] She also guested in numerous television dramas, including The Flying Doctors , The Miraculous Mellops and Police Rescue . [12] Armytage returned to the UK in 2003. [12] In addition to stage work, she has become a voice artist for various projects, including commercials, audio dramas, and audio books. [9] She has worked with novelists Anna Jacobs, Alison Booth, and Cary J Hansson. [12] Armytage appeared in the 2009 fantasy romance film Halfway to Heaven, which was created by James Sharpe to raise awareness and money for Broomhill Pool. [13] In 2010, she appeared in Richard Stirling's No Expense Spared, a play about the MPs expenses scandal, at Jermyn Street Theatre. [14]

In 2022, Armytage joined the cast of audio soap Riverside, which is based on a series of stories written by Glenda Young and originally published in The People's Friend . [9] She won the Best Human Performance in an Audiobook (factual or fiction) accolade at the 2023 VOX Awards for her work narrating A Midlife Gamble by Cary J Hansson. She was also nominated for Best Human Performance in an Audio Drama / Podcast for Doctor Who spin-off The Robots. [15]

Filmography

Film performances
YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Cool Change Joanna Regan
2006Rabbit FeverCustoms Lady
2009Halfway to HeavenJoyce
2021Emily the Little Match GirlNarrator
2024Meet Me by the SeaAnna's MumShort film
Television performances
YearTitleRoleNotes
1981 Cop Shop Jennifer GrantRecurring role
1982On the Line
1983 Prisoner Clare AdamsEpisode: #5.81
1986 The Lancaster Miller Affair Anne LancasterMiniseries
1987–1989 Neighbours Beverly Marshall Series regular
1990 The Flying Doctors Edna MacKayEpisode: "The Hero"
1991 The Miraculous Mellops Jean MellopEpisodes: #1.16, #1.20
1992 A Country Practice Jane LindsayEpisodes: "Wings (Parts 1 and 2)"
1992 Police Rescue LibrarianEpisode: "From This Day Forward"
1994 Sky Trackers Trish ColmanEpisode: "Origins"
1997 Heartbreak High LibrarianEpisode: #6.30
2001 All Saints Bernice LewisEpisode: "Chains of Love"
2023 The Crown Berkshire WI ChairEpisode: "Ruritania"

Related Research Articles

Georgina Parker is an Australian television soap actress and has also appeared in film and theatre. She is a double Gold Logie winner, best known for her acting roles in Australian soap operas; as Lucy Gardiner in A Country Practice; as Theresa "Terri" Sullivan in All Saints; and as Roo Stewart in Home and Away, as well as being a presenter on the children's program Play School.

Anne Charleston is an Australian actress, notable for her career locally and in the United Kingdom in theatre and television. She began her career on the stage in the mid-1950s before moving onto the small screen in the early 1960s, appearing in various telefilms. Following parts in a range of series by Crawford Productions, Charleston became known for her work in the cult classic series Prisoner, where she played three different characters between 1979 and 1984. Her most prominent television roles were in the Australian soap opera Neighbours, where she played matriarch Madge Bishop, and the British soap Emmerdale, playing Lily Butterfield (2006–2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Andrewartha</span> Australian actress (1951–2024)

Janet Andrewartha 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackie Woodburne</span> Australian actress

Jacqueline Anne Woodburne is an Australian actress, known for her numerous roles in television soap operas. After graduating from the National Theatre School, Woodburne played Maggie Gordon in The Young Doctors. She appeared in Cop Shop as Gina Rossi, A Country Practice, and Sons and Daughters, before she was cast as inmate Julie "Chook" Egbert in Prisoner. Since 1994, Woodburne has played teacher Susan Kennedy in Neighbours.

<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.

Linda Hartley-Clark is an Australian actress, known for her role as Kerry Bishop on the Australian soap opera Neighbours from 1989 to 1990. She had early lead roles in Cornflakes for Tea, The Bush Gang, and Home, before appearing in The Flying Doctors miniseries as Diana Daniels, and Prisoner as Roach Waters in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tina Bursill</span> Australian actress

Tina Bursill is an Australian actress. She played Louise Carter on the television series Skyways (1979–1981) and Sonia Stevens on Prisoner (1983–1984). She played Meryl Knight in the Nine Network drama series Doctor Doctor. Bursill won the AFI (AACTA) Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1987 film Jilted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dichen Lachman</span> Australian actress and model (born 1982)

Dichen Lachman is an Australian actress and model. She earned recognition starring as Katya Kinski in the soap opera Neighbours (2005–2007) and as Sierra in Joss Whedon's science fiction drama series Dollhouse (2009–2010).

Mary Lorraine Ward, also known as Mary Ward Breheny, was an Australian actress of stage, television, and film and radio announcer. Her career spanned seven decades. Ward trained in England and Australia, and worked in both countries.

Michala Elizabeth Laurinda Banas is a New Zealand television actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Marissa Taylor in Always Greener and as Kate Manfredi in McLeod's Daughters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Justine Clarke</span> Australian actress and singer

Justine Clarke is an Australian actress, singer, author and television host.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kate Kendall</span> Australian actress and director (born 1973)

Kate Kendall is a British-born Australian actress and director. She played Angie Piper in the long-running Nine Network Australian drama Stingers from 1998 to 2004. Kendall has appeared in television series The Librarians (2007), Rush (2010) and Conspiracy 365. She joined the cast of television soap opera Neighbours in 2013 as Lauren Turner. After leaving the role in 2017, Kendall became a director, and later producer, on the serial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lisa Kay</span> English actress

Lisa Kay, is an English actress who has also worked in Australia. Her credits include Chicken Run (2000), Bridget Jones's Diary (2001), Heartbeat (2002-2010), Foyle's War (2003), Corpse Bride (2005), Breaking and Entering (2006), Home and Away (2018), Neighbours (2018), and All My Friends Are Racist (2021).

Dagmar Bláhová is a Czech-born actress, who became notable on Australian television in 1985 for her role in soap opera Neighbours as original character Maria Ramsay. She appeared in foreign film and after emigrating to Australia during the Communist era, she appeared in many television and film roles, she returned to her birth country in 1998 and again started appearing natively in film roles. Also credited as Dášha Bláhová.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talia Zucker</span> Australian actress

Talia Zucker is an Australian actress.

Eve Morey is an Australian actress. Her roles have included Lucy Green in Pig's Breakfast (1999) and Sonya Rebecchi in the soap opera Neighbours, the latter role played from 2009 to 2022. She has also appeared in All Saints (1998), Home and Away (1998) and various theatre productions.

Shareena Clanton is an Australian film, television and theatre actress. She is known for her role as Doreen Anderson in the television drama series Wentworth (2013–2017).

Sara West is an Australian actress, director and screen writer. She began her career with roles in short films and television roles. Her 2015 role as Liza Minnelli in television series Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door earned her a Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding Newcomer. In 2017, West played Lyndal in the film, Don't Tell and was nominated for an AACTA Award. She also appeared in the main roles of the 2016 film Bad Girl, as Amy Anderson and the 2019 film, Awoken playing the medical student Karla. She also plays Brooke in ABC TV drama series Troppo. In 2023, West joined the cast of the soap opera Neighbours, playing Cara Varga-Murphy. West also writes and directs films and has won awards at the 2014 and 2018 South Australian Screen Awards.

Vikki Blanche is an Australian actress and director. She made her television debut in the children's series Home in 1983, followed by a role in the ABC drama The Keepers. Shortly after graduating from the National Theatre in late 1984, Blanche was cast as Julie Robinson in the soap opera Neighbours, which began airing in March 1985. After seven months she decided to leave the serial so she would not be typecast in the future. Blanche joined the cast of The Flying Doctors as Paula Patterson in 1988. She also appeared in the sitcom Col'n Carpenter and the 1991 miniseries Rose Against the Odds. Blanche then spent 18 months living and studying acting in New York City. Upon her return to Australia, she was cast as Senior Detective Chris Faithful in the second season of the ABC police drama Phoenix. After an appearance in the 1997 feature film Road to Nhill, Blanche wrote and directed The Other Days of Ruby Rae, which earned her a nomination for Best Screenplay in a Short Film at the 2000 AFI Awards. Blanche has since gone on to direct television commercials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Beckwith</span> Australian actor (1975/76–2024)

Troy Anthony Beckwith was an Australian television actor, known for his roles as Bazza in Pugwall and Michael Mellop in The Miraculous Mellops, as well as being the second actor to play Michael Martin in the soap opera Neighbours, from 1992 until 1994, with several guest reappearances until 1998.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 O'Connor, Coral (14 July 1988). "Doctor earns top marks" . Daily Mirror . Retrieved 15 December 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. 1 2 "Lisa Armytage". Spotlight. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Fidgeon, Patrice (5 April 1986). "Great expectations". TV Week . p. 25.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Webster, Allan (18 July 1987). "Lucky Jim!". TV Week . p. 21.
  5. ↑ Radic, Leonard (6 August 1981). "Pulvers double is good news". The Age . Retrieved 17 December 2024– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  6. ↑ Hawker, Philippa (9 August 1984). "ABC play on the beach". The Age . Retrieved 17 December 2024– via Newspapers.com. Lock-green.svg
  7. ↑ Webster, Allan (27 June 1987). "Lisa's bush romance". TV Week . p. 77.
  8. 1 2 Brown, David (1 October 1988). "Neighbours star out!". TV Week . p. 2.
  9. 1 2 3 Kilkelly, Daniel (31 July 2022). "Former Neighbours star Lisa Armytage on show axe, cancelled return and new audio soap". Digital Spy . Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Libel payout for soap star" . Sandwell Evening Mail. 22 February 1990. Retrieved 16 December 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. ↑ "Coralie Lansdowne Says No". Malthouse Theatre. Retrieved 18 December 2024.
  12. 1 2 3 "Behind the Mic: Exploring the World of Audiobook Narration with a Voice Over Artist, Lisa Armytage". OutSpoken Voices. 22 June 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "Could the big screen save Broomhill?". Ipswich Star . 21 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  14. ↑ Bosanquet, Theo (13 May 2010). "Plays Cast: McGann in No Expense, Lulu, Punch". Whats On Stage . Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  15. ↑ "The 2023 VOX Awards Nominees are:". VOX Events. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.