Rebecca Massey

Last updated

Rebecca Massey
Born
New Zealand
Nationality Australian
Alma mater University of Auckland
Occupation
  • Actress
Years active1998–present

Rebecca Massey is an Australian film, television, and theatre actress. She is best known for her comic roles as Beverley in Utopia , and as Lucy Canon in Chandon Pictures . She has worked in leading roles with major theatre companies nationwide such as The Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir St Theatre, Bell Shakespeare Company, State Theatre Company of South Australia, and Griffin Theatre Company. She has performed alongside many Australian actors and actresses including Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, and Barry Otto.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Early life and education

Rebecca Massey was born in Rotorua, New Zealand. She grew up in Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong, before returning to New Zealand to complete her schooling at St Cuthbert's College, Auckland.[ citation needed ]

After graduating dux of school, Rebecca went on to study law and English at the University of Auckland, graduating with honours. She worked briefly as a lawyer.[ citation needed ]

Theatre career

After graduating from Auckland University, Massey toured New Zealand with an Australian production of Steaming with Liz Burch, Lenore Smith, and Cornelia Frances.[ citation needed ]

Her first professional job was in a production of The Crucible with the Mercury Theatre Company (now Auckland Theatre Company). She went on to star in Daughters of Heaven directed by Colin McColl, opening the Auckland Theatre Company after the Mercury Theatre went bankrupt. She was a founding member of Stronghold Theatre company with Peter Evans, whom she married.[ citation needed ]

After moving to Australia, Massey has worked consistently with the major theatre companies, including Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir St Theatre, Bell Shakespeare Company, State Theatre Company of South Australia, Malthouse Theatre, and Griffin Theatre Company.[ citation needed ]

After moving to Sydney, Neil Armfield cast her in The Alchemist , alongside Geoffrey Rush and Hugo Weaving. She worked consistently with Armfield at Company B until Armfield's resignation as artistic director of the theatre in 2010. During that time she was awarded a Glug and a Green Room Award for Best Actress, and nominated for two Helpmann Awards for Best Supporting Actress in Steve Martin's The Underpants and It Just Stopped by Steven Sewell. Much of the time in those years was taken up with touring the world with the epic Cloudstreet , Nick Enright and Justin Monjo's adaptation of Tim Winton's novel of the same name.[ citation needed ]

Massey has performed alongside many of Australia's great actors and actresses including Cate Blanchett (The Seagull), Geoffrey Rush, Barry Otto, Julie Forsythe, and Jacek Koman. Rebecca opened the new theatre at Belvoir Street together with Catherine McClements and John Woods in It Just Stopped.[ citation needed ]

After 2010 she worked with the Malthouse Theatre, the State Theatre of South Australia in John Doyle's play, Vere (Faith), the Griffin Theatre Company in Kill Climate Deniers by David Finisgan. For the Sydney Theatre Company she has appeared in Travesties, Vere (Faith), Perplex, After Dinner by Andrew Bovell, Lucy Kirkwood's play Chimerica, and Moira Buffini's play Dinner[ citation needed ]

Awards and nominations

Massey has been nominated and won numerous awards for her performances including the Helpmann Award for both Steve Martin's The Underpants (Belvoir) [1] and Steven Sewell's It Just Stopped (Belvoir). [2]

YearAssociationCategoryNominated workResult
2004 Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Play The Underpants Nominated
2007 Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role – Play It Just StoppedNominated
Green Room Awards Best Female ActressWon
Best Supporting Female ActressNominated
Glug Awards Best Supporting ActressWon
2010Best Supporting ActressTravestiesNominated
2018 Sydney Theatre Awards Best New Australian WorkKill Climate DeniersNominated

Filmography

Rebecca Massey's film and television credits include Chandon Pictures (ABC) which won Best Comedy (AFI, ADG, and AWGIES), Best Original Production (ASTRA), Most Outstanding Light Entertainment (Logies), and Utopia (ABC): which won Best Television Comedy Series (AACTA), [3] Most Outstanding Comedy Program (LOGIES). [4]

Other television credits include Lowdown (2010), My Place (2009), Stepfather of the Bride (2006), Deep Water (2016). Film credits she is known for are Son of the Mask (2005), The Black Balloon (2008), Accidents Happen (2009), Backyard Ashes (2013), Bad Girl (2016).

Film

YearsTitleRoleNotes
2005 Son of the Mask Clare
2006Final CallShort film
2008 The Black Balloon Miss Babb
2009 Accidents Happen Louise
2013Greg's First DayMadam 2Short film
2013 Backyard Ashes Lilly Waters
2015 Holding the Man Woman from Red Cross
2016 Bad Girl Detective Daniels
2018Last ArkCaptain Shane HudsonShort film
2022BlazeJade

Television

YearsTitleRoleNotes
2002 Kangaroo Creek Gang Kristie the KoalaVoice
2002Blood SportsSarahTelevision film
2002-6 All Saints Melissa Wilson; Jodie Abbott; Wendy Saralyn3 episodes
2003 Grass Roots Kirsten BovieEpisode: "Youth"
2004 Small Claims Clare SantariniTelevision film
2006Stepfather of the BrideFionaTelevision film
2007-9 Chandon Pictures Lucy Cannon16 episodes
2009 City Homicide Peggy DuvalEpisode: "Baker's Dozen"
2009 My Place Mrs Benson6 episodes
2010-12 Lowdown Trudy March4 episodes
2012 Packed to the Rafters Audrey2 episodes
2012 Tricky Business Gaye HudsonEpisode: "Mothercraft"
2015 Winter Sally McKenzieEpisode: "Blow Up"
2015 The Principal Rina4 episodes
2015-17,23 Utopia Beverley Sadler11 episodes
2016 Deep Water Sally Williams2 episodes
2016-17 Pacific Heat Maddie Riggs13 episodes; Voice
2019 Upright Constable StaceyEpisode: "Day Three"
2019 The Letdown Real Estate Agent JulieEpisode: "Heavy Heart"
2019-21Metro SexualMiranda Graft5 episodes
2019 Total Control SharonEpisode #1.3
2019 Upright (TV series) Constable Stacey1 episode
2022BaronsSylive Thompson3 episodes
2023The MessengerBev Kennedy6 episodes

Stage

ProductionYearVenueCompanyRole(s)Director(s)
The Crucible Mercury Theatre Mercury Theatre CompanySusanna WalcottMiles Taylor
The PossibilitiesStronghold Theatre CompanyEnsemblePeter Evans
Daughters of Heaven Auckland Theatre Company Pauline Parker Colin McColl
Evans Freud’s DoraNZ Arts CouncilDoraAnatoly Frusin
Media SlutsNZ Puppet TheatreThe StarletPeter Evans
MacbethWellington International Festival of the ArtsLady MacbethPeter Evans
The Man from Scotland New Zealand Fringe Festival Peter Evans
SteamingNational TourGary Penny ProductionsDawnGary Downes
OthelloThe Mask CompanyDesdemonaPeter Evans
Bad Poetry NIDA NIDA CompanyNurse, SisterPeter Kingston
The Alchemist1996 Belvoir Street Theatre Company B Belvoir Dame Pliant Neil Armfield
WASP1996 Belvoir Street Theatre Company B Belvoir Zig Zag Woman, Angie, Sis Neil Armfield
The Seagull1997 Belvoir Street Theatre Company B Belvoir Masha Neil Armfield
Max & The Trickster Australian Museum TricksterYaron Lifshitz
Cloudstreet1998Sydney Festival, Perth Festival Company B Belvoir, Black SwanElaine, Mrs. Clay, Meredith Neil Armfield
The Caucasian Chalk Circle1998 Belvoir Street Theatre Company B Belvoir Natella AbashviliMichael Kantor
Henry IV (Parts I & II)1999National Tour Bell Shakespeare Lady Percy, Doll Tearsheet Wart John Bell
Valley of the Big Bones1999 Australian Museum Bjork McgurkWarren Coleman
Ship of Fools1999 Griffin Theatre Company Sunny, Mayor, Anna Lundsdorf, Madame van EyckRos Horin
Cloudstreet1999Melbourne, Adelaide, Zurich Festival, London, Dublin Festival Company B Belvoir, Black SwanElaine, Lucy Wentworth, Meredith Neil Armfield
The Small Poppies1999Sydney Festival Company B Belvoir Clint's Mum, Courtney Neil Armfield
Australian National Playwrights’ Conference1999 Richard Wherrett, Ros Horin
The Small Poppies1999Dublin Festival, Melbourne Festival Company B Belvoir Clint's Mum, Courtney Neil Armfield
Borderlines2001The Griffin Griffin Theatre Company, Riverina Theatre Company Meredith Danni, Ren, LisaRichard Buckham, Adam Cook, Jeremy Sims
Cloudstreet2001National Theatre, BAM, Kennedy Centre Company B Belvoir Elaine Lamb, Lucy Wentworth, Meredith Neil Armfield
The Rood Screen2001Development WorkshopAliceAnna Messariti
Macbeth2003 Belvoir Street Theatre Company B Belvoir WitchMichael Kantor
The Underpants2003 Belvoir Street Theatre Company B Belvoir Gertrude Neil Armfield
Stuff Happens2005 Seymour Centre Company B Belvoir Various Neil Armfield
It Just Stopped2006 Company B Belvoir Pearl Neil Armfield
Dead Caesar2007Wharf 2 Theater Sydney Theatre Company CalpurniaTamara Cook
Exit The King2007The Merlin, Belvoir Street Theatre Malthouse Theatre Company, Company B Belvoir Queen Mary Neil Armfield
Tartuffe2008The Merlin Malthouse Theatre Company DorineMichael Kantor
Travesties2009 Sydney Theatre Company Cecily Richard Cottrell
The Book of Everything2013Tour Belvoir Margot Neil Armfield
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof2013 Belvoir Street Theatre Belvoir Mae Simon Stone
Vere2013 Adelaide Festival Centre, Sydney Opera House State Theatre Company of South Australia, Sydney Theatre Company Kate Sarah Goodes
Perplex2014Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company RebeccaSarah Giles
After Dinner2015Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre Company DympieImara Savage
Chimerica2017 Roslyn Packer Theatre Sydney Theatre Company Barb, Doreen, Marie Dubiecki, Kate, Judy Kip Williams
Dinner2017 Sydney Opera House Sydney Theatre Company WynneImara Savage
Kill Climate Deniers2018The Griffin Griffin Theatre Company Gwen Malkin Lee Lewis
The Misanthrope2018 Sydney Opera House Bell Shakespeare Philipa (Philinte) Lee Lewis
First Love is the Revolution2019The Griffin Griffin Theatre Company Cochineal and Bailey Chicken Lee Lewis
Dance Nation2020 Adelaide Festival Centre Belvoir and State Theatre Company of South Australia MaeveImara Savage

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References

  1. ↑ "Past nominees and winners, 2004". Helpmann Award. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  2. ↑ "Past nominees and winners, 2007". Helpmann Award. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  3. ↑ "AACTA Awards - Past Awards". AACTA. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
  4. ↑ Knox, David (3 May 2015). "TV Week Logie Awards 2015: winners". TV Tonight. Retrieved 29 July 2018.
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