Sheila Kennelly

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Sheila Kennelly
Born (1936-12-28) 28 December 1936 (age 87) [1]
Brighton, Sussex, England, UK
NationalityEnglish
Australian
Other namesSheila Kenneally
Education Independent Theatre
Occupation(s)Actress, comedienne [1]
Years active1958–1971, 1977–1994 (theatre)
1967–2008 (television) [2]
Known for

Sheila Kennelly (born 28 December 1936) [3] [4] also credited as Sheila Kenneally, is a British-born Australian retired character actress of theatre and music hall, television and film, with a career spanning over 50 years. [5] [6] From the late 1950s onwards, her early career was based exclusively in theatre and she didn't start her screen career until the late 1960s becoming well known for her roles in TV soap operas, serials, sitcoms and mini-series. She is best known locally and internationally for her role in Home and Away as Floss McPhee in that series first year (with several guest stints), before being written out as producers wanted to concentrate on a younger and updated cast. [4]

Contents

Early life

Kennelly was born in Brighton, Sussex, England in December 1936 and arrived with her family in Australia at an early age, where she attended North Sydney Girls High School before training at the Independent Theatre . She worked as a secretary at a radio station, before becoming a casting director and assistant, assigning aspiring actors into radio serials. [7]

Career

Stage

She started her career in stage plays in 1958, appearing with the Old Tote Theatre and the Nimrod Theatre Company, before undertaking a lengthy arts tour with A View from the Bridge and starring in numerous roles with the Neutral Bay Music Hall. [2]

Television

Sheila had been a staple of the small screen since the late 1960s until retiring in 2008, firstly appearing in plays at the ABC, before taking soap opera and comedy relief roles

She became a household name in the hugely popular serial Number 96 as brassy bubbly barmaid Norma Whittaker, a comedy character opposite Gordon McDougall. Norma's trademark catchphrase was calling everyone 'Ducky'. Whilst her husband, amateur inventor Les was killed off in the infamous bomb blast storyline, Norma remained with the series for 4+12 years, returning for the final episode. Both characters also featured briefly in the Number 96 feature film version.

In one storyline, a fictional artist (played by Owen Weingott) visits the apartment and requests to paint a nude portrait of Norma; the painting is subsequently hung in the wine bar. This famed portrait of Norma, was in reality painted by the network's art director Eunice Dyer, and was based on "Chloé" a painting at a Melbourne hotel. After the series' demise it was given to Tom Oliver, who housed it at a wine establishment business he owned in Sydney Jacks Sellers [8]

In a 2009 reunion with the cast of Number 96 on Where Are They Now? , Kennelly stated she had wanted to become a serious actor featuring in plays by such dramatists as Arthur Miller and Bertolt Brecht, but ended up in Number 96 instead as Norma, in which she used a blonde wig to disguise 'the real Sheila'.

From 1980 until 1984, she appeared opposite Ross Higgins in the sitcom Kingswood Country . She played 'cheery wog', Rosa Berlucci who looked after Ted Bullpitt when his wife Thel played by Judi Farr left him. [4] Throughout the 1980s, she continued to make appearances in serials such as Glenview High , children's series Secret Valley , The Flying Doctors and in a few guest roles in A Country Practice

In 1987, she was given the choice of appearing in a small role in the film Evil Angels . She stated at the time she would have loved to have been in the film, purely to be able to say she had appeared with Meryl Streep, [9] but ultimately turned it down to appear in new Seven Network soap opera Home and Away as one of 16 original characters. She played retired carnival worker Floss McPhee for the first year of screening, but was eventually written out, as the producers wanted to concentrate on a younger cast and updated formula. [4]

Kennelly's later roles included guest parts in The Flying Doctors , Big Sky (in 1997), and medical drama All Saints . [4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleType
1974 Number 96 Norma WhittakerFeature film
1982 Fluteman Myra HansenFeature film
1987 The Tale of Ruby Rose CookFeature film
1993 Shotgun Wedding (Voice)Feature film

Television

YearTitleRoleType
1964 Rape of the Belt HippobomeneTV play
1967 You Can't See 'Round Corners Guest role: LindaTV series, 1 episode
1968The CellSister VeynardTV movie
1968 The Queen's Bishop TV play
1969 Woobinda, Animal Doctor Guest roleTV series, 1 episode
1969 Tilley Landed On Our Shore TV play
1970 Pastures of the Blue Crane Rose BradleyTV series, 1 episode
1971 The Comedy Game TV series, season 1, episode: "Arthur"
1972 Division 4 Guest roles: Mrs Allen / Mrs VillaniTV series
1972–1975 Number 96 Regular role: Norma WhittakerTV series, 243 episodes
1977Number 96: The Final NightHerself (with Number 96 cast)TV series, 1 episode
1977 All at Sea Mrs. HandTV movie
1978 Puzzle Mrs. FosterTV movie US / Australia
1979 Doctor Down Under Guest role: Mrs. EllisTV series, 1 episode
1979 Glenview High Recurring guest role: Val DeevneyTV series, 2 episodes
1979; 1980; 1982 The Mike Walsh Show GuestTV series, 3 episodes
1979 Carrots Regular role: Mabel DobbsTV series
1980; 1982 Secret Valley Regular role: Cecillia CribbinsTV series, 14 episodes
1982–1984 Kingswood Country Regular role: Rosa BertolucciTV series, 31 episodes
1981 Daily at Dawn Recurring guest roleTV series, 2 episodes
1982 Spring and Fall Guest role: MarjTV series, 1 episode
1982–1993 A Country Practice Guest roles: Hazel Walmsley / Mary Sheridan / Val LaskiTV series, 6 episodes
1983 Return to Eden LizzieTV miniseries, 1 episode
1984 Sweet and Sour Recurring guest role: Darryl's MumTV series, 2 episodes
1984 Mail Order Bride DorothyTV movie
1985 Winners Mrs. TinsleyTV series
1985 Anzacs Recurring role: Mrs. BakerTV miniseries, 4 episodes
1986Kids 21st Birthday Channel Ten TelethonGuest (with Number 96 cast: Johnny Lockwood, Bettina Welch, Elizabeth Kirkby, Vicki Raymond, Pat McDonald, Wendy Blacklock, Harry Michaels, Chard Hayward, Frances Hargreaves & Abigail)TV special
1987 The Flying Doctors Guest role: Hannah RobsonTV series, 1 episode
1988–1989, 2000; 2002; 2004; 2008 Home and Away Regular / recurring role: Floss McPheeTV series, 131 episodes
1990 Come in Spinner TV miniseries, 4 episodes
1990 How Wonderful! Aunt HelenTV movie
1990 The Flying Doctors Guest role: Merle DemsterTV series, 1 episode
1991 Hampton Court Guest role: Mrs. VerstakTV series, 1 episode
1997 Big Sky Guest role: BettyTV series, 1 episode
2001; 2007 All Saints Guest roles: Rada Verzina / Mary MooreTV series, 4 episodes

Theatre

YearProductionRoleVenue / Co.
1958 Under Milk Wood Independent Theatre, Sydney
1959 Sur Le Pont Independent Theatre, Sydney
1960 A View from the Bridge Independent Theatre, Sydney, Cooma, Cooma, NSW, Broken Hill Town Hall
1961 Ondine University of Sydney
1961An Evening of Grands Guignoi University of Sydney
1962 Shipwreck Union Hall at University of Sydney
1964How the West Was Lost Neutral Bay Music Hall
1967Virtue in Peril, or, Castle, Curses or Caresses Neutral Bay Music Hall
1968Her Only Mistake Neutral Bay Music Hall
1966 The Face at the Window Neutral Bay Music Hall, Sydney
1969O'Vile Pretender, or, The Maiden and the Actor Neutral Bay Music Hall, Sydney
1969The Sins of Society Neutral Bay Music Hall
1970 Cox and Box AMP Theatrette, Sydney
1970Face of a ManMajestic Cinemas, Sydney
1971Flash Jim Vaux Nimrod Street Theatre, Sydney
1971The National Health or Nurse Norton's Affair UNSW, Old Tote Parade Theatre
1971 A Break in the Music Independent Theatre, Sydney
1977 The Visit Edna Bondi Pavilion, Sydney
1977The Political Bordello; or, How Waiters Got the VoteMrs Bondi Pavilion, Sydney
1985The Maitland and Morpeth String Quartet Newcastle Region Art Gallery
1986Farewell Brisbane LadiesPlayhouse, Newcastle
1989 Curtains Northside Theatre, Sydney
1991 Steaming Theatre Royal, Sydney
1993Hot Taps Riverside Theatres Parramatta
1994Choice Newcastle Civic Theatre, Bridge Theatre Coniston, Q Theatre Penrith
The Hostage

[10]

Notes

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    References

    1. 1 2 Willingham, Margot The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Australian Showbiz
    2. 1 2 "Sheila Kennelly".
    3. Giles, Nigel "Number 96: Australia's Most infamous Address"
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 Oram, James "Home and Away" Behind the Scene's published by Angus and Robertson
    5. Kennelly, Sheila. Biographical cuttings on Sheila Kennelly, actress, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals. National Library of Australia . Retrieved 11 April 2019.
    6. "Number 96 – Episode 910". australianscreen. Australia: National Film and Sound Archive. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
    7. "Number 96 : Australia's. Most Infamous Address"
    8. Giles, Nigel "NUMBER 96", published by Melbourne Books ISBN   9-781925-556001
    9. Oram, James "Home and Away" Behind the Scene's, published by Angus and Robertson
    10. "AusStage".