Rebecca Massey

Rebecca Massey
Born
New Zealand
Alma materUniversity 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Awards and nominations

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

Year Association Category Nominated work Result
2004 Helpmann AwardBest Female Actor in a Supporting Role – PlayThe UnderpantsNominated
2007 Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role – PlayIt Just StoppedNominated
Green Room AwardsBest Female Actress Won
Best Supporting Female Actress Nominated
Glug AwardsBest Supporting Actress Won
2010 Best Supporting Actress TravestiesNominated
2018 Sydney Theatre AwardsBest New Australian Work Kill Climate Deniers Nominated

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

Years Title Role Notes
2005 Son of the MaskClare
2006 Final CallShort film
2008 The Black BalloonMiss Babb
2009 Accidents HappenLouise
2013 Greg's First DayMadam 2 Short film
2013 Backyard AshesLilly Waters
2015 Holding the ManWoman from Red Cross
2016 Bad GirlDetective Daniels
2018 Last ArkCaptain Shane Hudson Short film
2022 BlazeJade

Television

Years Title Role Notes
2002 Kangaroo Creek GangKristie the Koala Voice
2002 Blood SportsSarah Television film
2002-6 All SaintsMelissa Wilson; Jodie Abbott; Wendy Saralyn 3 episodes
2003 Grass RootsKirsten Bovie Episode: "Youth"
2004 Small ClaimsClare Santarini Television film
2006 Stepfather of the BrideFiona Television film
2007-9 Chandon PicturesLucy Cannon 16 episodes
2009 City HomicidePeggy Duval Episode: "Baker's Dozen"
2009 My PlaceMrs Benson 6 episodes
2010-12 LowdownTrudy March 4 episodes
2012 Packed to the RaftersAudrey 2 episodes
2012 Tricky BusinessGaye Hudson Episode: "Mothercraft"
2015 WinterSally McKenzie Episode: "Blow Up"
2015 The PrincipalRina 4 episodes
2015-17,23 UtopiaBeverley Sadler 11 episodes
2016 Deep WaterSally Williams 2 episodes
2016-17 Pacific HeatMaddie Riggs 13 episodes; Voice
2019 UprightConstable Stacey Episode: "Day Three"
2019 The LetdownReal Estate Agent Julie Episode: "Heavy Heart"
2019-21 Metro SexualMiranda Graft 5 episodes
2019 Total ControlSharon Episode #1.3
2019 Upright (TV series)Constable Stacey 1 episode
2022 BaronsSylive Thompson 3 episodes
2023 The MessengerBev Kennedy 6 episodes

Stage

Production Year Venue Company Role(s) Director(s)
The CrucibleMercury TheatreMercury Theatre Company Susanna Walcott Miles Taylor
The PossibilitiesStronghold Theatre Company Ensemble Peter Evans
Daughters of HeavenAuckland Theatre CompanyPauline Parker Colin McColl
Evans Freud’s DoraNZ Arts Council Dora Anatoly Frusin
Media SlutsNZ Puppet Theatre The Starlet Peter Evans
MacbethWellington International Festival of the Arts Lady Macbeth Peter Evans
The Man from ScotlandNew Zealand Fringe FestivalPeter Evans
SteamingNational Tour Gary Penny Productions Dawn Gary Downes
OthelloThe Mask Company Desdemona Peter Evans
Bad PoetryNIDANIDA Company Nurse, Sister Peter Kingston
The Alchemist1996 Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirDame Pliant Neil Armfield
WASP1996 Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirZig Zag Woman, Angie, Sis Neil Armfield
The Seagull1997 Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirMasha Neil Armfield
Max & The TricksterAustralian MuseumTrickster Yaron Lifshitz
Cloudstreet1998 Sydney Festival, Perth Festival Company B Belvoir, Black Swan Elaine, Mrs. Clay, Meredith Neil Armfield
The Caucasian Chalk Circle1998 Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirNatella Abashvili Michael Kantor
Henry IV (Parts I & II)1999 National Tour Bell ShakespeareLady Percy, Doll Tearsheet Wart John Bell
Valley of the Big Bones1999 Australian MuseumBjork Mcgurk Warren Coleman
Ship of Fools1999 Griffin Theatre CompanySunny, Mayor, Anna Lundsdorf, Madame van Eyck Ros Horin
Cloudstreet1999 Melbourne, Adelaide, Zurich Festival, London, Dublin Festival Company B Belvoir, Black Swan Elaine, Lucy Wentworth, Meredith Neil Armfield
The Small Poppies1999 Sydney Festival Company B BelvoirClint's Mum, Courtney Neil Armfield
Australian National Playwrights’ Conference1999 Richard Wherrett, Ros Horin
The Small Poppies1999 Dublin Festival, Melbourne Festival Company B BelvoirClint's Mum, Courtney Neil Armfield
Borderlines2001 The Griffin Griffin Theatre Company, Riverina Theatre CompanyMeredith Danni, Ren, Lisa Richard Buckham, Adam Cook, Jeremy Sims
Cloudstreet2001 National Theatre, BAM, Kennedy CentreCompany B BelvoirElaine Lamb, Lucy Wentworth, Meredith Neil Armfield
The Rood Screen2001 Development Workshop Alice Anna Messariti
Macbeth2003 Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirWitch Michael Kantor
The Underpants2003 Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirGertrude Neil Armfield
Stuff Happens2005 Seymour CentreCompany B BelvoirVarious Neil Armfield
It Just Stopped2006 Company B BelvoirPearl Neil Armfield
Dead Caesar2007 Wharf 2 Theater Sydney Theatre CompanyCalpurnia Tamara Cook
Exit The King2007 The Merlin, Belvoir Street Theatre Malthouse Theatre Company, Company B BelvoirQueen Mary Neil Armfield
Tartuffe2008 The Merlin Malthouse Theatre CompanyDorine Michael Kantor
Travesties2009 Sydney Theatre CompanyCecily Richard Cottrell
The Book of Everything2013 Tour BelvoirMargot Neil Armfield
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof2013 Belvoir Street TheatreBelvoirMae Simon Stone
Vere2013 Adelaide Festival Centre, Sydney Opera HouseState Theatre Company of South Australia, Sydney Theatre CompanyKate Sarah Goodes
Perplex2014 Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre CompanyRebecca Sarah Giles
After Dinner2015 Wharf 1 Sydney Theatre CompanyDympie Imara Savage
Chimerica2017 Roslyn Packer TheatreSydney Theatre CompanyBarb, Doreen, Marie Dubiecki, Kate, Judy Kip Williams
Dinner2017 Sydney Opera HouseSydney Theatre CompanyWynne Imara Savage
Kill Climate Deniers2018 The Griffin Griffin Theatre CompanyGwen Malkin Lee Lewis
The Misanthrope2018 Sydney Opera HouseBell ShakespearePhilipa (Philinte) Lee Lewis
First Love is the Revolution2019 The Griffin Griffin Theatre CompanyCochineal and Bailey Chicken Lee Lewis
Dance Nation2020 Adelaide Festival CentreBelvoir and State Theatre Company of South AustraliaMaeve Imara Savage

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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