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Pamela Rabe

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Pamela Rabe
Rabe in 2015.
Born
Pamela June Koropatnick

(1959-04-30) 30 April 1959 (age 65)
NationalityCanada
Australia
Occupation(s)Actress, Director
Years active1978–present
(film, theatre & television)
Notable workSirens (1994)
Così (1996)
Paradise Road (1997)
The Well (1997)
Wentworth (TV 2014-21)
Height183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Spouse
(m. 1984)
AwardsAACTA AwardThe Well
AACTA AwardWentworth
See all awards

Pamela Rabe AM (born Pamela June Koropatnick; 30 April 1959) is a Canadian–Australian actress and theatre director. A graduate of the Playhouse Acting School in Vancouver, Rabe is best known for her appearances in the Australian films Sirens, Cosi and Paradise Road, and for starring as Joan Ferguson in the television drama series Wentworth.

Early life

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Rabe was born in Oakville, Ontario, Canada in 1959. The seventh of eight children, she graduated from the Playhouse Acting School in Vancouver.[1] Rabe relocated to Australia in 1983 with Australian director, Roger Hodgman.[2] They were married in 1984.[citation needed]

Career

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Theatre

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Rabe is a prolific contributor to theatrical life in her adopted country in acting and directing, across a wide range of genres - musicals, comedy and drama. She is a long-standing collaborator with the Sydney Theatre Company and the Melbourne Theatre Company. Rabe was once described by Melbourne theatre critic Alison Croggon as having the sort of presence that "makes shy people swallow hard and lesser mortals involuntarily bow".[3]

Some of her other high-profile acting roles include Amanda Wingfield in Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie at Belvoir, for which she won a Helpmann Award, Nora Boyle in Patrick White's The Season at Sarsaparilla, for which she won a Green Room Award for Best Actress,[4] Richard III in the Sydney Theatre Company production of The War Of The Roses, which co-starred Cate Blanchett as Richard II.[5][6] and Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil in Les Liaisons Dangereuses alongside Hugo Weaving.

In 2005, she performed an experimental play called Woman-Bomb,[7] in which she inhabited the body and mind of a suicide bomber.

In 2010, she starred in the Melbourne stage production of David Mamet's play Boston Marriage.[8]

In 2012, Rabe received a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Musical for her performance in Grey Gardens for The Production Company. In July 2015, she won a second Helpmann Award, this time for Best Female Actor in a Play, for her performance in The Glass Menagerie.

In late 2017, Rabe played the roles of Helene Alving in Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts for Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre, Mrs. Higgins in the Julie Andrews-directed revival of My Fair Lady (replacing Robyn Nevin), and the role of Mary in Colm Tóibín's The Testament of Mary, at the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne. In 2018, she starred in Lucy Kirkwood's The Children at the Melbourne Theatre Company.[9]

Rabe turned her hand to theatre directing in 2009, and has directed several high-profile plays for Australian theatre companies, including the Australian premiere of In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play), and Elling for the Melbourne Theatre Company. Rabe was nominated for a Green Room Award for best direction on both occasions. In 2012, Rabe was invited to be a member of the guest triumvirate who programmed the Melbourne Theatre Company season for that year.[10][11]

In 2023 Rabe joined the international tour of The Confessions.[12]

On 4 September, Rabe was announced for the 2025 Sydney Theatre Co season to direct and appear in the play Happy Days.[13] On 11 September 2024, Rabe was announced as part of the Melbourne Theatre Co season to appear in Rebecca.[14] On 1 November 2024, it was announced that Rabe would join Bert La Bonté for the 2025 Black Swan Theatre Company production of August: Osage County.[15]

Film

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In 1989, Rabe made her film debut with a minor role in Against the Innocent. Her second role came in 1993 when she was cast in John Duigan's romantic comedy Sirens (with Hugh Grant and Sam Neill). Rabe's first leading role was in the 1995 film Vacant Possession. Following this, she appeared in 1996's Cosi (with Ben Mendelsohn, Barry Otto, and Toni Collette), Lust and Revenge (directed by Paul Cox).

In 1997, she appeared in Paradise Road (starring Glenn Close and set during World War II) as well as playing Hester in The Well (an adaptation of Elizabeth Jolley's novel of the same name), for which she received an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actress.[1] More recently, she appeared in the Jasmila Žbanić film For Those Who Can Tell No Tales, and narrated the film Symphony of the Wild.

Television

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Rabe's Australian television credits include an early guest role on the soap opera A Country Practice, recurring roles on the family series Ocean Girl and The Secret Life of Us, and a lead role in the short lived series Mercury.

In September 2013, it was announced that Rabe would join the cast of the Australian prison drama series Wentworth, a reimagining of the classic Network Ten soap opera Prisoner. She joined Wentworth in Season Two as sadistic prison governor Joan "The Freak" Ferguson, a role originally played by Maggie Kirkpatrick in Prisoner. Her character was initially killed off at the end of the fifth season, when she is buried alive by Will Jackson (Robbie Magasiva), and she made her then final appearances in two episodes of the sixth season as a figment of Will's imagination. The seventh season of Wentworth was intended to be the last, however, it was once again renewed and the ending of Season Seven was rewritten to include Joan, who is revealed to be alive. Rabe reprised her role for the 20-episode eighth and final season, which aired its first part in 2020, while the final part was aired in 2021. Rabe has been nominated for multiple awards for her performance, winning the 2015 AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama and the 2018 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress.

In 2017, Rabe played the role of Maude in the 6-part TV series Fucking Adelaide, which premiered at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2017.[16][17]

In 2018 Rabe would guest appear in Wentworth in Series 6, film mini series 'The Hunting' and continue performing in theatre.

Rabe would return to theatre in 2020 for the play 'Monster'[18] but the performances where put on hold due to COVID restrictions, it was finally announced that Monster would go ahead in 2022 but Rabe would withdraw from the play and the role went to Alison Whyte, Rabe also performed a vocal performance of Shakespeare works in 2021 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

In 2022 Rabe joined the cast of Amazon comedy series Deadloch. Rabe would also join the first series of ABC drama Bay of Fires.[19][20]

Other work

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Rabe served on the board of the Australian Film Institute from 1999–2002[21] and is a former member of the Board of Directors of NIDA. Rabe also serves on the board of the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne.[22]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 Against the Innocent American Woman
1993 Sirens Rose Lindsay
1995 Vacant Possession Tessa
1996 Così Ruth
Lust and Revenge Obnoxious Woman
1997 Paradise Road Mrs. Tippler
The Well Hester
2004 The Boy Who Feeds Cats Narrator Voice; short film
2013 For Those Who Can Tell No Tales Mum
2015 Symphony of the Wild Narrator Voice

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1985 A Single Life Margaret Bennett Television film
1987 Nancy Wake Madeleine Miniseries
1990 A Country Practice Marnie Rose Season 10 - "My Sister's Keeper" (Parts 1 & 2)
1993 Seven Deadly Sins Greed Miniseries
1995 Ocean Girl Commander Byrne Recurring role; season 2 - 10 episodes
1996 Mercury Claire Bannister Leading role; season 1 - 13 episodes
The Bite Samira Nazib Miniseries
1997 Frontier Rosa Campbell Praed Miniseries
2001 Stingers Eve Reisner Episode: "True Colours"
2003 The Secret Life of Us Luciana Recurring role; season 3 - 9 episodes
CrashBurn Andy Episode: "Seven Letters or Less"
2005 Holly's Heroes Mrs. Rocacelli 3 episodes
2014–2021 Wentworth Joan Ferguson Leading role Seasons 2–5, 8
Special guest role Season 6−7
2017 Fucking Adelaide Maude All 6 episodes
2019 The Hunting Principal De Rossi Miniseries
2021 Rosehaven Margaret Season 5
2023 Deadloch Margaret Carruthers 6 episodes
2023–present Bay of Fires Magda ABC TV series: 8 episodes

Self appearances

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Year Title Role Notes Ref
2021 Wentworth Unlocked Self-host TV special [23]
2020 Wentworth: Behind The Bars 2 Self TV special
2019 Wentworth: Behind The Bars Self TV special
2016 An Audience with the Cast of Wentworth Self TV special

Stage (selected partial credits)

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Year Title Role Notes Ref
1978 The Bacchae Theban Woman
1979 All's Well That Ends Well Helen
1980 The Red Devil Battery Sign Helena
1980-81 The Man Who Came To Dinner Mrs Dexter
1981 The Notebook of Trigorin Cook Understudy
Wings Nurse
1982 See How They Run Lady Montague
A Midsummer Night's Dream Helena
See How They Run Ida
1981-82 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Fleur-de-lys
1983 The Winter's Tale Emillia
1983-84 84 Charing Cross Road Margot
1983 The Maid's Target Aspatia
2007 The Art of War Crystal Sydney Theatre Co
A Midsummer Night's Dream
2008 Gallipoli
The Serpent's Teeth Catherine Pavic
2009 The War of the Roses Richard III
God of Carnage Veronique Vallon MTC
2010 Boston Marriage Anna
Do Not Go Gentle Bowers FortyFive Downstairs
2011 Hamlet Gertrude MTC
Grey Gardens Little Edie The Production Company
2012 Les Liaisons Dangereuses Marquise de Merteuil Sydney Theatre Co
2013 The Cherry Orchard Ranevskaya MTC
2014 The Glass Menagerie Amanda Belvoir
2015 Footfalls May State Theatre of South Australia
2016 The Glass Menagerie Amanda Belvoir/Malthouse
2017 Ghosts Helene Alving Belvoir
My Fair Lady Mrs Higgins Gordon Frost Organization
Testament of Mary Mary Malthouse Theatre
2018 The Children Hazel MTC
Dance of Death Alice Belvoir
2019 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Big Mama Sydney Theatre Co
2021 The Last Season Summer Force Majeure
The Cherry Orchard Ranevskaya Belvoir [24]
2023 The Confessions International Tour [25]
2024 Seventeen Jess MTC
Ride the Cyclone The Amazing Karnak (voice) Hayes Theatre Co [26]
2024-2025 August: Osage County Violet Weston Belvoir, Black Swan Theatre Co [27]
2025 Happy Days Winnie Sydney Theatre Co (also director) [13]
Rebecca Mrs Danvers Melbourne Theatre Co

Honours

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Rabe was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "significant service to the performing arts as a performer and director".[28]

Awards and nominations

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Year Format Association Category Nominated work Result
1988 Theatre Green Room Award Female Actor in a Leading Role (Drama)[29] Gertrude Stein and a Companion Won
1991 Theatre Green Room Award Female Actor in a Featured Role (Music Theatre) The Wizard of Oz Won
1993 Theatre Green Room Award Female Actor in a Leading Role (Drama)[30] Lost in Yonkers Won
1997 Theatre Green Room Award Female Actor in a Featured Role (Music Theatre) A Little Night Music Nominated
1997 Film AACTA Awards Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role The Well Won
1997 Film Stockholm International Film Festival Best Actress Won
1998 Film Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards Best Actor - Female Nominated
1998 Theatre Mo Awards[31] Supering Musical Theatre Performer of the Year herself Won
2002 Theatre Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Musical The Wizard of Oz Nominated
2002 Theatre Green Room Award Female Actor in a Featured Role (Music Theatre) Nominated
2005 Theatre Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Play Dinner Nominated
2007 Theatre Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Play Mother Courage and Her Children Nominated
2008 Theatre Green Room Award Female Performer - Theatre (Companies) The Season At Sarsaparilla Won
2009 Theatre Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Play War of the Roses Nominated
2011 Theatre Green Room Award Director - Theatre (Companies) In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play) Nominated
2011 Theatre Green Room Award Female Actor in a Leading Role (Music Theatre) Grey Gardens Won
2012 Theatre Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Musical Won
2012 Theatre Green Room Award Director - Theatre (Companies) Elling Nominated
2015 Theatre Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Play The Glass Menagerie Won
2015 Theatre Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play Beckett Triptych Footfalls Nominated
2015 Television ASTRA Awards Most Outstanding Performance by an Actor - Female Wentworth (season 2) Nominated
2015 Television AACTA Awards Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Wentworth (season 3) Won
2016 Television Logie Awards Most Outstanding Actress Wentworth (season 3) Nominated
2016 Television AACTA Awards Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Wentworth (season 4) Nominated
2017 Television AACTA Awards Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Wentworth (season 5) Nominated
2018 Television Logie Awards Most Outstanding Actress Wentworth (season 5) Won
2018 Theatre Helpmann Award Best Female Actor in a Play The Children Won
2020 Television AACTA Awards Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Wentworth (season 8 – P1) Nominated
2021 Television AACTA Awards Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama Wentworth (season 8 – P2) Nominated
2022 Television TV Tonight Awards Favourite Female Wentworth (season 8 – P2) Nominated

References

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  1. ^ a b "Pamela Rabe". 16th Street. Archived from the original on 23 February 2011.
  2. ^ Johnson, Helen (5 November 2017). "Wentworth's Joan 'The Freak' Ferguson actress Pamela Rabe stars as Jesus' mother in solo show". Herald-Sun. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Theatre Notes". August 2004.
  4. ^ "Sarsaparilla steals the Melbourne Limelight". Sydney Morning Herald. 21 April 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Richard III, thy name is woman". Sydney Morning Herald. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  6. ^ Lalak, Alex (19 January 2009). "Review: The War Of The Roses, starring Cate Blanchett". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  7. ^ "Womb with a view". The Age. 28 June 2005. Archived from the original on 5 November 2012.
  8. ^ Croggon, Alison (11 June 2010). "Pamela Rabe on a roll as a woman behaving badly". The Australian. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  9. ^ "Sarah Peirse in MTC's the Children, a nightmare vision of the 'quake' to come". 18 January 2018.
  10. ^ "Melbourne Theatre Company announces 2012 Season" at www.australianstage.com.au
  11. ^ "Multi-layered Rabe mixes it on Melbourne stage" by Robin Usher at www.smh.com.au
  12. ^ Akbar, Arifa (24 October 2023). "The Confessions review – dazzling drama drawn from a mother's memories". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  13. ^ a b Staff Writer (4 September 2024). "Sydney Theatre Co production 2025 Happy Days". sydneytheatreco. Retrieved 4 September 2024.
  14. ^ Staff Writer. "Rebecca". www.mtc.com.au. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  15. ^ Theatre, Aussie (1 November 2024). "PAMELA RABE and BERT LABONTÉ will join the cast of the Perth season of August: Osage County". AussieTheatre.com. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  16. ^ Daniela Frangos (2 October 2017). "Fucking Adelaide to Premiere at Adelaide Film Festival". Broadsheet Adelaide. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Fucking Adelaide". IMDB. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  18. ^ Wild, Stephi. "Malthouse Theatre Announces Part 2 Of Its 2022 Season Featuring Three New Australian Works". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  19. ^ "More cast join Bay of Fires for ABC | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  20. ^ Frater, Patrick (20 February 2022). "Amazon Starts Production of 'Deadloch' Comedy Series in Australia (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  21. ^ "National Institute of Dramatic Art". 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  22. ^ Malthouse Theatre - Our Team
  23. ^ Knox, David (5 August 2021). "Airdate: Wentworth Unlocked | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
  24. ^ Boon, Maxim (7 June 2021). "Bevloir's take on Chekov great 'The Cherry Orchard' is Absolutely Fabulous". Time Out Sydney. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  25. ^ "The Confessions by Alexander Zeldin To Play A Limited Run at The National Theatre as Part of International Collaboration". 19 September 2023. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  26. ^ Theatre, Aussie (8 May 2024). "Pamela Rabe Joins The Cast of Ride the Cyclone". AussieTheatre.com. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  27. ^ Staff Writer (4 September 2023). "Sri Lankan Australian epic family saga to return to Australian stage following hit UK tour". ABC News. Retrieved 15 November 2023.
  28. ^ "Ms Pamela Rabe". Australian Honours Search Facility. 12 June 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  29. ^ "Promptings". Saturday Extra. The Age. 27 February 1988. p. 9.
  30. ^ "Playbox tops stage awards". The Age. 18 February 1993. p. 14.
  31. ^ "MO Award Winners". Mo Awards. Retrieved 16 March 2022.

Further reading

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