Rebecca Massey


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.
WWW rebeccamassey.com.au

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. 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, 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 , the Griffin Theatre Company in Kill Climate Deniers by David Finisgan. For the Sydney Theatre Company she has appeared in Travesties, Vere , 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's The Underpants and Steven Sewell's It Just Stopped.

Filmography

Rebecca Massey's film and television credits include Chandon Pictures which won Best Comedy, Best Original Production, Most Outstanding Light Entertainment, and Utopia : which won Best Television Comedy Series, Most Outstanding Comedy Program.
Other television credits include Lowdown, My Place, Stepfather of the Bride, Deep Water. Film credits she is known for are Son of the Mask, The Black Balloon, Accidents Happen, Backyard Ashes, Bad Girl.

Stage

ProductionYearVenueCompanyRoleDirector
The CrucibleMercury TheatreMercury Theatre CompanySusanna WalcottMiles Taylor
The PossibilitiesStronghold Theatre CompanyEnsemblePeter Evans
Daughters of HeavenAuckland Theatre CompanyPauline ParkerColin 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 ScotlandNew Zealand Fringe FestivalPeter Evans
SteamingNational TourGary Penny ProductionsDawnGary Downes
OthelloThe Mask CompanyDesdemonaPeter Evans
Bad PoetryNIDANIDA CompanyNurse, SisterPeter Kingston
The Alchemist1996Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirDame PliantNeil Armfield
WASP1996Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirZig Zag Woman, Angie, SisNeil Armfield
The Seagull1997Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirMashaNeil Armfield
Max & The TricksterAustralian MuseumTricksterYaron Lifshitz
Cloudstreet1998Sydney Festival, Perth FestivalCompany B Belvoir, Black SwanElaine, Mrs. Clay, MeredithNeil Armfield
The Caucasian Chalk Circle1998Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirNatella AbashviliMichael Kantor
Henry IV 1999National TourBell ShakespeareLady Percy, Doll Tearsheet WartJohn Bell
Valley of the Big Bones1999Australian MuseumBjork McgurkWarren Coleman
Ship of Fools1999Griffin Theatre CompanySunny, Mayor, Anna Lundsdorf, Madame van EyckRos Horin
Cloudstreet1999Melbourne, Adelaide, Zurich Festival, London, Dublin FestivalCompany B Belvoir, Black SwanElaine, Lucy Wentworth, MeredithNeil Armfield
The Small Poppies1999Sydney FestivalCompany B BelvoirClint's Mum, CourtneyNeil Armfield
Australian National Playwrights’ Conference1999Richard Wherrett, Ros Horin
The Small Poppies1999Dublin Festival, Melbourne FestivalCompany B BelvoirClint's Mum, CourtneyNeil Armfield
Borderlines2001The GriffinGriffin Theatre Company, Riverina Theatre CompanyMeredith Danni, Ren, LisaRichard Buckham, Adam Cook, Jeremy Sims
Cloudstreet2001National Theatre, BAM, Kennedy CentreCompany B BelvoirElaine Lamb, Lucy Wentworth, MeredithNeil Armfield
The Rood Screen2001Development WorkshopAliceAnna Messariti
Macbeth2003Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirWitchMichael Kantor
The Underpants2003Belvoir Street TheatreCompany B BelvoirGertrudeNeil Armfield
Stuff Happens2005Seymour CentreCompany B BelvoirVariousNeil Armfield
It Just Stopped2006Company B BelvoirPearlNeil Armfield
Dead Caesar2007Wharf 2 TheaterSydney Theatre CompanyCalpurniaTamara Cook
Exit The King2007The Merlin, Belvoir Street Theatre Malthouse Theatre Company, Company B BelvoirQueen MaryNeil Armfield
Tartuffe2008The Merlin Malthouse Theatre CompanyDorineMichael Kantor
Travesties2009Sydney Theatre CompanyCecilyRichard Cottrell
The Book of Everything2013TourBelvoirMargotNeil Armfield
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof2013Belvoir Street TheatreBelvoirMaeSimon Stone
Vere2013Adelaide Festival Centre, Sydney Opera HouseState Theatre Company of South Australia, Sydney Theatre CompanyKateSarah Goodes
Perplex2014Wharf 1Sydney Theatre CompanyRebeccaSarah Giles
After Dinner2015Wharf 1Sydney Theatre CompanyDympieImara Savage
Chimerica2017Roslyn Packer TheatreSydney Theatre CompanyBarb, Doreen, Marie Dubiecki, Kate, JudyKip Williams
Dinner2017Sydney Opera HouseSydney Theatre CompanyWynneImara Savage
Kill Climate Deniers2018The GriffinGriffin Theatre CompanyGwen MalkinLee Lewis
The Misanthrope2018Sydney Opera HouseBell ShakespearePhilipa Lee Lewis
First Love is the Revolution2019The GriffinGriffin Theatre CompanyCochineal and Bailey ChickenLee Lewis
Dance Nation2020Adelaide Festival CentreBelvoir and State Theatre Company of South AustraliaMaeveImara Savage