Helen Dallimore is an Australian stage, television and film actress, known for originating the role of Glinda in the West End production of Wicked.

Helen Dallimore
Dallimore in 2015
Born
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
OccupationActress
Years active1996–present

Early life

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Dallimore grew up in Oxford, England and Sydney, Australia.[1] She trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, graduating in 1995.[1] She was awarded a Mike Walsh Fellowship in 2002.[2]

Her parents are academics and she has one brother.[1]

Career

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Theatre

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Dallimore's credits with the Sydney Theatre Company include: David Edgar's Pentecost, The Unlikely Prospect of Happiness, Andrew Upton and Gale Edwards' The Hanging Man, and "Miss Adelaide" in Guys and Dolls. She also created the role of "Simone" in Up for Grabs, later played by Madonna in the West End.[1]

She made her West End debut as Glinda in the original London cast of the musical Wicked. Previews began on 7 September 2006 with an opening night of 27 September. She starred alongside Idina Menzel and later Kerry Ellis as Elphaba. She played her final performance on 14 July 2007 and was replaced by Dianne Pilkington. She was asked to reprise the role in the original Australian production of the show but declined.

She then appeared in the comedy Boeing Boeing in Australia[3] and filled in for a sick cast member in the Sydney 2008 Wharf Revue. In July/August 2009 she starred in the ill-fated Ernest Hemingway musical Too Close to the Sun at the West End's Comedy Theatre. She went on to appear in the 2009 Wharf Revue in Sydney, followed by the Australian production of Spring Awakening with the Sydney Theatre Company in February/March 2010.

Dallimore played Cinderella in the London Open Air Theatre production of Into the Woods, which ran from 6 August – 11 September 2010.[4]

In 2012, she originated the role of Paulette Bonafonte in the Australian premiere of Legally Blonde The Musical.[5] For this role, she won the 2013 Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.[6]

Dallimore starred as Mrs Johnstone in the Australian revival of Blood Brothers in Sydney and Melbourne, and was nominated for a Helpmann Award for her performance.[7] She would go on to win a Colleen Clifford Memorial Award for Best Actor in a Music Theatre (female) at the 2015 Glug Awards.[8]

In 2019 Dallimore starred as Judy Garland in The State Theatre Company of South Australia production of End of the Rainbow.[citation needed]

Film and television

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Dallimore's film and television work includes Mr. Accident, Mumbo Jumbo, Kangaroo Jack, The Day of the Roses, Two Heads Creek, and The Extra. She also featured alongside Glenn Close and Harry Connick, Jr. in the 2001 television remake of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific. She appeared in an episode of the UK television crime drama Midsomer Murders entitled Last Year's Model.[9]

Dallimore worked for children's television and provided the voice of Panda in the popular children's TV series Magic Mountain for ABC TV. She also appears in the 2009 sketch comedy television series Double Take.[citation needed]

She has also appeared in a series of TV commercials for All-Bran cereal, also featuring fellow actress and comedian Julia Morris.[citation needed]

In the summer of 2010, Dallimore appeared in Home and Away as Mitzy, a friend of Marilyn Chambers.[citation needed]

Since 2018, she has narrated the Australian version of Married at First Sight, taking over from Georgie Gardner since the fifth season.[10]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1998 The Sugar Factory Christine Feature film
1999 Mumbo Jumbo Jackie TV movie
2000 Mr. Accident Sunday Valentine Feature film
2001 Russian Doll Alison Feature film
2002 Tempe Tip Joy Franklin Feature film
2000 The Three Stooges Elaine Ackerman TV movie
2002 Secret Bridesmaids' Business Margaret 'Meg' Louise Bacon TV movie
2003 The Postcard Bandit Gina TV movie
2004 It Takes Two to Tango Cassie Short film
2005 The Extra Kylie Crackenrack Feature film
2005 Little Oberon Siobhan TV movie
2009 Being Carl Williams Journalisf Short film
2010 Shock Sarah J Short film
2016 Fragments of Friday Film
2017 Remembering Agatha Hatty Bernstein Short film
2018 A Suburban Love Story Cynthia Feature film
2019 Two Heads Creek Apple Feature film

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1996–97 Pacific Drive Sondra Westwood TV series
1996–2000 Water Rats Fiona / Paula / Katie Wood TV series, 3 episodes
1997 Flipper Kate Sheffield TV series, 1 episode
1997–98 Magic Mountain Panda (voice) TV series
1998 The Day of the Roses Annette Gordon TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1998–2004 All Saints Amanda Sales / Loretta Giorgio TV series, 9 episodes
2001 South Pacific Nurse TV miniseries
2002 Bad Cop, Bad Cop Billie Lovelay TV series, 1 episode
2006 Midsomer Murders Felicity TV series, season 9, episode 8: Last Year's Model
2009 Double Take Various characters TV series, 11 episodes
2009 Chandon Pictures Megan TV series, 1 episode
2010 Rescue: Special Ops Yvette Turner TV series, 1 episode
2010 Home and Away Mitzy Fraser TV series, 15 episodes
2012 Laid Megan TV series, 1 episode
2012 A Moody Christmas Peggy TV miniseries, 4 episodes
2013 The Elegant Gentleman's Guide to Knife Fighting Special Guest TV miniseries, 1 episode
2013 In Your Dreams Jill TV series, 6 episodes
2013–14 House Husbands Gaby TV series, seasons 2-3, 5 episodes
2014 The Moodys Peggy TV series, 1 episode
2014 Wonderland Bianca Deakin TV series, 2 episodes
2015–present Married at First Sight Narrator TV series, 7 seasons
2016–17 Here Come the Habibs Olivia O'Neill TV series, seasons 1-2
2017 True Story with Hamish & Andy Sammie TV series, 1 episode
2018 Talkin' 'Bout Your Generation Self TV series, 1 episode
2019 Hardball Ms Crapper / Ms Blapper TV series, 20 episodes
2023 North Shore Sarah Skillmam TV series, 1 episode

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes
2004 The Republic of Myopia Sydney Theatre Company at Sydney Theatre
2004 Harbour Sydney Theatre Company at Sydney Theatre. Written by Katherine Thomson
2006 Wicked Glinda Apollo Victoria Theatre
2009 Too Close to the Sun Mary Hemingway Comedy Theatre, West End
2010 Into the Woods Cinderella Regent's Park Open Air Theatre
2012 Legally Blonde Paulette Lyric Theatre Sydney
2015 Blood Brothers Mrs Johnstone Sydney
2017–18 Muriel's Wedding Deidre Chambers Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures at Roslyn Packer Theatre
2019 End of the Rainbow Judy Garland State Theatre Company of South Australia
2022 Girl from the North Country Australia & New Zealand tour

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Shenton, Mark (26 October 2006). "London Notes: Helen Dallimore". Broadway.com. Retrieved 27 July 2009. [dead link]
  2. ^ "THE MIKE WALSH FELLOWSHIPS". Mile Walsh. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
  3. ^ AussieTheatre.com
  4. ^ Waddingham, Russel Lead Open Air Theatre's INTO THE WOODS, 8/6-9/11
  5. ^ Helen Dallimore completes principal cast of Legally Blonde, Australia
  6. ^ Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde and King Kong Honored at Helpmann Awards Archived 2 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Playbill, Retrieved 29 July 2013
  7. ^ "2015 Nominees and Winners | Helpmann Awards".
  8. ^ "2015 Glugs Theatre Awards Winners". Stage Whispers. Stage Whispers. 2 February 2016. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  9. ^ IMDB Profile
  10. ^ "The MAFS Narrator Has Finally Been Unmasked And Whataya Know? She's A Familiar Face". Pedestrian.tv. Nine Entertainment Co. 13 March 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
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