Anita Louise Combe is an Australian actress, singer, dancer who has worked extensively in the entertainment industry all around the world. Combe attended the Gwen Mackay School of Dancing and trained in the Cechetti method of ballet with Jennifer Pollard in Adelaide, South Australia before making her first professional appearance on stage as Sillabub in the Australian Premiere Production of Cats at the Theatre Royal in Sydney. She is one of the few people in the world to date who has played both roles of Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly in the production of Chicago in the West End. Anita created the role of Stephanie Mangano in the World Premiere Production of Saturday Night Fever opposite fellow Australian,

Adam Garcia Adam Garcia is an Australian actor who is best known for lead roles in musicals such as '' Saturday Night Fever'' and '' Kiss Me, Kate''. He is also a trained tap dancer and singer. Garcia has been nominated twice at the Laurence Olivier Award ...

and produced by Adelaide born,

Robert Stigwood Robert Colin Stigwood (16 April 1934 – 4 January 2016) was an Australian-born British-resident music entrepreneur, film producer, and impresario, best known for managing musicians such as Cream, Andy Gibb, and the Bee Gees; theatrical produc ...

.Theatre: Saturday Night's all right
/ref>

Personal life

Combe was born in Adelaide, South Australia. Her mother Rosemary was a nursing sister and her father John was an architect. She grew up with five brothers, two older and three younger. Her eldest brother, Scott, died in a car accident only months after her opening night in the musical

Cats The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

. Her main ambition was to become a ballet dancer, but after being cast in her first role in Cats she realised she wanted to expand her career into singing and acting also. After playing roles such as Peron's Mistress in Evita, Sybil in

Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetuall ...

and

Cosette Cosette () is a fictional character in the 1862 novel ''Les Misérables'' by Victor Hugo and in the many adaptations of the story for stage, film, and television. Her birth name, Euphrasie, is only mentioned briefly. As the orphaned child of an ...

in ''

Les Misérables ''Les Misérables'' (, ) is a 19th-century French literature, French Epic (genre), epic historical fiction, historical novel by Victor Hugo, first published on 31 March 1862, that is considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century. '' ...

'', all in Australia, Combe then made her West End debut in the world premiere production of

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway (California), Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, Pacific Palisad ...

. Anita has one daughter

Career

Film and television

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...

, Rochelle, BBC, Dir: John Dower

The Royals (TV series) ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

, (Season 3) Lady Jane

Doctors Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

, Laura Bowles Miller, BBC, Dir: Graham Sherrington

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...

, Margarhita, BBC Salsa ''Industry pilot'', Gail, Luvchild Productions, Dir:Lorrie Sheehy/

Kevin Ball Kevin Ball (born 12 November 1964) is an English former professional footballer who played for Portsmouth, Sunderland, Fulham and Burnley. Since his retirement, he has held a number of positions at Sunderland, including twice being caretaker man ...

Rabbit Fever, ''Feature film by Stephen Raphael ''Sheila Tucker, Caught in the headlight prod.,Dir:Ian Denyer

Silent Witness ''Silent Witness'' is a British crime drama television series produced by the BBC that focuses on a team of forensic pathology experts and their investigations into various crimes. The series was created by Nigel McCrery, a former murder squa ...

, Rachel Blake, BBC, Dir:Nick Renton Belinda, ''Australian Film by Pamela Gibbons'', Vicki, Dir: Pamela Gibbons

A Country Practice ''A Country Practice'' is an Australian television soap opera/serial which was broadcast on the Seven Network from 18 November 1981 until 22 November 1993, and subsequently on Network Ten from 13 April 1994 to 5 November 1994. Altogether, 14 ...

Guest Lead, Anna Collins, JNP FILMS

Home and Away ''Home and Away'' (''H&A'') is an Australian television soap opera. It was created by Alan Bateman and commenced broadcast on the Seven Network on 17 January 1988. Bateman came up with the concept of the show during a trip to Kangaroo Point, N ...

Guest Lead, Shirley, Channel 7 network G.P Guest Lead, Melanie Bloom, ABC Network Ray Martin Midday Show, Guest appearances singing live, Channel 9 network Good Morning Australia Guest appearances singing live

Theatre

Ragtime Ragtime, also spelled rag-time or rag time, is a musical style that had its peak from the 1890s to 1910s. Its cardinal trait is its Syncopation, syncopated or "ragged" rhythm. Ragtime was popularized during the early 20th century by composers ...

, Mother, Charing Cross Theatre London, 2016 Dir: Thom Southerland

, Grizabella, UK Tour 2016 Dir: Trevor Nunn

Gypsy {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

, Tessie Tura, Chichester Festival/Savoy Theatre 2014/15, Dir: Jonathan Kent

9to5 9to5, National Association of Working Women is an organization established in 1973 that is dedicated to improving working conditions and ensuring the rights of women and families in the United States. Their organization strived to close the gap ...

, Roz Keith, UK tour, 2013, Dir: Jeff Calhoun

Saturday Night Fever ''Saturday Night Fever'' is a 1977 American Dance in film, dance Drama (film and television), drama film directed by John Badham and produced by Robert Stigwood. It stars John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian Americans, Italian-America ...

, Stephanie Mangano (Original World Premiere Production), London Palladium, Dir: Arlene Phillips

Chorus Line A chorus line is a large group of dancers who together perform synchronized routines, usually in musical theatre. Sometimes, singing is also performed. While synchronized dancing indicative of a chorus line was vogue during the first half of th ...

, Cassie, Australian Production, 2013, Dir: Bayyork Lee Starting Here, Starting Now, Victorian State Opera Melbourne, Dir: Andrew Mcbean Stepping Out, Mavis Turner, Derby Playhouse, Dir: Stephen Dexter Taking Steps Alan Ayckbourne, Elizabeth Crabbe, Gatehouse Theatre, London, Dir: Alex Holt

Noël Coward, Sybil, Sydney Opera House, Dir: Peter Williams Honeyspot ''Aust/aboriginal play by Jack Davis'', Peggy, Canada/USA/Aust. lizabethan Theatre Trust Dir: Richard Tulloch ''

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

'' (with

David Hasselhoff David Michael Hasselhoff (born July 17, 1952), nicknamed "The Hoff", is an American actor, singer, and television personality. He has set a Guinness World Record as the most watched man on TV. Hasselhoff first gained recognition on the soap ...

), Velma Kelly, Adelphi Theatre, London, Dir: Scott Faris

(with Alyson Moyet &

Marti Pellow Marti Pellow (born Mark McLachlan; 23 March 1965) is a Scottish singer. He was the lead singer of the pop group Wet Wet Wet for 28 years: from their formation in 1982 until their split in 1997, and again from their reformation in 2004 to his d ...

), Roxie Hart, Adelphi Theatre, London, Dir: Scott Faris Oscar (which famously closed after opening night!), Constance Lloyd, George Bernard Shaw Theatre, London, Dir: Mike Read Hello Again London Premiere, The Actress, Bridewell Theatre, London, Dir: Clive Paget Saturday Night Fever (musical), Created role of: Stephanie Mangano, London Palladium, Dir:

Arlene Phillips Dame Arlene Phillips (born 22 May 1943) is an English choreographer, theatre director, talent scout, former television judge, presenter, and dancer. She reached mainstream fame on television as a judge on ''Strictly Come Dancing'' (2004-2008) a ...

La Boheme LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

World Premiere MTL production, Mimi, Dir: Tony Britten

World Premiere Production, Betty Schaefer, Adelphi Theatre, London, Dir: Sir Trevor Nunn

Canadian Premiere, Betty Schaefer, Toronto & Vancouver, Dir: Sir Trevor Nunn

, Cosette, Australian Production, Dir: Gayle Edwards Evita, Peron's Mistress, State Theatre, Sydney, Dir: Tom Guerra

CATS The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have shown that the ...

Australian Premiere, Sillabub, Theatre Royal, Sydney, UK and European Tour, Grizabella Dir: Sir Trevor Nunn

Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay '' I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervan ...

, Fermina/Gypsy Dancer, Victorian State Opera, Melbourne, Dir: Graeme Murphy, George Fairfax

Nominations

Green Room Awards The Green Room Awards are Australian peer awards which recognise excellence in cabaret, dance, theatre companies, independent theatre, musical theatre, contemporary and experimental performance, and opera. The awards, which were established in ...

, Australia - Best Actress in a Musical 'A Chorus Line' Robert Helpmann Awards, Sydney - for Best Actress in a Musical 'A Chorus Line' Dora Maver Moore Award, Toronto - for Best Supporting Actress in a musical ‘Sunset Boulevard’ Jessie Richardson Award, Vancouver - for Best Actress in a Musical ‘Sunset Boulevard’ WhatsOnstage Award, London – for Best Actress in a musical ‘Hello Again’

Recordings

Gypsy, London Cast Recording Saturday Night Fever, World Premiere Cast Recording Sunset Boulevard, World Premiere Cast Recording Sunset Boulevard, Canadian Cast Recording A Chorus Line, BBC, Live Recording Andrew Lloyd Webber Greatest Hits, Silva Screen Records Cats, Australian Premiere Cast Recording

Concerts

Rodgers & Hammerstein Concert, Guest singer, Israel Chamber Orchestra, CONDUCTOR:

Martin Yates Martin Yates (born in London) is a British conductor. After attending Kimbolton School, he studied at the Royal College of Music and Trinity College of Music, London, where his teachers included Bernard Keeffe (conducting), Richard Arnell (co ...

Take That Take That are an English pop group formed in Manchester in 1990. The group currently consists of Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen. The original line-up also featured Jason Orange and Robbie Williams. Barlow is the group's lead singer ...

Concert, The Ultimate Tour, SJM Productions, DIR: Kim Gavin Encore Concert, Guest Singer in Dubai, Creative Concerts Ltd Rodgers & Hammerstein Concerts, Guest Singer,

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO) is an English orchestra, founded in 1893 and originally based in Bournemouth. With a remit to serve the South and South West of England, the BSO is administratively based in the adjacent town of Poole, s ...

West End at Home Concert in Poole, Guest Singer, Creative Concerts Ltd Summer Showstoppers Concert on the Isle of Wight, Guest Singer,

Radio Broadway, Starring role, Various Concert Locations Concert in Amsterdam with

John Barrowman John Scot Barrowman MBE (born 11 March 1967) is a Scottish-American actor, author, presenter, singer and comic book writer. He is known for his roles as Captain Jack Harkness in ''Doctor Who'' (2005–2010; 2020–2021) and its spin-off ''Torc ...

, CONDUCTOR:

A Chorus Line Concert, Bebe Benzenhiemer, BBC,

BBC Big Band The BBC Big Band, originally known as the BBC Radio Big Band is a British big band, previously run under the auspices of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The band broadcasts exclusively on BBC Radio, particularly on BBC Radio 2's long ...

Over the Threshold, Kate, Gatehouse Theatre, DIR: Nick Afka White Christmas, Betty Haynes, DIR:

Michael Blakemore Michael Howell Blakemore AO OBE (18 June 1928 – 10 December 2023) was an Australian actor, writer and theatre director who also made some films. A former Associate Director of the National Theatre, in 2000 he became the only individual to ...

Helen of Troy Music/lyrics:

Brian Johnson Brian Johnson (born 5 October 1947) is an English singer and songwriter. In 1980 at the age of 32, after the death of Bon Scott, he became the third lead singer of the Australian rock band AC/DC. Johnson was one of the founding members of th ...

/ Brendan Healy Athena/Dido/Cassandra Prince of Wales Theatre, London Gary Griffin Book/additional lyrics:

Dick Clement Dick Clement (born 5 September 1937) is a retired English writer, director and producer. He became known for his writing partnership with Ian La Frenais for television series including ''The Likely Lads'', ''Whatever Happened to the Likely La ...

Ian La Frenais Ian La Frenais (born 7 January 1937) is a retired English writer best known for his creative partnership with Dick Clement. They are most famous for television series including '' The Likely Lads'', ''Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?'', ' ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Combe, Anita Louise Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Actresses from Adelaide Australian stage actresses Actresses from London