Helen Dallimore (born 31 October 1971) is an Australian stage, television and film actress, known for originating the role of
Glinda in the
West End production of ''
Wicked''.
Early life
Dallimore grew up in
Oxford
Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town.
The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
, England and
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, Australia.
[ ] She trained at the
National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, graduating in 1995.
She was awarded a
Mike Walsh Fellowship in 2002.
Her parents are academics and she has one brother.
Career
Theatre
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
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
in the West End.
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
Dianne Lesley Pilkington (born 7 June 1975) is an English theatre actress and singer.
Personal life
Pilkington was born in Wigan. She trained at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating in 1997 with the Principal's Award.
Pilkington marrie ...
. 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
[AussieTheatre.com] and filled in for a sick cast member in the Sydney 2008
Wharf Revue
The Wharf Revue is a series of musical comedy revues presented by the Sydney Theatre Company. Each show features four comedians – usually Jonathan Biggins, Phillip Scott (actor), Phillip Scott and Drew Forsythe, accompanied by a female performe ...
. In July/August 2009 she starred in the ill-fated
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway ( ; July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer and journalist. Known for an economical, understated style that influenced later 20th-century writers, he has been romanticized fo ...
musical ''
Too Close to the Sun'' at the West End's
Comedy Theatre. She went on to appear in the 2009
Wharf Revue
The Wharf Revue is a series of musical comedy revues presented by the Sydney Theatre Company. Each show features four comedians – usually Jonathan Biggins, Phillip Scott (actor), Phillip Scott and Drew Forsythe, accompanied by a female performe ...
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
''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'', which ran from 6 August – 11 September 2010.
In 2012, she originated the role of Paulette Bonafonte in the Australian premiere of ''
Legally Blonde The Musical''. For this role, she won the 2013
Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.
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. She would go on to win a Colleen Clifford Memorial Award for Best Actor in a Music Theatre (female) at the 2015
Glug Awards.
In 2019 Dallimore starred as
Judy Garland in The
State Theatre Company of South Australia production of ''
End of the Rainbow''.
Film and television
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''.
[IMDB Profile](_blank)
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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
Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
television series '' Double Take''.
She has also appeared in a series of TV commercials for All-Bran cereal, also featuring fellow actress and comedian Julia Morris.
In the summer of 2010, Dallimore appeared in ''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 ...
'' as Mitzy, a friend of Marilyn Chambers.
Since 2018, she has narrated the Australian version of '' Married at First Sight'', taking over from Georgie Gardner since the fifth season.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theatre
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dallimore, Helen
Australian people of English descent
National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni
Australian television actresses
Australian musical theatre actresses
Actresses from Melbourne
Helpmann Award winners
1971 births
Living people
21st-century Australian actresses