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Shari Sebbens

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Shari Sebbens
Born (1985-04-22) 22 April 1985 (age 39)
Darwin, Northern Territory Australia
EducationWestern Australian Academy of Performing Arts
National Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
OccupationActress
Years active2010–present

Shari Sebbens is an Aboriginal Australian actress and stage director, known for her debut film role in The Sapphires (2012), as well as many stage and television performances. After a two-year stint as resident director of the Sydney Theatre Company (STC), in 2023 she will be directing productions by STC and Griffin in Sydney, as well as Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne. She is on the board of Back to Back Theatre.

Early life and education

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Sebbens, one of six children, was born and raised in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.[1] Her father is a former long-distance coach driver from Sydney of English descent and her mother, Annarella,[2] an Aboriginal education worker from Broome, Western Australia is of Jabirr Jabirr and Bardi heritage.[1][3] Sebbens refers to Australian music composer and playwright Jimmy Chi as her uncle, although they are not related by blood. She is the cousin of writer and film director Mitch Torres.[1]

As a child, Sebbens wanted to become a palaeontologist or an astronaut but at the age of thirteen she saw Indigenous actress (and future The Sapphires co-star) Deborah Mailman in the film Radiance (1998) and was inspired to pursue acting.[1]

Sebbens graduated from Darwin High School in 2001[4] and after two and a half years at Nhulunbuy,[5] at age 19, was chosen to participate in "SPARK", a theatre mentorship programme established by the Australia Council for the Arts.[6] At 20 she was accepted into the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) where she completed a one-year course in Aboriginal Theatre. Upon completing her studies at WAAPA, Sebbens successfully auditioned for a place at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney, where she studied acting full-time for three years,[7] graduating in 2009.[6]

Acting and directing

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Screen

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Sebbens played Anna in a short film called Violet in 2010.[8] By May 2012 Sebbens landed a role in Redfern Now, a television series about "six inner city households whose lives are changed by a seemingly insignificant incident".[9][10]

Sebbens secured a role in The Sapphires (2012), a film based on the stage show of the same name, written by Tony Briggs. It was directed by Wayne Blair and also starred Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, and Miranda Tapsell (who also co-wrote the script). Sebbens played the role of Kay McCrae, one of four Indigenous Australian singers "who travel from a mission in Victoria to Vietnam to sing for American troops".[7][11][12] The cast attended the film's premiere at the 65th Annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on 20 May 2012.[11]

As of October 2022, Sebbens has two acting projects lined up for the future, both on screen.[13] On 19 August 2024, Sebbens was named as part of the cast for the Australian adaptation of The Office.[14]

Theatre

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In 2012 Sebbens played Miri Smith and Currah in A Hoax with Griffin;[15][8] in 2014, Dawn in Lobby Hero at Tap Gallery;[16] and in 2015, Mae in Radiance at Belvoir.[17] In 2017, she played Charlotte Gibbons in STC's production of Nakkiah Lui's play Black is the New White in Sydney[18] (with Miranda Tapsell stepping into her role when the show toured to Adelaide).[19]

In 2019 she took the role of Julia Hersey in a production of Our Town by Black Swan State Theatre Company in Perth[citation needed], and in the same year played matriarchal character Carina in Meyne Wyatt's City of Gold,[20][21] her last role on stage for at least another three years, in a play she later directed, in 2021.[13]

In 2021 Sebbens was appointed as one of the STC's resident directors.[22][13] She was assistant director to Wesley Enoch on the STC's production of Appropriate, staged in March–April 2021.[22]

Also in 2021 she directed the STC's touring production of Enoch's The 7 Stages of Grieving, featuring Elaine Crombie. The staging was originally scheduled for 2020,[23] but, interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, was postponed until mid-2021.[24] It was scheduled to be staged in Sydney, Adelaide and Canberra,[25] with a new epilogue that introduced a note of activism, with Crombie, Sebbens and assistant director Ian Michael calling for the audience to engage in "seven actions of healing".[26]

Sebbens is dramaturg on STC's 2022 production of Shakespeare's The Tempest,[13] starring Richard Roxburgh and directed by Kip Williams.[27]

in 2023 she will be directing productions by STC and the Griffin Theatre Company in Sydney, as well as Melbourne Theatre Company and Malthouse in Melbourne.[13]

Other activities

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Sebbens was a judge for the Patrick White Playwrights Award at STC in 2018.[13]

After being appointed STC's resident director, she hosted the TV series The Whole Table, a co-production between STC and NITV, which aired in January–February 2021. Her co-panellists were playwright Wesley Enoch, actor/writer/director Nakkiah Lui and Rhoda Roberts, and guests included Taika Waititi, Miranda Tapsell, Adam Briggs, Meyne Wyatt,[28] Yolanda Bonnell and Kwame Kwei-Armah.[29][30]

Recognition

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Filmography

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Films

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Year Title Role Notes
2010 Violet Anna Short film
2012 The Sapphires Kay McCrae
2013 The Darkside Naomi
2014 You Wanna Order Pizza? Cass Short film
2015 Alone Nina Short film
2015 Silent Night Carly Short film
2016 OnO Ollie Short film
2016 Teenage Kicks Annuska
2017 Australia Day Sonya Mackenzie
2017 Puppets vs. People: Night of the Living Thread Susie Short film
2017 This Is Desmondo Ray! Clementine Love Short film
2017 Thor: Ragnarok Asgardian Mother
2019 Top End Wedding Ronelle
2022 Thor: Love and Thunder Asgardian
2024 The Moogai Sarah Short film (2020) precedes this feature film.[33]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2012 Redfern Now Julie Episode: "Joy Ride"
Logie Award for Most Outstanding New Talent
Equity Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
2014 The Gods of Wheat Street Isolde Freeburn 6 episodes
2014 Soul Mates Samus 2 episodes
2014, 2016 Black Comedy Various 4 episodes
2015 8MMM Aboriginal Radio Jessie 6 episodes
2018 Show Me the Movie! Herself Episode: "Episode #1.3"
2018 A Chance Affair Aviante Episode: "Just Like Smoke"
2019, 2020 The Heights Leonie 60 episodes
2021 The Whole Table Host 3-part documentary series, with panel discussions
2024 The Office Greta King Main role
2024 Thou Shalt Not Steal Tracey 6 episodes

Theatre (selection)

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Year Production Theatre Role Notes
2012 A Hoax Griffin Theatre, Sydney Miri Smith/Currah Nominated – Sydney Theatre Award for Best Newcomer
2014 Lobby Hero Tap Gallery, Sydney Dawn
2015 Radiance Belvoir St Theatre, Sydney Mae
2017 Black is the New White[34] STC Charlotte Gibbons
2019 Our Town Black Swan State Theatre Company, WA Julia Hersey
2021 The 7 Stages of Grieving STC Director

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Blake, Elissa (15 July 2012). "Dream time to act out". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  2. ^ Palin, Megan (9 April 2013). "Logie double in top night for Top End". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
  3. ^ Moran, Jonathan (26 August 2012). "Shari Sebbens shines with best of both worlds". Herald Sun. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  4. ^ "NamesDatabase: Shari Sebbens". Names Database. Archived from the original on 2 October 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  5. ^ Steer, Adam (22 April 2013). "Shari Sebbens still a 'Darwin girl'". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Characters – Refern Now: Julie". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  7. ^ a b "The Sapphires Press Kit: About Shari Sebbens" (PDF). Australia at Cannes 2012 (Screen Australia). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
  8. ^ a b c King, Darryn (12 December 2012). "Sydney Theatre Awards 2012 nominations". Time Out Sydney. Archived from the original on 21 December 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  9. ^ Knox, David (28 May 2012). "Cameras Roll on Redfern Now". TV Tonight. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  10. ^ Quinn, Karl (13 November 2012). "Redfern Now back for second series".
  11. ^ a b Hohenboken, Angus (21 May 2012). "The Sapphires starring Jessica Mauboy and Deborah Mailman is a gem, insist Cannes critics". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  12. ^ Moran, Jonathon (19 June 2011). "Mauboy's new tilt at movies". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 25 June 2011.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Bremer, Rudi (8 October 2022). "Aboriginal actor-turned-director Shari Sebbens takes the reins on new theatre productions in Sydney and Melbourne in 2023". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  14. ^ Knox, David (19 August 2024). "Airdate: The Office (Australia) | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  15. ^ Blake, Jason (30 June 2012). "Depths of deception create publishing sensation". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  16. ^ Blake, Jason (11 July 2014). "Lobby Hero review: Level comedy elevated by fiery performances". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  17. ^ Blake, Jason (8 January 2015). "Radiance review: Strong performances, but more polish needed for Purcell's Radiance to shine". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  18. ^ "Black is the New White". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  19. ^ Marsh, Walter (15 November 2019). "Review: Black Is The New White". The Adelaide Review. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  20. ^ Behrendt, Larissa (2 August 2019). "City of Gold review – ambitious, raw and provocative play launches a bold new voice". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  21. ^ Hurley, Angelina (5 August 2019). "New play 'City of Gold' is Meyne Wyatt's voice of truth". NITV. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  22. ^ a b c Browning, Daniel (13 February 2021). "Word Up: Shari Sebbens" (Audio + text). ABC Radio National. Awaye!. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  23. ^ "The 7 Stages of Grieving". AusStage. 25 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  24. ^ "The 7 Stages of Grieving by Wesley Enoch & Deborah Mailman". State Theatre Company South Australia. Retrieved 26 June 2021.
  25. ^ Bremer, Rudi (5 June 2021). "As The 7 Stages of Grieving is re-staged, Shari Sebbens and Elaine Crombie ask how much has changed in 26 years". ABC News (Australia). ABC Arts. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  26. ^ Dow, Steve (26 May 2021). "The 7 Stages of Grieving review – Elaine Crombie gives a singular performance in show that swings to outright activism". the Guardian. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  27. ^ "The Tempest". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  28. ^ Nicol, Emily (19 January 2021). "The Whole Table: What does the future hold for First Nations creatives?". NITV. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  29. ^ "The Whole Table". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
  30. ^ "The Whole Table". SBS On Demand. Available until 31 December 2029 (requires free account). 20 January 2021. Retrieved 27 June 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  31. ^ Cartwright, Darren (7 April 2013). "Sebbens hopes Logie opens more doors". The Australian. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  32. ^ Blake, Jason (29 January 2024). "The Winners: 2023 Sydney Theatre Awards announced". Limelight. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  33. ^ Keen, Suzie (2 February 2024). "Made in SA: films and TV shows to watch out for in 2024". InReview. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  34. ^ "Black is the New White". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 23 March 2018.

Further reading

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