Kate Sheil

Kate Sheil
Born
Australia
Other namesKate Sheel
Katie Sheil
OccupationsStage and television actor
Years active1971–2005

Kate Sheil is an Australian retired stage and television actress, whose roles include prison officer Janet Conway in two series of the cult television series Prisoner.

Biography

Sheil first appeared in the 1971 television movie What for Marianne? During the next two years, she appeared on the television series Ryan, Boney, Matlock Police and as a regular cast member of situation comedy Birds in the Bush in 1972. She also had several appearances on Homicide from 1971 to 1976.

In 1975, she made her film debut in Ayten Kuyululu's The Golden Cage. She portrayed Sarah, a young teenager who befriends two newly arrived Turkish immigrants, falling in love with one of them, but leaving despite being pregnant when he proposes to her but demands that she convert to Islam. Sheil was the only Australian cast in the film.

During 1976, Sheil had a supporting role in the television movie Me & Mr Thorne as well as the television series Alvin Purple and Shannon's Mob. Later that year, she also starred with Tom Oliver and Gerard Maguire in David Williamson's A Handful of Friends at the Russell Street Theatre in Melbourne, one of many stage productions she was in, throughout her career. She also played a supporting role in The Singer and the Dancer the following year.

In 1980, she appeared on the television series Timelapse, Bellamy and in the television movie Air Hawk before being cast as school teacher Mrs. Velland in the 1981 film Puberty Blues. From 1981 to 1982, she also had a guest stint in Prisoner as Janet Conway, a former Wentworth inmate turned prison officer; a storyline which reunited her with Gerard Maguire from Me & Mr Thorne, and saw the two characters in a romantic subplot.

After appearing on Sons and Daughters in 1984, she again took a break from acting until the late 1980s appearing in the television mini-series Emma: Queen of the South Seas and Joe Wilson during 1988. After appearing in the 1990 film Weekend with Kate, she also made occasional television appearances in the television movie Heroes II: The Return and, during the late 1990s, guest starred on A Country Practice, Children's Hospital and Water Rats.

Between 2001 and 2005, she played a recurring character, Victoria Carlton, in the soap opera All Saints.

Filmography

Film

Year Film Role Notes
1975The Golden CageSarah
1977The Singer and the DancerYong Mrs. BilsonShort film
1981Puberty BluesMrs. Velland
1990Weekend with KatePhoebe
1997BlackrockDoctor

Television

Year Film Role Notes
1971, 1976 Homicide Elly Sullivan / Chris Clark / Kay Marshall 3 episodes (as Katie Sheil)
1971 What For Marianne? Marianne Malden TV movie (as Katie Sheil)
1972 Birds in the Bush Friday Main cast
1973 Matlock Police Lorraine Hughes 1 episode
1973 Boney Gloria Lacey 1 episode
1973 Ryan Ellen Cornell 1 episode
1974 Stopover Kay Marshall (as Katie Sheil) TV movie
1976 Alvin Purple Sally Episode: "London Derriere"
1976 Me & Mr Thorne Shelley Gordon TV movie
1978, 1980, 1981 Cop Shop Tracey Powell / Karen Rush / Shawnee Lowe / Helen Radcliffe Soap opera, 5 episodes
1980 Timelapse Angela Parker
1981 Bellamy Kath Episode: "A Matter of Upbringing"
1981 Airhawk Wendy TV movie
1981–1982 Prisoner Janet Conway Soap opera, recurring role (series 3–4)
1984 Sons and Daughters Kathleen Elliott Soap opera, 8 episodes
1986 Butterfly Island 1 episode
1987 Willing and Abel 1 episode
1988 Joe Wilson Mrs. Black Miniseries, 1 episode
1988 Emma: Queen of the South Seas Gwen Purdam Miniseries, 2 episodes
1989 Rafferty's Rules Joy Finlayson 1 episode
1991 Heroes II: The Return Roma's Mother Miniseries, 2 episodes
1991 A Country Practice Dr. Wendy Gale 1 episode
1993 A Country Practice Sonia Newton 2 episodes
1994 Home and Away Magistrate 1 episode
1994 G.P. Yvonne Freith 1 episode
1997 Heartbreak High Matron 1 episode
1998 Children's Hospital Maureen 1 episode
1999 Water Rats Coroner 1 episode
2001–2005 All Saints Victoria Carlton 14 episodes (as Katie Sheil)

Theatre

Year Film Role Type
1967WoyzeckMarieUNSW, Sydney
1967The Choephori (The Libation Bearers)ClytemnestraUNSW, Sydney
1969The Night of the IguanaFrau Fahrenkopf / Charlotte GoodallNIDA Theatre, Sydney
1969Almost Like Being (Student Graduation Plays)DorisJane Street Theatre, Sydney
1970Cat on a Hot Tin RoofUNSW, Sydney with NIDA
1970A Midsummer Night’s DreamUNSW, Sydney with NIDA
1970Blood WeddingUNSW, Sydney with NIDA
1975The Lady from the SeaSt Martins Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1976; 1978Relatively SpeakingBondi Pavilion, Sydney
1976Le Chateau d'Hydro-Therapie MagnetiqueJane Street Theatre, Sydney with NIDA
1976A Handful of FriendsRussell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1977Boeing BoeingJanetNewcastle Civic Theatre, Theatre Royal Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Brisbane with J. C. Williamson's & Edgley International
1978Big ToysMagSGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
1978The Cherry OrchardVaryaSGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
1978Habeas CorpusSGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
1979You Never Can TellGloriaSGIO Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
1982–1983, 1992SteamingJaneOpera Theatre, Adelaide, Theatre Royal Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Seymour Centre, Sydney, Canberra Theatre
1982VirginiaEdward Street Theatre, Brisbane with QTC
1984CaravanPrincess Theatre, Launceston, Civic Theatre, Burnie, Queens Park Theatre, Perth, Hoyts Prince Theatre, Hobart, Regal Theatre, Perth, Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Adelaide with Ensemble Theatre
1989Passion PlaySydney Opera House with Gary Penny Productions
1990The Odd CoupleVeraComedy Theatre, Melbourne, Majestic Cinemas, Sydney with John Reid Entertainment
1993Jake's WomenEnsemble Theatre, Sydney

References

  1. ↑ Reade, Eric. History and Heartburn: The Saga of Australian Film, 1896–1978. Rutherford, New Jersey: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1979. (pp. 171, 174) ISBN 0-8386-3082-0
  2. ↑ Williamson, David and Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt. Australian Playwrights: David Williamson. Amsterdam: Rodopi B.V., 1988. ISBN 90-5183-029-7
  3. ↑ "Kate Sheil". AusStage.