Henri Szeps

Henri Szeps (2 October 1943 – 23 July 2025), also spelt Henry Szeps, was an Australian character actor of theatre and television. He also featured in films and worked in voice roles, and worked in productions in the United Kingdom. He was best known for his role as "Robert the Dentist" in the original version of ABC sitcom Mother and Son, and in theatre for his performances in many plays by David Williamson. In 2003 he won a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical, for his performance in Cabaret, and earned other awards and honours for his acting.

Early life and education Henri Szeps was born on 2 October 1943 in a refugee camp in Lausanne, Switzerland, to Polish parents who were Holocaust survivors. Prior to the German invasion of Poland during World War II, his parents fled to France in 1938. His father left the family to join the French Resistance. In 1943, his mother Rose and three-year-old sister Maria made their way to a refugee camp in Lausanne, where Henri was born. In September 1944, having watched babies in the camp become ill, Henri's mother had him fostered out to a German-speaking Swiss couple in Blumenstein at 1 months old. In 1946, his mother who had relocated to Paris, reclaimed him when he was three years old, but he returned to the Swiss couple in 1948 when he was 4, as he could not speak Polish or French and found it hard to communicate with his mother. He was reclaimed by his mother again in 1949, but due to her illness, at the age of six was placed at the Rothschild Orphanage, St Denis, outside Paris.

Szeps came to Sydney, Australia, at the age of eight in 1951 or 1952 with his mother and sister. From 1952, his stepfather Maurice joined then from Paris. His mother worked as a tailor and his stepfather as a presser. They later bought a grocery shop in Surry Hills. He later said that although some of the children laughed at his "foreign ways", he received recognition from his performances, which made him realise that he wanted to act.

His early screen credits include police procedural drama series Homicide, children's series Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and adventure series Riptide as well as the film You Can't See 'Round Corners. In 1968, he starred in a successful stage production of Mart Crowley's The Boys in the Band, where, during the Sydney season, he met his wife-to-be, NIDA graduate and actress Mary Ann Severne, who had come to watch fellow NIDA friends performing in the play. He also had guest roles in several British television series, including The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes, Spyder's Web, Spy Trap, The Strauss Family, Colditz, Crown Court, and Dixon of Dock Green.

Szeps returned to Australia in 1974. He moved into a care facility in 2023.

Szeps died from complications of Alzheimer's disease on 23 July 2025, at the age of 81.

Acting awards and honours include: Year Association Award Work Results 1985 Penguin Award Best Actor in a mini-series Palace of Dreams 1997 Norman Kessell Award Outstanding Performance I'm Not a Dentist 2003 Helpmann Award Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical Cabaret 2014 Ensemble Theatre The Henri Szeps Green Room 2015 Glugs Awards Lifetime Achievement Award

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Type

As actor YearTitleRoleType 1962 Cecile and the Bespoke Overcoat Cecile University of Sydney 1963 The Physicists Ensemble Theatre, Sydney Paint Your Wagon Arts council tour 1972–1973 Twelfth Night The Old Vic UK tour 1972–1973 Mother Goose Demon Discontent Theatre Royal, Windsor with Windsor Theatre Company 1963–1974 Pericles Fisherman 1 Nottingham Playhouse, Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds, Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Middle East & Mediterranean tour, Oxford Playhouse, Her Majesty's Theatre, London with Prospect Theatre Company 1974–1975 Savages Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Theatre Royal, Hobart 1975 The Good Doctor Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra, Monash University, Melbourne 1976 The Beast of Belgrave Square Gilbert Mortlock Neutral Bay Music Hall, Sydney 1977 Funny Peculiar Desmond Ainsley Theatre Royal Sydney, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne with J. C. Williamson's 1977 The Prisoner of Second Avenue Harry Edison Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1978 The Comedy of Errors Egeon / Balthasar Nimrod, Sydney 1978 Gone with Hardy Jock McTavish Nimrod, Sydney 1979 Tribute Lou Daniels Theatre Royal Sydney, Newcastle Civic Theatre 1979 Travelling North Saul Nimrod, Sydney, Melbourne Athenaeum 1980 The Death of Bessie Smith Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1980 Sexual Perversity in Chicago / Reunion Bernie Nimrod, Sydney 1980 Reunion Bernie Nimrod, Sydney 1980 A Little Brown Hairy Eye One-man show Nimrod, Sydney, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1980–1981 Celluloid Heroes Gary Brady Nimrod, Sydney, Theatre Royal Sydney 1982 Oklahoma! Ali Hakim Festival Theatre, Adelaide, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Her Majesty's Theatre, Melbourne 1984 Stage Struck Marian St Theatre, Sydney 1984 Two Marian St Theatre, Sydney 1984 The Prisoner of Second Avenue Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1985 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Seymour Centre, Sydney 1986 Glengarry Glen Ross Sydney Opera House, London 1987 Hamlet / Henry IV, Part 1 Sydney Theatre Company 1987 Shepherd on the Rocks Dean Bartholomew Shute / Ern / Nat Wormald Playhouse, Adelaide with STCSA 1988 Rough Crossing Alex Gal Playhouse, Adelaide, Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra with STCSA & Gary Penny Productions 1989 Speed-the-Plow Space Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA 1989 The Price Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1989 Just Between Ourselves Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1990–1991; 1993 The Double Bass One-man show Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Perth, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Glen St Theatre, Sydney 1992 Same Time, Next Year Glen St Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Perth 1992 Sky Rococo Betoni (One-man show) Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Universal Theatre, Melbourne, Playhouse, Perth, Glen St Theatre, Sydney, Q Theatre, Penrith 1994 Three Hotels Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1995 Dead White Males Martin Judd Sydney Opera House, Glen St Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Melbourne, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with STC & MTC 1995–1998 I'm Not a Dentist One-man show Australian tour 1996 Heretic Rick Cooper Australian tour with STC & MTC 1997 After-Play Marian St Theatre, Sydney with Northside Theatre Company 1998 The Sunshine Boys Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1999–2000 The Hobbit Gandalf Australian tour with Anketell Theatre Productions 2001 The Price Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2002 After the Ball Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Theatre Royal Sydney 2002–2003 Cabaret Herr Schultz Australian tour with IMG Productions 2003; 2006 Why Kids One-man show Australian tour 2004 Twelve Angry Men Juror 9 Playhouse, Brisbane, Sydney Theatre, Melbourne Athenaeum with Adrian Bohm Presents 2005 Operator Douglas Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2005 President Wilson in Paris President Wilson Australian tour with HIT Productions 2005 Love Letters Andrew Makepeace III NIDA Parade Theatre, Sydney 2006 Charitable Intent Brian Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2007; 2010 Halpern & Johnson Halpern Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Casula Powerhouse 2008 QED Feynman Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 2008 Codgers Glen Street Theatre, Sydney & Australian regional tour 2010–2011 Wish I'd Said That Joe Bleakley (one-man show) Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, The Street Theatre, Canberra 2011 Four Flat Whites in Italy Harry Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, The Street Theatre, Canberra 2013 It's My Party (and I'll Die if I Want To) Ron Patterson Lennox Theatre, Parramatta with HIT Productions 2013 Freud's Last Session Freud Theatre Royal Sydney 2014 Cruise Control Sol Wasserman Ensemble Theatre, Sydney

As playwright / director / crew YearTitleRoleType 1975 The Good Doctor Composer Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Canberra, Monash University, Melbourne 1980 A Little Brown Hairy Eye Playwright Nimrod, Sydney, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney 1990–1991; 1993 The Double Bass Translator Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Playhouse, Perth, Fairfax Studio, Melbourne, Glen St Theatre, Sydney 1995–1998 I'm Not a Dentist Playwright / Director Hakoah Club, Bondi, Effie Crump Theatre, Perth, Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, Monash University, Melbourne 2003; 2006 Why Kids Playwright / Devisor Australian tour 2010 Wish I'd Said That Playwright Ensemble Theatre, Sydney