Robyn Nevin

Robyn Anne Nevin (25 September 1942) is an Australian actress recognised with the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards and the JC Williamson Award at the Helpmann Awards for her outstanding contributions to Australian theatre performance art. Former head of both the Queensland Theatre Company and the Sydney Theatre Company, she has directed more than 30 productions and acted in more than 80 plays, collaborating with internationally renowned artists, including Richard Wherrett, Simon Phillips, Geoffrey Rush, Julie Andrews, Aubrey Mellor, Jennifer Flowers, Cate Blanchett and Lee Lewis.

Nevin is also known for her roles in films and televisions series, including Water Under the Bridge (1980) as Shasta, role that earned her a Logie Awards and a Penguin Award, Upper Middle Bogan (2014) and Top of the Lake (2014), and international film acting as Councillor Dillard in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (both 2003), and as Edna in the horror film Relic (2020).

Early life Nevin was born on 25 September 1942 in Melbourne, to Josephine Pauline Casey and William George Nevin. She was educated at Genazzano Convent until the age of 11, when she moved with her family to Hobart, Tasmania, and was enrolled at the Fahan School, a non-denominational school for girls. While there, she played the lead in the school's production of Snow White at the Theatre Royal. Her parents were conservative and conventional, her father the managing director of Dunlop Australia, her mother a housewife, so to enter the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) at the age of 16 in the very first intake in 1959 was a brave step, in which she was fully supported by her parents.

In 1996 she became artistic director of the Queensland Theatre Company, a position which she held with great success, rescuing the company from bankruptcy and leaving it flourishing in 1999, when she took over the position of artistic director of the Sydney Theatre Company, where she was artistic director until the end of 2007, having created such memorable additions as The Actor's Company, the only professional repertory company in the nation, and the hugely successful Wharf Revue.

In 2006 she established The STC Actors Company and directed its debut production of Brecht's Mother Courage and Her Children. Her other extensive directing credits for Sydney Theatre Company include: Boy Gets Girl (2005), Summer Rain (2005), Scenes from a Separation (2004), Hedda Gabler (2004), Harbour (2004), The Real Thing (2003), A Doll's House (2002) and Hanging Man (2002).

Other directing credits include After the Ball, Honour, Summer Rain and A Month in the Country (Queensland Theatre Company); Kid Stakes, Scenes from a Separation, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and On Top of the World (Melbourne Theatre Company); The Removalists (State Theatre of South Australia) and The Marriage of Figaro (State Opera of South Australia).

Nevin has performed in a range of roles at the Sydney Theatre Company, beginning in 1979 as Miss Docker in A Cheery Soul by Patrick White (reprised in 2001); and also including as Roxane in Cyrano de Bergerac in 1981; as Ranyevskaya in The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov in 2005; and as Mrs Venable in Suddenly Last Summer by Tennessee Williams in 2015.

Filmography

Film

Television Year Title Role

1961 The Outcasts TV series 1962 Consider Your Verdict Judith Harper TV series, 1 episode: "Queen Versus Glandon" 1967 Bellbird TV series 1971 The Comedy Game Kate Sullivan TV series, 1 episode: "Our Man in Canberra"

Our Man in the Company Miss Healey TV series, 1 episode: "Let Women Go Free" The Taming of the Shrew Barmaid TV film How Could You Believe Me When I Said I'd Be Your Valet When You Know I've Been a Liar All My Life? Teleplay President Wilson in Paris Mrs. Wilson Teleplay

Matlock Police Sue Palmer TV series, 1 episode: "Dancing Class" Ryan Susan Davis TV series, 1 episode: "Negative Proof" 1974; 1975 Behind the Legend Guest roles TV series, 1 episode: "William Bligh" (1974) 1975 Ben Hall TV series, 1 episode 1975 Behind the Legend Guest role TV series, 1 episode: "ST Gill" 1976 God Knows Why, But It Works Nurse Film documentary 1977 Say You Want Me Interviewing Officer TV film 1978 Father, Dear Father Mrs. Webster TV series, episode 4: "Novel Exercise" 1979 The Oracle TV series, 1 episode

Notes on a Landscape Herself Film documentary Water Under the Bridge Shasta TV miniseries, 8 episodes The Sullivans Rachael Dawson TV series, 2 episodes Nellie Melba TV film Spring & Fall Mary TV series, Series 1, episode 2: "The Last Card"

Oz '81 Various characters TV series Degrees of Change Teleplay

The Naked Breast Narrator Film documentary Spring & Fall Anne TV series, Season 2, episode 2:"Perfect Company"

Lady Kerr TV miniseries, 3 episodes For Love or Money Herself Film documentary

Conferenceville Dr Cindy Broughton TV film Making 'The Coolangatta Gold|Herself (uncredited) Film special 1985 Hanlon Minnie Dean TV series, episode: "In Defence of Minnie Dean"

Mrs. Goosgog Teleplay Shadows of the Heart Mrs. Hanlon TV miniseries, 2 episodes

Seven Deadly Sins Margot TV series, episode 3: 'Sloth' The Burning Piano: A Portrait of Patrick White Herself TV film 1995–99 Halifax f.p. Angela Halifax TV film series, 3 episodes: "The Feeding", "Cradle and All", "A Murder of Crows" 2003 Enter the Matrix Councillor Dillard (voice) Video game

Upper Middle Bogan Margaret Denyar TV series, 24 episodes Top of the Lake Jude Griffin TV series, 4 episodes: "1.1", "1.3", "1.4", "1.5" Cecily Addison TV film "3.5", "3.7" 2014 Rake Banking Counsel Assisting TV series, 2 episodes 2015 Stories I Wanted to Tell You in Person Anna TV film 2016 Cleverman Jane O'Grady TV series, episode: "Containment" 2018 Back in Very Small Business Celeste Di Nonno TV series, 8 episodes 2019 Doctor Doctor Dinah TV series, Season 4, 3 episodes

In Creative Company Herself Podcast series, 1 episode The End Dawn TV series, 8 episodes 2021 The Moth Effect Voice of M TV series, 1 episode

Wolf Like Me Gwen TV series, 1 episode God's Favorite Idiot Helen TV series, 1 episode 2025 Apple Cider Vinegar Alma Hirsch TV series, 2 episodes

Other appearances + Year Title Role