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Louise Siversen

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Louise Siversen
Siversen wearing a buttoned, striped white shirt with her glasses lifted up
Siversen in 2025 at the Queenscliffe Literary Festival
Born
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
OccupationActress
Years active1981present (Voice Artist, theatre, acting)
Notable workPrisoner (19841986)
The Flying Doctors (19861990)
House Husbands (20122017)
SpouseTheo Siversen (1983–present)
Websitehttp://louisesiversen.com.au/

Louise Siversen is an Australian actress. She is known for her television roles, including Lou Kelly in Prisoner (1984–1986), Debbie in The Flying Doctors (1988–1990), and 2012-2017 Heather Looby in House Husbands. She has also appeared on stage and in film.

Personal life

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Siversen is married to Theo Siversen. They live in Melbourne.

Siversen has been an Iyengar Yoga student for over 15 years, and is also an avid walker, having walked the Camino Frances, an 800 kilometre walk across Northern Spain, in 2009.

Training

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Born in Melbourne, Siversen began acting as a child after her parents sent her to dance and drama classes to help her overcome her shyness. Siversen began to enjoy acting and went on to perform with St Martins Youth Theatre, appearing in many productions.[1][failed verification] Siversen was to study law, but decided to stick with acting after attending a Career Day at university.

Siversen has also trained in jazz dance and ballet.

Career

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Television

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Siversen is best known for her portrayal of nasty Louise 'Lou' Kelly in the Network Ten series Prisoner. Siversen had done several bit-parts in the series and at the time the character of Lou was devised, and had been a regular extra for several months, playing one of the prisoners. Siversen auditioned, and got the part. Lou quickly became one of the main characters of the series and had a run of three years.

Her other TV credits include The Flying Doctors, Halifax f.p., 'Sugar and Spice, BackBerner, MDA, All Saints, Janus, Rush, Special Squad and House Husbands.

Siversen in 2021 gave an in depth interview about her time on Prisoner on the podcast series Talking Prisoner,[2] where she talked about her career, her hobbies and voice acting.

Film

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She appeared in the 1989 Australian horror film Houseboat Horror. In 2022, Siversen appeared in the horror film The Surrogate.[3]

Stage

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Siversen appeared in several productions for the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne and the Melbourne Theatre Company. She also wrote her one-woman show Coming to My Senses in 1993. In 2017 she played Dotty/Mrs Clacket in Michael Frayn's Noises Off for the Melbourne Theatre Company and Queensland Theatre.[4]

Other activities

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She teaches drama at the Victorian College of Arts and she also teaches in private practice and in drama methodology in Sydney.[5]

Acting credits

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Film

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Year Title Role Type Ref
1982A Slice of LifeNurse (as Louise Siverson)Feature film
1988Evil Angels (aka A Cry in the Dark)Jenny Miller (uncredited)Feature film
1989Houseboat HorrorZeliaFeature film
1990A Kink in the PicassoReporterFeature film
1994That Eye, The SkyMrs. CherryFeature film
1996ShineExtra in Ballroom SceneFeature film
1998CrackersTeacherFeature film
2000LostPsychologistShort film
2002BlowZoeShort film
2004Josh JarmanTherapistFeature film
2006What's the Matter?General PractitionerShort film
2008Valentine's DayDawnFeature film
2008Four of a KindAnneFeature film
2009Shiny ThingCarolyn KibreShort film
2011The Eye of the StormCarolFeature film
2013The Kingdom of DougMaryanneShort film
2015SuckerVal - Dodgy Bar WomanFeature film
2022SurrogateAnna PaxtonFeature film [6]
TBA The Returned Vivianne [7]

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1981-1984; 1984-1986 Prisoner Nurse / Tammy Fisher / Shop Assistant TV series
1984 Carson's Law Nurse #1 / Prostitute TV series, 2 episodes
1984 Special Squad Laura TV series, episode 4: "Easy Street"
1984-1986 Prisoner Lou Kelly / Louise TV series, 151 episodes
1988 The Bartons Angela TV series, 1 episode
1988; 2001 Neighbours Carol Barker TV series, 1 episode
1988 House Rules Elsa Nixon TV series
1988 Sugar and Spice Mrs Beatrice Robertson TV series
1988-1990 The Flying Doctors[8] Debbie O'Brien TV series, 14 episodes
1991 Chances Cheryl Richards TV series, 10 episodes
1992 Kelly Glennis TV series, 1 episode
1994-1995 Janus[9] Judge Glenda De Bono TV series, 18 episodes
1994 The Damnation of Harvey McHugh Annette TV series, 3 episodes
1995; 2000 Halifax f.p. Linda Quinn / Beth Hartley TV series, 2 episodes
1996; 1999 Blue Heelers Louise Fordham / Nola Tully TV series, 2 episodes
1996 Law of the Land Lynne Raynor TV series, 1 episode
1997 The Adventures of Lano and Woodley Doctor TV series, 1 episode
1998 Good Guys Bad Guys Shannon Blightie TV series, 1 episode
1998 The Games Jasmine Holt TV series, 2 episodes
1998 Driven Crazy Daisy TV series, 1 episode
1998 State Coroner Cheryl Norton TV series, 1 episode
1999; 2002 Stingers Olwyn O'Neill / Detective Rawlins TV series, 2 episodes
1999 Crash Zone Zoe Hansen TV series, 4 episodes
1999 High Flyers Nola TV series, 26 episodes
1999-2002 BackBerner Various characters TV series, 128 episodes
2000 Eugenie Sandler PI Winsome Bedford TV series, 5 episodes
2000 Lost Psychologist TV series, 1 episode
2001 Neighbours Angela Patrick TV series, 2 episodes
2002 Short Cuts Mrs. Bartlett TV series, 9 episodes
2002 Bootleg Mrs. Spring TV miniseries, 3 episodes
2005 The Secret Life of Us Marg TV series, 1 episode
2005 MDA Meg Morrison TV series, 4 episodes
2006 Wicked Science Elsa Bailey TV series, 1 episode
2007 City Homicide Janice Quinn TV series, 1 episode
2008 All Saints Tamara Pederson TV series, 1 episode
2008 Rush Raelene TV series, 1 episode
2012-2017 House Husbands Miss Heather Looby TV series, 36 episodes
2013 The Doctor Blake Mysteries Rosemary Morrisey TV series, 1 episode
2015 Utopia Linda Hillier TV series, 1 episode
2016 Rake Shirl TV series, 2 episodes
2017 Ronny Chieng: International Student Joy-Anne TV series, 1 episode
2017 True Story with Hamish & Andy Shop Lady TV series, 1 episode
2020 The Gloaming Minister Leonie Patrick TV series, 1 episode
2020 Rosehaven Kerry TV series, season 4, 1 episode
2021 Celebration Nation Paula TV series, 3 episodes
2021 Five Bedrooms Karen Stefiary TV series, 1 episode
2021 Love Me Judith TV miniseries, 2 episodes
2024 Buried Store manager 1 episode
2026 Bad Company Carmel 5 episodes

Television (as self)

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Year Title Role Type
1989 In Melbourne Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
1991 In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
1995; 1997 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 2 episodes
2001 People Dimensions Guest TV series, 1 episode
2023 You Don't Have to Hate the Movie People Forever - Interview with Louise Siversen Herself DVD/Video

Theatre

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Year Title Role Type Ref
1989Morning SacrificeLa Mama, Melbourne
1989The Misery of BeautyVarious rolesTheatre Works, Melbourne
1991The Girl Who Saw EverythingCarol EdgeRussell Street Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
1993BarmaidsNancyPeacock Theatre, Hobart with Zootango Theatre Company
1993Coming to My SensesOne-woman showMalthouse Theatre, Melbourne
1998Dark: The Diane Arbus StoryVarious rolesMelbourne Festival
1999Wonderful WardBernadette / PAMelbourne International Comedy Festival
2000Art and SoulVarious rolesFairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2004The Memory of WaterTeresaSpace 28, Southbank, Melbourne with MTC
2007DimboolaFlorence McAdamMalthouse Theatre, Melbourne
2007-2008The GloryElizabethFairfax Studio, Melbourne, The Butter Factory Theatre, Wodonga with HotHouse Theatre
2008Mum's the Word 2: TeenagersDeborahPlayhouse, Brisbane, Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Theatre Royal, Sydney, Burswood Theatre, Perth with Dainty Productions
2009Master of the RevelsJudy ForristerSouthbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2010All About My MotherSister Rosa’s Mother / MatronSouthbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC
2011The Joy of TextDianeFairfax Studio, Melbourne with MTC
2013True MindsVivienne ReynoldsSouthbank Theatre with MTC
2016The Last Ten Minutes of HistoryCourthouse Theatre
2016I Can't Even...One-woman showMalthouse Theatre
2017Noises OffDotty Otley / Mrs ClackettPlayhouse, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne with MTC [10]
2019PlaylistTrades Hall, Melbourne
2020; 2022The Heartbreak ChoirTottySouthbank Theatre, Melbourne & online with MTC
2021Birthday CakeOne-woman showGeelong Arts Centre with The Space Company & online - Australia
2023CroydonMalthouse Theatre, Melbourne
A Very Jewish Christmas CarolCarol / Rein-Dybbuk / EnsembleSouthbank Theatre, Melbourne with MTC [11]
Underneath Ms ArcherKelly Archer (also co-writer)St Martins Theatre, Fortyfivedownstairs
Hell's GatesVarious rolesGeelong Arts Centre with The Space Company
2024Birthday CakeOne-woman showGeelong Arts Centre

[12][13]

References

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  1. St Martins Youth Arts Centre
  2. "Talking Prisoner EP 5 Interview with Louise Siversen (Lou Kelly)". YouTube. 29 July 2021.
  3. Slatter, Sean (22 February 2021). "Kestie Morassi returns to horror in David Willing's 'The Surrogate'". IF Magazine. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  4. "Noises Off (Queensland Theatre and Melbourne Theatre Company)" by Bronwyn Lea, 13 June 2017, Australian Book Review
  5. "Louise Siversen | Acting Teacher |Teachers | Bravestudios". Brave Studios. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  6. Staff Writer (12 November 2021). "'Surrogate' (Trailer)". if.com.au.
  7. Kornits, Dov (24 October 2023). "Prepare for The Returned". FilmInk. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  8. "Australian Television: The Flying Doctors: Series 6 cast".
  9. "Australian Television: Janus: Cast".
  10. Harford, Sonia (20 June 2017). "Noises Off brings the fine art of farce to Melbourne Theatre Company". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  11. "Melbourne Theatre Company: A Very Jewish Christmas Carol – Theatre Review". LILITHIA REVIEWS. 19 November 2023. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
  12. "AusStage".
  13. "Louise Siversen".
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