24 Facts About Pamela Rabe

Pamela Rabe relocated to Australia in 1983 with Australian director, Roger Hodgman.

Pamela Rabe is a prolific contributor to theatrical life in her adopted country in acting and directing, across a wide range of genres - musicals, comedy and drama.

Pamela Rabe is a long-standing collaborator with the Sydney Theatre Company and the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Pamela Rabe was once described by Melbourne theatre critic Alison Croggon as having the sort of presence that "makes shy people swallow hard and lesser mortals involuntarily bow".

In 2012, Pamela Rabe received a Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Musical for her performance in Grey Gardens for The Production Company.

In late 2017, Pamela Rabe played the roles of Helene Alving in Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts for Sydney's Belvoir St Theatre, Mrs Higgins in the Julie Andrews-directed revival of My Fair Lady, and the role of Mary in Colm Toibin's The Testament of Mary, at the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne.

Pamela Rabe turned her hand to theatre directing in 2009, and has directed several high-profile plays for Australian theatre companies, including the Australian premiere of In the Next Room, and Elling for the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Pamela Rabe was nominated for a Green Room Award for best direction on both occasions.

In 2012, Pamela Rabe was invited to be a member of the guest triumvirate who programmed the Melbourne Theatre Company season for that year.

In 2023 Pamela Rabe joined the international tour of The Confessions.

On 4 September, Pamela Rabe was announced for the 2025 Sydney Theatre Co season to direct and appear in the play Happy Days.

On 11 September 2024, Pamela Rabe was announced as part of the Melbourne Theatre Co season to appear in Rebecca.

On 1 November 2024, it was announced that Pamela Rabe would join Bert La Bonte for the 2025 Black Swan Theatre Company production of August: Osage County.

In 1989, Pamela Rabe made her film debut with a minor role in Against the Innocent.

Pamela Rabe's first leading role was in the 1995 film Vacant Possession.

In September 2013, it was announced that Pamela Rabe would join the cast of the Australian prison drama series Wentworth, a reimagining of the classic Network Ten soap opera Prisoner.

Pamela Rabe joined Wentworth in Season Two as sadistic prison governor Joan "The Freak" Ferguson, a role originally played by Maggie Kirkpatrick in Prisoner.

Pamela Rabe's character was initially killed off at the end of the fifth season, when she is buried alive by Will Jackson, and she made her then final appearances in two episodes of the sixth season as a figment of Will's imagination.

Pamela Rabe reprised her role for the 20-episode eighth and final season, which aired its first part in 2020, while the final part was aired in 2021.

Pamela Rabe has been nominated for multiple awards for her performance, winning the 2015 AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama and the 2018 Logie Award for Most Outstanding Actress.

In 2022 Pamela Rabe joined the cast of Amazon comedy series Deadloch.

Pamela Rabe would join the first series of ABC drama Bay of Fires.

Pamela Rabe serves on the board of the Malthouse Theatre in Melbourne.

Pamela Rabe was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 King's Birthday Honours for "significant service to the performing arts as a performer and director".