Anna Volska (born 1 December 1944 in Milanówek, Poland) is an Australian stage and television actress. She arrived in Australia when she was young and has acted from a young age.

Anna Volska
Born (1944-12-01) 1 December 1944 (age 79)
Milanówek, Poland
OccupationActress
Years active1965–present
SpouseJohn Bell AO OBE
ChildrenLucy Bell, Hilary Bell
Awards1 (naacp image)

Early life

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Anna Volska moved from Poland to Australia with her mother when she was seven. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)in 1962. [1]

Career

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Theatre

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Volska has acted extensively in theatre as an actor, director and teacher. While performing in The Cherry Orchard at the Old Tote Theatre Company, Volska met fellow cast member John Bell. She followed his career to the UK, where they married in 1965, and she subsequenfly spent three seasons with the Royal Shakespeare Company.[2] They returned to Australia in 1970 and founded the Nimrod Theatre Company at Stables Theatre (which later became the Belvoir Theatre Company). In 1990 Bell and Volska then founded Bell Shakespeare Company. She has also directed at Flinders, Theatre Nepean, QUT, Nimrod.[3]

Television

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Volska has appeared in many Australian television drama series, mostly in a guest role. Her first role was in 1965, where she had a small role in The Recruiting Officer. In 1973, Volska had a leading role in Behind the Legend, where she played Helena Rubenstein. She then appeared on A Country Practice from 1987 until 1991. In 2009, she had a recurring role in the final season of All Saints as Katerina Ajanovic. In 2010, Volska appeared in the telemovie Sisters of War playing the role of Sister Cordula.

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1968 A Midsummer Night's Dream Attendant Feature film
1974 The Hotline TV film
1977 Say You Want Me Magazine Journalist TV film
1977 Cass TV film
1978 The Magic Arts Herself Documentary film short
1980 The Girl Who Met Simone de Beauvoir In Paris Film short
1980 Players in the Gallery TV film series, 1 episode
1982 A Most Attractive Man Vija TV film
1986 The Three Musketeers Voice Animated TV film
1987 The Everlasting Secret Family Wife's Friend Feature film
1992 Six Pack: Death Duties Elsa TV film series
1996 Fistful of Flies Nanna Feature film
2010 Sisters of War Sister Cordula TV film

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1962 My Three Friends Marie-Louise Teleplay
1963 The Right Thing Emma Teleplay
1965 The Recruiting Officer Sylvia Teleplay
1971 Spyforce The Countess TV series, episode 11: "The Countess"
1971-72 The Godfathers Maria Varga TV series, 72 episodes
1972 Behind the Legend Helena Rubenstein TV series, episode "Helena Rubenstein"
1973 The 15th Annual TV Week Logie Awards Herself TV special
1973 Division 4 Viv Jackson TV series, 1 episode
1973 Ryan Melina Jaconelli TV series, 1 episode
1973 Matlock Police Helen TV series, 1 episode
1974 Hamlet Teleplay
1979 The Restless Years Recurring role TV series
1980 The Timeless Land Sara TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1980 A Toast to Melba Nellie Melba Teleplay
1981 A Town Like Alice Sally Wilson-Hayes TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1982 Sara Dane Madam Balvet TV miniseries, 2 episodes
1987; 1991 A Country Practice Olivia Harrison TV series, 2 episodes
1988 Rafferty's Rules Frieda TV series, 1 episode
1991 Boys from the Bush Joan TV series, 1 episode
1991 Embassy Madame Lamotte TV series, 1 episode
1991 A Country Practice Annette Muir TV series, 2 episodes
1994 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series, 1 episode
1994 Midday Guest (with John Bell) TV series, 1 episode
1994 Ernie and Denise Guest (with John Bell) TV series, 1 episode
1994 Sale of the Century: The Arts Contestant TV series, 1 episode
1995 G.P. TV series, 1 episode
1996 Midday Guest (with John Bell) TV series, 1 episode
1997 Heartbreak High Aunty Magda TV series, 1 episode
1997 Water Rats Kath Lambert TV series, 1 episode
1998 The Search For Treasure Island Frau Keller TV series, 9 episodes
2000 Murder Call Gillian Pitman TV series, 1 episode
2001 Burke's Backyard Celebrity gardener (with John Bell & Lucy Bell) TV series, 1 episode
2009 All Saints Katerina Ajanovic TV series, 1 episode
2013 Dance Academy Lady Charlton TV series, 1 episode
2014 A Place to Call Home Leah TV series, 1 episode
2016 John Bell: One Man Show Herself TV special

Theatre

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As actor

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Year Title Role Type
1963 The Cherry Orchard UNSW with Old Tote Theatre Company
1963 The Bald Prima Donna UNSW with Old Tote Theatre Company
1964 The Caucasian Chalk Circle UNSW with Old Tote Theatre Company
1964 King Henry V Katherine Tent Theatre, Adelaide, Tent Theatre, Rushcutters Bay
1965 A Series of Dance Pieces Dancer (Ballad of the Drover's Wife) UNSW Science Theatre
1970 The Love of Don Perlimplín and Belisa in the Garden AMP Theatrette
1970 Major Barbara Canberra Theatre, UNSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre Company
1970 The Prince and The Firebird UNSW Parade Theatre with Old Tote Theatre Company
1970 Biggles Nimrod Street Theatre with Old Tote Theatre Company
1972 Measure for Measure Nimrod Street Theatre
1973 The Tooth of Crime Nimrod Street Theatre
1973 President Wilson in Paris Nimrod Street Theatre
1973 Hamlet Ophelia Nimrod Street Theatre, Pram Factory, Playhouse Canberra
1973 Tom Nimrod Street Theatre
1974 The Seagull Nimrod Upstairs
1974 Jesters Nimrod Street Theatre
1974 The Bacchoi Nimrod Upstairs
1975 The Ride Across Lake Constance Nimrod Theatre Company
1976 Le Chateau d'Hydro-Therapie Magnetique Jane Street Theatre
1976 A Handful of Friends Sally Marshall Nimrod Upstairs
1977 Twelfth Night Olivia Nimrod Upstairs
1977 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Nimrod Upstairs, Space Theatre, Adelaide
1978 Everyman Nimrod Downstairs
1978 The Comedy of Errors Courtesan Nimrod Upstairs
1979 Ubu Roi Ma Ubu ABC Radio, Sydney
1979 A Night with Hamlet Eurydice ABC Radio, Sydney
1979 Romeo and Juliet Lady Capulet Octagon Theatre, Perth, Nimrod Upstairs
1980 The Oresteia Old Person of Aros (Agamemnon) / Elektra (Elektra) / Fury (Orestes) Nimrod Upstairs
1980 A Month in the Country Natalya Petrovna Playhouse Adelaide with STSCA
1981 Three Sisters Olga Sergeyevna Prozorov Nimrod Upstairs
1981 Cloud Nine Mrs Saunders / Bill / Tammy Nimrod Upstairs
1981 Tales from the Vienna Woods Valerie Nimrod Upstairs
1982 Tristram Shandy Nimrod Upstairs
1983 Uncle Vanya Yelena Nimrod Theatre Company
1984 The Women of March the First Nimrod Downstairs
1984 Sydney Symphony - Sunday Afternoon Concert Musician Sydney Opera House
1985 Heartbreak House Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1985 Pack of Lies Barbara SGIO Theatre, Brisbane with Queensland Theatre
1986 The Taming of the Shrew New Fortune Theatre, Perth
1986 Sons of Cain Nicole Suncorp Theatre, Brisbane, Wyndham's Theatre, London with Queensland Theatre
1987 Siestas in a Pink Hotel Wharf Theatre with Sydney Theatre Company
1988 Interplay '88 Sydney Opera House
1988 Away Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
1989 Say Goodbye to the Past Ilinka Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company
1989 Lost Weekend Zelda Cremorne Theatre with Queensland Theatre
1990 The Odd Couple Renee Majestic Cinemas
1991-93 Hamlet Gertrude Australian national tour with Bell Shakespeare
1991-92 The Merchant of Venice Nerissa Australian national tour with Bell Shakespeare
1992-93 Richard III Queen Margaret Australian national tour with Bell Shakespeare
1993 Romeo and Juliet The Nurse Theatre Royal, Sydney, Melbourne Athenaeum, Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide, Canberra Theatre with Bell Shakespeare
1994 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Australian national tour with Bell Shakespeare
1995 Dead White Males Sarah Judd Sydney Opera House, Glen Street Theatre, Playhouse, Melbourne, His Majesty's Theatre, Perth with Melbourne Theatre Company & Sydney Theatre Company
1996 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Melbourne Athenaeum, Sydney Opera House, Canberra Theatre with Bell Shakespeare
1999 Henry V Montjoy Alice Melbourne Athenaeum, Playhouse Canberra, Sydney Opera House
2000 Dance of Death Alice Royalty Theatre, Adelaide, Theatre X, Tokyo, Geijutsu Theatre,, Nagoya, Playhouse Canberra with Bell Shakespeare & STSCA
2000 A Month in the Country Natalya Sydney Opera House with Sydney Theatre Company
2002 Hippolytus Government House Ballroom, Sydney with Bell Shakespeare
2002 Richard III Queen Elizabeth Sydney Opera House, Playhouse, Canberra, Playhouse, Melbourne with Bell Shakespeare & Queensland Theatre
2002 The Comedy of Errors Emilia Playhouse, Canberra, Ford Theatre, Geelong, Playhouse, Melbourne, Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, Orange Civic Theatre, IMB Theatre Wollongong with Bell Shakespeare
2006 The Comedy of Errors Theatre Royal, Bath, Blackpool Grand Theatre with Bell Shakespeare
2014 Unholy Ghosts The Mother Stables Theatre with Griffin Theatre Company
2015 Seventeen Edwina Belvoir Theatre Company[4]
2016 Antigone Tiresias Seymour Centre, Playhouse Canberra, Riverside Theatres Paramatta with Sport for Jove

As director

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Year Title Role Type
1981 We Can't Pay? We Won't Pay! Director Troupe Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA
1981 Liquids Director Troupe Theatre, Adelaide with STCSA
1982 Demolition Job Director Nimrod Downstairs
1982 Burn Victim Writer Nimrod Downstairs
1982 Flash Jim Director Nimrod Upstairs
1983 As You Like It Director Nimrod Theatre Company
2001 Don's Party Director Western Sydney University, Seymour Centre
2004 A Midsummer Night's Dream Director Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Monash University, Whitehorse Centre, Frankston Arts Centre with Bell Shakespeare
2006 The Merchant of Venice Director Australian national tour with Bell Shakespeare
2019 Diplomacy Director, Assistant Ensemble Theatre

[5]

Awards

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Volska won a Best Single Performance by an Actress award at the 1973 Logie Awards for her role in Behind the Legend.[6]

Personal life

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Volska has been married to fellow Thespian John Bell since 1965. Their daughters are playwright Hilary Bell and actor Lucy Bell, who were both born in Stratford-upon-Avon.

References

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  1. ^ "Anna Volska, b. 1944".
  2. ^ "Anna Volska, b. 1944".
  3. ^ "Anna Volska".
  4. ^ "Seventeen | Stage Whispers".
  5. ^ "AusStage".
  6. ^ THE 15th ANNUAL TV WEEK LOGIE AWARDS (1973) Archived 24 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
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