In the spotlight

As she steps back into the world of A Country Practice for her latest role, actor Georgie Parker shares her love for the northside stage that always feels like home

Georgie Parker, photographed in rehearsals for How To Plot A HitIn Two Days at Ensemble Theatre

The Ensemble Theatre’s house lights dim and the buzz of the audience starts to settle as actor Georgie Parker waits back stage. She’s been here countless times over the past 20 years, but these moments, just before her cue, never lose their magic.

“It’s such a beautiful, exquisite feeling, waiting in the wings before the lights go down,” Georgie tells northsider. “Every play I do at the Ensemble I have that pinch me moment where I can’t quite believe I’m working in a place I always dreamed of working. I just think “Oh God, I’m so lucky,” and it feels the same every time.”

“There’s nothing like it in Sydney. You’re right there in the middle of the audience”

One of Australia’s most recognisable faces - a two-time Gold Logie winner with beloved roles in top-rating TV shows including A Country Practice, All Saints and Home and Away to name but a few - Parker’s performance roots run deep at the Kirribilli theatre.

Growing up on Sydney’s northside, she was just 15 when she first set foot inside the Ensemble for her high school work experience.

“I loved it so much I became a volunteer usher,” Georgie remembers. “I’d rush down after school on a Tuesday to help and it was a great way for me to see the plays, to observe how good actors maintained a role over a long run. I learnt a lot from that.”

That early experience left a lasting impression on Parker.

“It’s a very special space for me to now work in,” Georgie continues. “There’s nothing like it in Sydney. You’re right there in the middle of the audience, you can see their faces, you can feel them move. It’s a great exercise in concentration and commitment to the work so that you can embrace them but also do that wonderful thing where you include them and ignore them at the same time. I love that constant juggle, it’s so immersive and unique. They’re right there in the play with you.”

Above: The Ensemble stage, surrounded by the audience. Below: rehearsals for Melanie Tait’s How To Plot A Hit In Two Days.

Parker’s latest role at the Ensemble is writer Judy in How to Plot a Hit in Two Days, a sharp and heartfelt new comedy by playwright – and self-professed A Country Practice fanatic - Melanie Tait. Set in the imagined writers’ room of A Country Practice in the 1980s, the play follows five fictional writers creating a script for the show’s most famous storyline, the heartbreaking death of Molly Jones. Packed with creative clashes, big laughs and emotional moments, it offers a peek behind the scenes of one of Australia’s iconic TV dramas.

“It’s so interesting experiencing A Country Practice from this different perspective,” says Georgie, who played nurse Lucy Gardiner in the soap for four years. “It’s a lovely world to inhabit but when we read through the script, which is set behind the scenes, I actually forgot I was on the show!”

“The play is very funny and a beautiful insight into how people come up with big stories. The best comedies have some tragedy in them, they live happily side by side, comedy sneaks in, the audience finds something to give themselves a break. It’s all about that ebb and flow of the story.”

Clockwise from top left: Actor Anne Tenney as Molly Jones in her final moments on A Country Practice; Georgie on stage at Ensemble in Chapter 2 in 2005; Barefoot in the Park, 2016; as Terri Sullivan in All Saints in 1998.

“The best comedies have some tragedy in them, they live happily side by side”

An ambassador for the Ensemble, Parker champions the theatre’s commitment to local playwrights and nurturing new talent. “It’s so important when we have such an influx of international productions and content. It can be difficult to get Australian stories and voices into our viewing lives. I encourage anyone to go to the theatre,to support Australian stories and talent.”

“As an actor, it’s also so nice to not have to put on an accent,” she adds with a laugh.

So after 40 years in the entertainment industry, what would 15-year-old Georgie Parker think if she could see where she is now?

“I’d say you were showing me someone else’s life!” she smiles. “I just wanted to act and when you’re 15 you imagine the impossible life of being an actor. I can’t quite believe I’m now on that stage, in that space working, and not just in the audience looking in.”

“The Ensemble is a great reminder that it’s always about you and the audience and the storyline,” Georgie concludes. “You don’t just see the show, you feel the show. I love going back there between other jobs because it’s like putting your feet back on the ground again and getting back to what’s important. I feel very privileged to be there.”

How To Plot A Hit In Two Days by Melanie Tait runs at the Ensemble Theatre in Kirribilli until 11th October. Tickets for the theatre’s 2026 season are also on sale now at ensemble.com.au

Appearing in David Williamson’s The Great Divide at the theatre with John Wood last year; Glenn Hazeldine and Georgie with playwright David Williamson. In 2023, the actors reprised their 2010 roles in Williamson’s Rhinestone Rex and Miss Monica.

Words: Anna Gordon  Rehearsal Photos: Brett Boardman Theatre Images: Courtesy Ensemble Theatre