Henri aged 5
Henri was born in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1943, in a WWII refugee camp.

In his early childhood he was shuttled between his mother in Paris and foster parents in Switzerland several times before migrating to Australia with his mother and sister in 1951, at the age of 8. His Parisian step-father joined them a year later, and Henri still speaks fluent French and some German.

Henri studied drama at the Ensemble Theatre in Sydney under Hayes Gordon while gaining bachelor degrees in science (1964) and electrical engineering (1966) at Sydney University.

Click here for A Chronology of his life.
A fairly comprehensive list (only for academics)
Click here for Awards and Honours.
Click here for a private little corner.

Career Review 

THEATRE

Click here for Film & Television

Harold. October, 1968

The Boys in the Band, by Mart Crowley. Producers: Harry M Miller & Kenn Brodziak. Sydney, Melbourne & national tour, 1968-70.

A play about a gay birthday party in which Henri played Harold, the birthday boy. The play was blessed with delicious controversy.


in 'Pericles'

Prospect Theatre Company director Toby Robertson.
Here in Pericles with Derek Jacobi. Great Britain, 1973-74.


with Colin Croft

The Good Doctor, by Neil Simon from Anton Chekhov. Directed by Hayes Gordon, Ensemble Theatre, 1975. Ran for 6 months.

 

 


playing Dr Saul Morgenstein

Travelling North, by David Williamson. World première. Director John Bell, Nimrod Theatre, 1979. With Frank Wilson.

 

 


'Shelly the Machine Levine'
Glengarry Glen Ross, by David Mamet. Directed by Neil Armfield, Sydney Opera House, 1986.


 

The Double Bass, by Patrick Süskind, a one man play co-translated from the German by Henri and Timothy Daly. Directed by Sandra Bates, Ensemble Theatre, 1990.

Sky, one man play written for Henri by John Misto. Directed by Denny Lawrence for Ensemble Theatre, 1992.

 

Dead White Males by David Williamson. World première. Directed by Wayne Harrison, Sydney Theatre Company, 1995.

Ric Cooper - academic & old flower child

Heretic, by David Williamson. World première. Directed by Wayne Harrison, Sydney Theatre Company, 1996.

 

 

 

 The Sunshine Boys by Neil Simon. Dir: Sandra Bates, Ensemble Theatre, 1998.

with Max Cullen, right.

 

 
 
 
 
 

 

 

After the Ball, by David Williamson. Dir: Sandra Bates. Cast included Kate Raison, Andrew McFarlain, Di Craig and Garry McDonald, 2002..
  Henri with son Amos in After the Ball
 
 
 
          
 
      
 

 


CABARET, by Joe Masteroff and John Kander, dir: BT McNicholl of the Sam Mendes production. With Tina Arena, Lisa McCune, Rachael Beck, Ian Stenlake, Toby Allen, Todd McKenny, Judy Connelli, Nadine Garner and Tyler Coppin. 2003. 
 
WHY KIDS? by Henri Szeps, in his second autobiographical one-man show. World Premiere at Ensemble Theatre. Christmas 2003-2004. About to tour May - July, 2006.
 
                                                                                                                            the Tour Poster

        12 ANGRY MEN                                                                            

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

12 Angry Men, by Reginald Rose, dir: Guy Masterson. Prod: APA & Adrian Bohm. With Aaron Blabey, Shane Bourne, Marcus Graham, Alex Menglet, Peter Phelps, Richard Piper. Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne. 2004. 

 

Operator, by David Williamson, dir: Sandra Bates, Ensemble Theatre, 2005.

President Wilson in Paris, by Ron Blair, dir: Jennifer Hagan. With Deborah Kennedy & Henry Nixon. National tour, 2005.

Charitable Intent, by David Williamson, dir: Sandra Bates. With Denise Roberts and Kate Raison. Ensemble Theatre, 2006  

 

FILM & TELEVISION

Travelling North On set with Leo (left) and Graham.
film with Leo McKern, Graham Kennedy and Julia Blake, 1986

Written by David Williamson, directed by Carl Schultz.
Return to Home Page


Australian TV
All Saints; Mission Impossible; The Man from Snowy River; Vietnam; Ride on Stranger; Melba; GP; Country Practice; Number 96; Homicide; Division 4; Woobinda; Skippy; Rip Tide; You Can't See Around Corners; etc.
British TV
Hannay; Colditz; Rivals of Sherlock Holmes; Misleading Cases; The Strauss Family; Dixon of Dock Green; etc


Les Patterson Saves the World On the set
film with Barry Humphries and Pamela Stevenson, 1986.

 

 

 



 

Palace of Dreams,

'Palace of Dreams', with Deidre Rubenstein.

10 part ABC TV drama series, about a Russian Jewish family who ran a pub in Sydney during the depression. Here seen with Deirdre Rubenstein and Durand Sinclair. with Durand Sinclair
Mick Mendel For his role of the father, Mick Mendel, Henri won the Penguin Award for best actor in a mini-series, 1985. the Penguin award, 1985
The series was produced by Sandra Levy.



on set with Ruth Cracknell Best known of course as Robert Beare, the deliciously awful dentist, the 'other' son in the ever popular ABC TV series Mother and Son 1983-93


Click here to return to theatre.
Click here for Internationally awarded voice-overs.
Click here for Acknowledgement.