Ursula Yovich

Early life and education

Yovich was born in 1977 in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, also growing up there. Her father, Slobodan Jović, was a Bosnian Serb immigrant who anglicised his name to Yovich. Her mother is an Aboriginal Burarra woman from north-west Arnhem Land near the Blyth River, with the closest community being Maningrida. Raised in Darwin with her Dad, both her parents spoke English as a second language.

Yovich started singing when she was young, and at the age 13, began formal music training when her father enrolled her in singing classes. She later joined one of the local youth theatre groups. She eventually left Darwin to study in Perth, graduating from the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts in 1996, before eventually relocating to Sydney.

Career

Yovich has appeared in more than 50 theatre and musical theatre productions, including Capricornia, Mother Courage and her Children, The Sapphires, Natural Life, Nailed, The Sunshine Club, Jerry Springer the Opera, Nathaniel Storm, and The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom.

Yovich co-wrote the libretto and songs for rock musical Barbara and the Camp Dogs with Alana Valentine, and appeared in the show alongside Elaine Crombie. She wrote and starred in her own one-woman cabaret, Magpie Blues and also wrote The Man with the Iron Neck, which toured Australia from 2018 to 2019.

Yovich featured in Australia’s first Aboriginal opera, Pecan Summer. She toured both locally and internationally with the musicians of Black Arm Band in Dirtsong. She has also performed in the all-girl group, Barefoot Divas.

Yovich's film credits include drama Jindabyne (2006), Baz Luhrmann epic Australia (2008), Around the Block (2013), crime thriller Goldstone (2016) and romantic comedy Top End Wedding (2019).

She has appeared in television series' including Redfern Now, season 2 of the crime drama series Mystery Road, and the comedy series Preppers. Other television credits include Wakefield, Wanted, The Code, The Gods of Wheat Street. Rake, The Moth Effect, The Twelve, Irreverent, How to Stay Married, Doctor Doctor, Faboriginal and Devil's Dust.

Yovich is a writer on the NITV animated children’s TV series Little J & Big Cuz, in which she also voiced the characters of Nanna and Levi. Additionally, she was the subject of an episode of the SBS documentary series Blaktrax.

In 2019, while filming for Mystery Road, Yovich announced that after 22 years, she was stepping away from the theatre, saying she couldn't pretend that she wanted to pursue theatre any longer. In 2024, she made a theatre comeback, appearing in The Lewis Trilogy.

Awards and nominations

Personal life

Yovich was married to Stewart O'Connell, a lawyer, and the couple has one daughter.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

As performer

As writer/director

Discography

• Sketches EP (2004)
• Ursula Yovich Live (2010)
• Well-Behaved Women (2023, contributing vocalist)

References

References

1. Gibson, Joel. (6 April 2009). "Best of both worlds: mixed marriages blooming". [[The Sydney Morning Herald]].
2. (18 October 2010). "Ursula Yovich – Life Journey". www.deadlyvibe.com.au.
3. Joseph, Dione. (28 September 2010). "Ursula Yovich". www.australianstage.com.au.
4. "The Wizard of Oz". www.windmill.org.au.
5. [http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2008/10/28/12411_news_pf.html "Baby, you've hit the big time now"]. [[Northern Territory News]] 30 December 2007
6. link. (4 August 2008 Deadly Vibe Issue 113 July 2006)
7. [http://www.songsummit.com.au/speakers/Ursula-Yovich.htm "Ursula Yovich"] {{Webarchive. link. (20 November 2008. Song Summit Sydney)
8. (15 January 2007). "The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom".
9. Litson, Jo. (20 February 2019). "Review: Barbara and the Camp Dogs (Belvoir)".
10. Tongue, Cassie. (18 December 2017). "Barbara and the Camp Dogs: how one woman's anger became a rock show".
11. (4 August 2008). "Other Voices".
12. (28 October 2008). "Ursula unwinds and says 'yes' to Stewart".
13. (17 October 2007). "On the box".
14. Howard, Jane. (13 August 2019). "Ursula Yovich on giving up theatre: 'It wasn't making me happy any more'". The Guardian.
15. Guenzler, Joseph. (15 March 2024). "Ursula Yovich marks stage return with The Lewis trilogy".
16. (4 June 2018). "Screen Australia's Indigenous Department celebrates 25 years".
17. "Bob Maza Fellowship".
18. (8 August 2007). "Meet the Territory's new star".
19. "Winners of the 2015 Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards".
20. (25 February 2022). "Fellowship and Residencies".
21. (15 June 2019). "Helpmann nominee Ursula Yovich to bow out on top".
22. "2019 Nominees and Winners".
23. "Nick Enright Prize for Playwrighting 2019 Shortlist".
24. "Well Behaved Women".
25. Cristi, A. A. [https://www.broadwayworld.com/sydney/article/Ursula-Yovich-Awarded-Ensemble-Theatres-Sandra-Bates-Directors-Award-20201111 "Ursula Yovich Awarded Ensemble Theatre's Sandra Bates Director's Award"]. Broadway World Sydney, 11 November 2020
26. [https://www.smh.com.au/national/most-indigenous-australians-now-marrying-out-study-finds-20141112-9tdm.html Most indigenous Australians now 'marrying out', study finds Joel Gibson. The Sydney Morning Herald 6 April 2009]
27. Byram, Vickii. (15 November 2021). "ABC TV comedy Preppers stars a cohort of brilliant Indigenous actors and a stellar guest star line-up".
28. (June 2023). "Total Control filming third and final series | TV Tonight".
29. "The Sapphires".
30. "The Sapphires".
31. "One Night The Moon – Malthouse Theatre".
32. Simmonds, Diana. (26 October 2009). "The Wizard of Oz".
33. Tan, Monica. (9 August 2014). "The Magic Hour review – women who fail, flail and persist nonetheless". [[The Guardian]].
34. Dionysius, Bobbi-Lea. (19 June 2013). "Mother Courage and Her Children".
35. "20 Questions".
36. "Creature: An Adaptation of Dot and the Kangaroo".
37. Spring, Alexandra. (18 January 2017). "1967: Music in the Key of Yes review – an impassioned retrospective on Indigenous rights".
38. (30 November 2017). "Barbara and the Camp Dogs".
39. "Well-Behaved Women".
40. "The Black Woman of Gippsland".
41. (18 October 2010). "Ursula Yovich – Life Journey".
42. (30 November 2017). "Barbara and the Camp Dogs".
43. (26 October 2018). "Cast Announcement: The Fever and the Fret".
44. (10 March 2019). "Review: Man with the Iron Neck at the Dunstan Playhouse".
45. "The Luminary Series Artists and Episodes".
46. "Outdated".
47. "Ursula Yovich".