Colette Mann is an Australian actress, singer, TV presenter, choreographer and author/writer. She has played bartender Sheila Canning in Neighbours from 2012. Mann has appeared in Neighbours twice, she took over the role of Cheryl Stark in the show from actress Caroline Gillmer during the period Gillmer was off sick. Mann is also known for playing the role of Doreen Burns in the Australian series Prisoner. Mann appeared in The Flying Doctors and Blue Heelers television series and the 2000 film The Dish. She has written two books and had a column in New Idea magazine.
Biography
Television acting career
In her first high-profile, and perhaps best known role, Mann appeared as Doreen Anderson in the Network Tensoap opera, Prisoner, for which she was an original cast member during the first four seasons. Mann resigned from the role in March 1982 to pursue other projects and her final episode was broadcast in August 1982. She did however make guest appearances in 1983 and 1984. She has appeared in The Flying Doctors, MDA and Blue Heelers. In 1988, Mann portrayed the role of "Edith Fraser" in the American television movieOutback Bound, which also starred American actors Donna Mills and John Schneider. From late 1995, Mann briefly took over the role of Cheryl Stark in the soap opera Neighbours for eight weeks when Caroline Gillmer was taken ill. From February 2012, Mann joined the cast of Neighbours again as regular character Sheila Canning.
Presenter
Mann has also appeared as a presenter on many TV shows including The Don Lane Show, Hey Hey It's Saturday, What's Cooking, Good Morning Australia and The Circle. She has been a fill-in presenter for Glenn Ridge on talk back radio MTR 1377. She has also appeared on Jeremy VineChannel 5 in July 2019. Mann was part of a three-woman troupe in the 1980s called The Mini Busettes with fellow Prisoner actresses Jane Clifton and Betty Bobbitt. They performed for three seasons at Melbourne's Le Joke comedy venue and at many Sydney league clubs.
Theatre
Mann played the role of Buttercup in Opera Australia's production of HMS Pinafore by Gilbert and Sullivan in 2005 her portrayal of the "bumboat woman" was contrary to most performances of this role – her singing voice was more coarse than most contraltos or mezzo-sopranos who tackle this role. Mann also appeared on stage as Shirley, the battleaxe owner of Broken Hill pub, in Priscilla Queen of the Desert - the Musical in 2010.
Author
Mann has been a regular feature writer in New Idea magazine. She wrote about her life and that of her sons. She has also written two books, It's A Mann's World and Give Me A Break.
