Tara Morice makes a familiar romantic heroine seem to be thinking for herself. We rate the uncertainty she brings to Strictly Ballroom as highly as the dancing: it gives a predictable courtship something worth caring about.
Fi1m perspective
When Tara Morice’s Fran dances with Paul Mercurio’s Scott in Strictly Ballroom (1992), she pays attention to the person in front of her. That sounds a modest achievement until the surrounding comedy starts demanding attention of its own. Baz Luhrmann’s romance needs the pair’s conviction, because its fairy-tale plotting leaves little room for surprise. Morice makes Fran seem to be working things out for herself even when the script is doing the arranging. We were moved by their dancing because both actors made the growing attachment feel like something they were discovering together.
Morice had originated Fran in Luhrmann’s 1988 stage production before making her film debut in the adaptation. Her background in dance and musical theatre helps explain the physical assurance; the acting allows Fran to remain unsure. Mercurio gives Scott enough confidence to challenge the ballroom old guard, while Morice supplies the uncertainty that makes their courtship worth following. The broad comedy can grate, and the story is familiar, but we would not ask these performances to be quieter just because the film around them is loud.
Typecasting after Strictly Ballroom limited her opportunities for different kinds of leading role. The career that followed spread across supporting film parts, television and ensemble theatre with Sydney Theatre Company and Bell Shakespeare. She played Pauline in Oranges and Sunshine (2010), while Miss Raine in Dance Academy (2010–2013) and its 2017 film kept dance prominent in her screen work.
The musical The Deb (2024), in which she plays Shell, continues that connection with musical theatre. We would also welcome more substantial film roles that give her time to hesitate, respond and make up her own mind. Start with Strictly Ballroom, and be prepared to forgive some noisy comedy for the dancers.
Biography
Tara Morice is an Australian actress, singer and dancer. She graduated from the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1987 and originated the role of Fran in the stage production of Strictly Ballroom in 1988 as part of Baz Luhrmann's Six Years Old Company.
Her first film role was as Fran in the 1992 adaptation of Strictly Ballroom, for which she received BAFTA and Australian Film Institute award nominations. She has appeared in films including Moulin Rouge! (2001), Candy (2006), Oranges and Sunshine (2010) and Carmen (2022), and played Miss Raine in the television series Dance Academy (2010–2013) and its 2017 film sequel. Morice has also worked extensively in Australian theatre and wrote and directed the 2008 documentary My Biggest Fan.
