Where are the cast of Prisoner now?
<p>Before there was <em>Prison Break</em>, <em>Orange is the New Black</em> and <em>Wentworth</em>, there was the hit Aussie series <em>Prisoner</em>. A cult classic in Sweden and the UK (as well as down under, of course), we wondered, where are the women of cellblock H today? Flick through the gallery above to see what they look like now!</p>
<p><strong>Elspeth Ballantyne (Meg Morris)</strong></p>
<p>With an impressive 669 episodes under her belt, Ballantyne was the only cast member to remain full-time throughout the series’ eight seasons. The now-77-year-old went on to land a role on Neighbours and has since appeared in series such as <em>The Flying Doctors</em>, <em>SeaChange</em> and <em>Blue Heelers</em>.</p>
<p><strong>Maggie Kirkpatrick (Joan “The Freak” Ferguson)</strong></p>
<p>Undoubtedly the biggest baddie of the show, Kirkpatrick went on to appear in <em>Home and Away </em>and <em>All Saints</em> and played Madame Morrible in the Australian production of <em>Wicked</em>.</p>
<p><strong>Val Lehman (“Queen” Bea Smith)</strong></p>
<p>After appearing in more than 400 episodes, Lehman left the show in 1983 to pursue other roles in series such as <em>Good Guys Bad Guys</em> and <em>Something in the Air</em>. She also hit the stage, appearing in shows <em>Driving Miss Daisy</em> and <em>The Wizard of Oz</em>. Most recently, she spent 37 days in the South African jungle as a contestant on season two of <em>I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!</em></p>
<p><strong>Sheila Florance (Lizzie Birdsworth)</strong></p>
<p>Florance, who played elderly alcoholic inmate Lizzie, appeared in over 400 episodes. In 1991 she starred in <em>A Woman’s Tale</em>, written by Paul Cox and Barry Dickens specifically for Florance. Sadly, she passed away that year from cancer at the age of 75.</p>
<p><strong>Colette Mann (Doreen Anderson)</strong></p>
<p>After her stint on Prisoner, Mann briefly took over the role of Cheryl Clark in <em>Neighbours</em>. She would return to the show in 2012 as regular character, Sheila Canning. She also made appearances on <em>Blue Heelers</em>, <em>Hey Hey It’s Saturday</em> and <em>Good Morning Australia</em>. In 2002 Mann released a memoir of her family life, called <em>Give Me A Break</em>.</p>
<p><strong>Fiona Spence (Vera Bennett)</strong></p>
<p>Appearing in 222 episodes between 1979 and 1981, Spence went on to play unlucky-in-love Celia Stewart, sister of Alf on <em>Home and Away</em> on and off between 1988 and 2013. She also appeared in ten episodes of <em>Packed to the Rafters</em>’ final season. The UK-born actress was in a 32-year relationship with screenwriter Denise Morgan, who sadly passed away in 2011.</p>
<p>Have you seen the reimagined series <em>Wentworth</em> yet? Do you think it does justice to the original <em>Prisoner</em>? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.</p>
<p><strong>Related links:</strong></p>
<p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/06/the-waltons-where-are-they-now/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>The Waltons: where are they today?</strong></em></span></a></p>
<p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/05/happy-days-cast-where-are-they-now/"><strong><em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Where are they now: cast of Happy Days</span></em></strong></a></p>
<p><a href="/entertainment/tv/2016/04/where-are-the-cast-of-mash-now/"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>MASH: Where are they now?</strong></em></span></a></p>
