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Did your childhood have an impact on your decision to become
involved in entertainment?
Yes, I was sent to nursery school at the age of two and a half
and we had a teacher who was German, so to make sure we didn’t
pick up her accent they employed an elocution teacher to take
classes – I used to recite a lot of poems and even went into a
festival where we all had to recite a poem called “The Dustman”.
Unfortunately there were 2 versions and by the time my turn came
I had learnt the other version as well and got the 2 muddled
up!! Anyway that was the start of it all and from then on I went
to drama classes every Saturday right up the time I went to a
proper drama school at the age of 18. I did a lot of festivals
and won several medals and cups and also did my Guildhall exams.
I then at 18 went to The Rose Bruford College for 3 years and
the rest is history.
Did you have a role model that inspired you to follow your
career path?
Not particularly, although I always admired Judi Dench, Diana
Rigg and Maggie Smith.
Your role as Iphigenia in The Greeks and Juliet in Romeo and
Juliet has been described as unforgettable. Are these the type
of roles you love to play or do you prefer comedy?
I like to do both – in fact I would love to do some more serious
work now as I have done so much comedy in the last ten years, I
do love comedy as it’s the best thing to hear an audience
laughing and the worst , when they don’t. In drama you don’t
have that worry – you just get on and do it.
Is there a particular part that you always wanted to play
present or past either in television or on stage?
Not now so much – years ago I always wanted to be in a western
but I think that is highly unlikely now – I don’t think they
make them anymore! I just want to keep on working, Television
would be nice and I really want to get back to it as it really
does raise your profile and leads to more scope and more money
in the theatre.
Some actors and actresses find it hard to make the transition
between theatre and television. Why do you think this is?
I think a lot of young actors who go straight into TV from drama
school then find it difficult when they do theatre as they give
“telly” performances and therefore don’t project properly and
can’t be heard past the first 3 rows! It can happen the other
way around and theatre actors doing TV for the first time can
over do it – they are 2 different techniques.
Do you think any one genre is more challenging than others and
why?
I think theatre is certainly harder as one has to repeat a
performance night after night and appear fresh as though one is
saying ones lines for the very first time. Also you generally
have to do your own make up and hair whereas in TV and film that
is all done for you. Television can be very tiring as there can
be a lot of waiting around and very early starts and late
finishes but once it’s in the can – that’s it!
You’ve been in a wide range of programmes, making appearances in
the Sweeny, Lovejoy and Bergerac. But which programme do you
consider you biggest break in television?
I don’t really consider any programme I’ve done as a big break –
I guess General Hospital back in the 70’s got me known and then
when I did “ON the UP” in the 90’s it was a good thing to be in
but it never really took off and that’s so important as you know
from the great comedy shows that have made people famous.
Unfortunately most of the things I did were not huge hits!
You’ve worked along side the likes of Joan Sims and Dennis
Waterman. But is there an individual you particularly admire and
enjoyed working with?
When I was at the RSC I worked with some wonderful actors, Janet
Suzman, Brenda Bruce, Anton Lesser, Jonathan Hyde, David Suchet
but best of all I love working with my husband!
You appeared at the Haymarket theatre in School for Scandal.
They have a tradition of presenting performers with the
nameplates from their dressing rooms. Were you presented with
one?
I wasn’t given one!
What was it like working with Sir Donald Sinden?
I enjoyed working with him very much – he is a master of comedy
but can be extremely naughty on stage sometimes – like wearing
battery powered fairy lights on his nightcap on Christmas Eve
and reducing the audience into hysterics!!
You have appeared in several pantomimes, a genre that is not
always taken as seriously as others. How important do you think
pantomime is to the heritage of the theatre?
Crucial, as it is a uniquely British genre and can be enjoyed by
all ages. It is often the first theatre a child will experience.
You often play the Good Fairy, would you like to play the
‘Baddy’ and if so which one in particular?
I’d love to play
wicked Queen in Snow White one day!
You played Ruth in the television comedy ‘On the Up’. How does
that sort of comedy compare with television comedy today?
They just don’t seem to make that type of sitcom with a live
audience any more, unless you count “My Family” which I’m not a
fan of!
Has comedy changed for the better or the worse and is the
heritage of true comedy lost?
I don’t think it’s changed for the better or worse – it’s just
different tastes emerging. We still have great writers like
Victoria Wood and Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. However all
the old favourites that are repeated still make us laugh and
always will.
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