Celia Imrie
Encyclopedia
Celia Diana Savile Imrie (born 15 July 1952) is an English
actress. In a career starting in the early 1970s, Imrie has played Marianne Bellshade in Bergerac
, Philippa Moorcroft in Dinnerladies
, Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques
, Diana Neal in After You've Gone and Gloria Millington in Kingdom
. She has been described as "one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades".
. Her films include Nanny McPhee
, Hilary and Jackie
(playing Iris du Pré
) and the 1997 film of The Borrowers
where she played Homily Clock. Other films include Bridget Jones's Diary
, Calendar Girls
, Highlander
and, as Fighter Pilot Bravo 5, in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
. In 2004, Imrie played Doctor Imogen Reed in the schoolgirl thriller, Out of Bounds. She appeared in St Trinian's
in 2007 as the Matron, alongside Stephen Fry
, Rupert Everett
, Colin Firth
, Russell Brand
and Mischa Barton
.
Television series to feature Imrie include The Nightmare Man
, Bergerac
, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
, Absolutely Fabulous
, The Darling Buds of May
and Upstairs, Downstairs
. In the 2000 miniseries of Gormenghast, she played Lady Gertrude. She also had a guest appearance in an episode of the BBC Scotland sitcom Still Game
in 2003, where she played a home help called Mrs Begg. She also appeared in the 2005 BBC
television drama Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle
, playing the part of a teacher taking an unruly party of pupils on a daytrip to Salisbury Cathedral
. She starred in the BBC
sitcom
, After You've Gone, alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst
and in the ITV1
drama Kingdom
, with Stephen Fry
. Her part in After You've Gone has, whilst being critically acclaimed, been described as "criminally squandered".
In 2005, she received very positive reviews for her US stage debut in Unsuspecting Susan. In 2009, Imrie appeared in Plague Over England
on the West End, a play about John Gielgud
, and received positive reviews for her performance, Charles Spencer
of The Daily Telegraph calling her performance "delicious" and "touchingly sympathetic". In the same year, she appeared in the world premiere of Robin Soans
' Mixed Up North, directed by Max Stafford-Clark
. In 2010, she appeared alongside Robin Soans
in a production of Sheridan's The Rivals
.
Her radio work includes parts in BBC Radio 4
's No Commitments
, Adventures of a Black Bag
, and Bleak Expectations
. In early 2007, she narrated the book Arabella
, broadcast over two weeks as the Book at Bedtime
.
, with whom she has appeared in TV programmes such as the sitcom dinnerladies
and sketch show Victoria Wood As Seen On TV
. It was on the latter show in 1985 that she first played the infamous part of Miss Babs, owner of Acorn Antiques
, a parody of the low budget British soap opera Crossroads.
These sketches became such a British institution that the show was turned into a West End musical in 2005 starring most of the original cast (see the picture on the right). Imrie won an Olivier Award for her performance. The character has curly blonde hair, and is known for her frequent parodic flirtations with the customers, and her abuse of the housekeeper Mrs Overall (portrayed by Julie Walters
).
, Surrey
, the daughter of Diana and David, a radiologist from Glasgow, Scotland. By actor Benjamin Whitrow
, she has a son, Angus, who appears as her on-screen son in Kingdom
. She lives in London
and in Cowes
(on the Isle of Wight
).
When Celia Imrie was 14, she was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital
for anorexia
under the care of psychiatrist William Sargant
, where she was given electroshock
and large doses of the anti-psychotic drug Largactil
. Imrie has written that Sargant still features in her nightmares.
Imrie appeared as a guest on Desert Island Discs
on Radio 4 on 13th. February 2011.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
actress. In a career starting in the early 1970s, Imrie has played Marianne Bellshade in Bergerac
Bergerac (TV series)
Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
, Philippa Moorcroft in Dinnerladies
Dinnerladies
Dinnerladies is a British sitcom written, co-produced by and starring Victoria Wood. It ran on BBC One for 16 episodes from 1998 to 2000.-Plot:...
, Miss Babs in Acorn Antiques
Acorn Antiques
Acorn Antiques is a parodic soap opera written by Victoria Wood as a regular feature in the two seasons of Victoria Wood As Seen On TV, which ran from 1985 to 1987. It was turned into a musical by Wood, opening in 2005.-Television version:...
, Diana Neal in After You've Gone and Gloria Millington in Kingdom
Kingdom (TV series)
Kingdom is a British television series produced by Parallel Film and Television Productions for the ITV network. It was created by Simon Wheeler and stars Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom, a Norfolk solicitor who is coping with family, colleagues, and the strange locals who come to him for legal...
. She has been described as "one of the most successful British actresses of recent decades".
Career
Imrie trained at the Guildford School of ActingGuildford School of Acting
Guildford School of Acting is a drama school located in Guildford, Surrey, England. It is an affiliate of the University of Surrey and is an accredited member of the National Council for Drama Training and The Conference of Drama Schools.-Overview:...
. Her films include Nanny McPhee
Nanny McPhee
Nanny McPhee is a 2005 fantasy film starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth. Thompson also wrote the screenplay, which is adapted from Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda books.-Plot:...
, Hilary and Jackie
Hilary and Jackie
Hilary and Jackie is a 1998 British biographical film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce is based on the memoir A Genius in the Family by Piers and Hilary du Pré, which chronicles the life and career of their late sister, cellist Jacqueline du Pré...
(playing Iris du Pré
Iris du Pré
Iris du Pré was a pianist, composer, conductor and educator, best known as the mother of two famous musicians, Hilary, and Jacqueline....
) and the 1997 film of The Borrowers
The Borrowers (1997 film)
The Borrowers is a 1997 film based on the children's novel of the same name by author Mary Norton. In 1998 it was nominated for the title of Best British Film in the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, but lost to Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth...
where she played Homily Clock. Other films include Bridget Jones's Diary
Bridget Jones's Diary (film)
Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 British romantic comedy film based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Bridget's "true love", Mark Darcy...
, Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls
Calendar Girls is a 2003 comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Buena Vista International and Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi based on a true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia...
, Highlander
Highlander (film)
Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through interwoven past and...
and, as Fighter Pilot Bravo 5, in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is a 1999 American epic space opera film written and directed by George Lucas. It is the fourth film to be released in the Star Wars saga, as the first of a three-part prequel to the original Star Wars trilogy, as well as the first film in the saga in terms...
. In 2004, Imrie played Doctor Imogen Reed in the schoolgirl thriller, Out of Bounds. She appeared in St Trinian's
St Trinian's (2007 film)
St Trinian's is the sixth in a long-running series of films based on the works of cartoonist Ronald Searle. The first five films form a series, starting with The Belles of St Trinian's in 1954, with sequels in 1957, 1960, 1966 and 1980....
in 2007 as the Matron, alongside Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
, Rupert Everett
Rupert Everett
Rupert James Hector Everett is an English actor. He first came to public attention in 1981, when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film Another Country as an openly gay student at an English public school, set in the 1930s...
, Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
, Russell Brand
Russell Brand
Russell Edward Brand is an English comedian, actor, columnist, singer, author and radio/television presenter.Brand achieved mainstream fame in the UK in 2004 for his role as host of Big Brother spin-off, Big Brother's Big Mouth. His first major film role was in the 2007 film St Trinians...
and Mischa Barton
Mischa Barton
Mischa Anne Marsden Barton is a British-American fashion model, film, television, and stage actress, best known for her role as Marissa Cooper in the American television series The O.C..-Early life:...
.
Television series to feature Imrie include The Nightmare Man
The Nightmare Man
The Nightmare Man is a science fiction and horror television serial, produced by the BBC in 1981.An adaptation of the novel Child of Vodyanoi by David Wiltshire, The Nightmare Man is set on a small Scottish island with the population gripped by fear following a series of savage murders and the...
, Bergerac
Bergerac (TV series)
Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (TV serial)
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit was a critically acclaimed 1990 BBC television drama, directed by Beeban Kidron. Jeanette Winterson wrote the screenplay, adapting her semi-autobiographical first novel of the same name . The BBC produced and screened three episodes, running to a total of 2 hours and...
, Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous
Absolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
, The Darling Buds of May
The Darling Buds of May
The Darling Buds of May is a British comedy drama which was first broadcast between 1991 and 1993 produced by Yorkshire Television for the ITV Network. It is set in an idyllic rural 1950s Kent, among a large, boisterous family. The three series were based on the novels by H. E. Bates. Originally...
and Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
. In the 2000 miniseries of Gormenghast, she played Lady Gertrude. She also had a guest appearance in an episode of the BBC Scotland sitcom Still Game
Still Game
Still Game is a Scottish sitcom, produced by The Comedy Unit with the BBC. It was created by Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill, who play the lead characters - two Glaswegian pensioners, named Jack Jarvis and Victor McDade respectively....
in 2003, where she played a home help called Mrs Begg. She also appeared in the 2005 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television drama Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle
Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle
Mr. Harvey Lights a Candle is a television drama, written by Rhidian Brook and directed by Susanna White, which originally aired in 2005 on BBC....
, playing the part of a teacher taking an unruly party of pupils on a daytrip to Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral, formally known as the Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is an Anglican cathedral in Salisbury, England, considered one of the leading examples of Early English architecture....
. She starred in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
sitcom
British sitcom
A British sitcom tends, as it does in most other countries, to be based on a family, workplace or other institution, where the same group of contrasting characters is brought together in each episode. Unlike American sitcoms, where twenty or more episodes in a season is the norm, British sitcoms...
, After You've Gone, alongside Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Lyndhurst
Nicholas Simon Lyndhurst is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses, Gary Sparrow in Goodnight Sweetheart, and as Adam Parkinson in Carla Lane's series Butterflies...
and in the ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
drama Kingdom
Kingdom (TV series)
Kingdom is a British television series produced by Parallel Film and Television Productions for the ITV network. It was created by Simon Wheeler and stars Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom, a Norfolk solicitor who is coping with family, colleagues, and the strange locals who come to him for legal...
, with Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
. Her part in After You've Gone has, whilst being critically acclaimed, been described as "criminally squandered".
In 2005, she received very positive reviews for her US stage debut in Unsuspecting Susan. In 2009, Imrie appeared in Plague Over England
Plague Over England
Plague Over England is a play written by Nicholas de Jongh, based on an incident that occurred during John Gielgud's life, when he was arrested for lewd behaviour; it offers an insight into the changes of the gay lifestyle over the last fifty years...
on the West End, a play about John Gielgud
John Gielgud
Sir Arthur John Gielgud, OM, CH was an English actor, director, and producer. A descendant of the renowned Terry acting family, he achieved early international acclaim for his youthful, emotionally expressive Hamlet which broke box office records on Broadway in 1937...
, and received positive reviews for her performance, Charles Spencer
Charles Spencer (journalist)
Charles Spencer is a British journalist. He has been the drama critic of The Daily Telegraph since 1991. In 2006, Compton Miller of The Independent wrote in a profile: "This convivial ex-alcoholic is best remembered for his description of Nicole Kidman's nude scene in The Blue Room as 'pure...
of The Daily Telegraph calling her performance "delicious" and "touchingly sympathetic". In the same year, she appeared in the world premiere of Robin Soans
Robin Soans
Robin Soans is an actor, and a playwright specialising in verbatim and documentary plays. These plays include Across the Divide ; A State Affair which looked at life on a Bradford estate, produced by Out of Joint theatre company; The Arab Israeli Cookbook ; Talking to Terrorists Robin Soans (born...
' Mixed Up North, directed by Max Stafford-Clark
Max Stafford-Clark
Maxwell Robert Guthrie Stewart Stafford-Clark is an English Theatre Director.-Life and career:He went to school at Felsted and Riverdale Country School in New York City. He has worked as a theatre director since he left Trinity College, Dublin.His directing career began as associate director of...
. In 2010, she appeared alongside Robin Soans
Robin Soans
Robin Soans is an actor, and a playwright specialising in verbatim and documentary plays. These plays include Across the Divide ; A State Affair which looked at life on a Bradford estate, produced by Out of Joint theatre company; The Arab Israeli Cookbook ; Talking to Terrorists Robin Soans (born...
in a production of Sheridan's The Rivals
The Rivals
The Rivals, a play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, is a comedy of manners in five acts. It was first performed on 17 January 1775.- Production :...
.
Her radio work includes parts in BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
's No Commitments
No Commitments
No Commitments is a comedy radio drama written by Simon Brett,broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It portrays the day-to-daylives of three very different sisters.-Main characters:...
, Adventures of a Black Bag
Dr. Finlay's Casebook (TV & radio)
Dr. Finlay's Casebook is a television series that was broadcast on the BBC from 1962 until 1971. Based on A. J. Cronin's novella entitled Country Doctor, the storylines centred on a general medical practice in the fictional Scottish town of Tannochbrae during the late 1920s...
, and Bleak Expectations
Bleak Expectations
Bleak Expectations is a Radio 4 comedy series, whose first series premiered in August 2007. It is a pastiche of the works of Charles Dickens – such as Bleak House and Great Expectations, from which it derives its name – and costume dramas set in the same period, and parodies several of their plot...
. In early 2007, she narrated the book Arabella
Arabella (novel)
Arabella is a Regency romance novel written by Georgette Heyer. It records the plight of a relatively poor girl from the English gentry who captures the attention of a very wealthy man by claiming to be an heiress...
, broadcast over two weeks as the Book at Bedtime
Book at Bedtime
Book at Bedtime is a long-running radio programme on BBC Radio 4, broadcast each weekday evening at 10.45–11.00 pm.Book at Bedtime offers fiction including modern classics, new works by leading writers and literature from around the world. Books are usually abridged and serialised each evening for...
.
Victoria Wood & Miss Babs
Imrie is perhaps best known for her frequent collaborations with Victoria WoodVictoria Wood
Victoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
, with whom she has appeared in TV programmes such as the sitcom dinnerladies
Dinnerladies
Dinnerladies is a British sitcom written, co-produced by and starring Victoria Wood. It ran on BBC One for 16 episodes from 1998 to 2000.-Plot:...
and sketch show Victoria Wood As Seen On TV
Victoria Wood As Seen On TV
Victoria Wood As Seen On TV was a British comedy sketch series starring comedienne Victoria Wood, with Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, Susie Blake and Patricia Routledge...
. It was on the latter show in 1985 that she first played the infamous part of Miss Babs, owner of Acorn Antiques
Acorn Antiques
Acorn Antiques is a parodic soap opera written by Victoria Wood as a regular feature in the two seasons of Victoria Wood As Seen On TV, which ran from 1985 to 1987. It was turned into a musical by Wood, opening in 2005.-Television version:...
, a parody of the low budget British soap opera Crossroads.
These sketches became such a British institution that the show was turned into a West End musical in 2005 starring most of the original cast (see the picture on the right). Imrie won an Olivier Award for her performance. The character has curly blonde hair, and is known for her frequent parodic flirtations with the customers, and her abuse of the housekeeper Mrs Overall (portrayed by Julie Walters
Julie Walters
Julie Walters, CBE is an English actress and novelist. She came to international prominence in 1983 for Educating Rita, performing in the title role opposite Michael Caine. It was a role she had created on the West End stage and it won her BAFTA and Golden Globe awards for Best Actress...
).
Personal life
Imrie, fourth of five children, was born in GuildfordGuildford
Guildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, the daughter of Diana and David, a radiologist from Glasgow, Scotland. By actor Benjamin Whitrow
Benjamin Whitrow
Benjamin "Ben" Whitrow is a British actor. He attended the Dragon School, Tonbridge School, and RADA. Whitrow was also part of the King's Dragoon Guards from 1956 to 1958. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1981...
, she has a son, Angus, who appears as her on-screen son in Kingdom
Kingdom (TV series)
Kingdom is a British television series produced by Parallel Film and Television Productions for the ITV network. It was created by Simon Wheeler and stars Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom, a Norfolk solicitor who is coping with family, colleagues, and the strange locals who come to him for legal...
. She lives in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and in Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
(on the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
).
When Celia Imrie was 14, she was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital
St Thomas' Hospital is a large NHS hospital in London, England. It is administratively a part of Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. It has provided health care freely or under charitable auspices since the 12th century and was originally located in Southwark.St Thomas' Hospital is accessible...
for anorexia
Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Although commonly called "anorexia", that term on its own denotes any symptomatic loss of appetite and is not strictly accurate...
under the care of psychiatrist William Sargant
William Sargant
William Walters Sargant was a controversial British psychiatrist who is remembered for the evangelical zeal with which he promoted treatments such as psychosurgery, deep sleep treatment, electroconvulsive therapy and insulin shock therapy.Sargant studied medicine at St John's College, Cambridge,...
, where she was given electroshock
Electroconvulsive therapy
Electroconvulsive therapy , formerly known as electroshock, is a psychiatric treatment in which seizures are electrically induced in anesthetized patients for therapeutic effect. Its mode of action is unknown...
and large doses of the anti-psychotic drug Largactil
Chlorpromazine
Chlorpromazine is a typical antipsychotic...
. Imrie has written that Sargant still features in her nightmares.
Awards
- (1992) The Clarence Derwent AwardClarence Derwent AwardsThe Clarence Derwent Awards are theatre awards given annually by the Actors' Equity Association on Broadway in the United States and by Equity, the performers union, in the West End in the United Kingdom....
for Best Supporting Actress in The Sea - (2006) The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in Acorn Antiques:The Musical!
Real life quotes
- Whilst filming KingdomKingdom (TV series)Kingdom is a British television series produced by Parallel Film and Television Productions for the ITV network. It was created by Simon Wheeler and stars Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom, a Norfolk solicitor who is coping with family, colleagues, and the strange locals who come to him for legal...
:"I've got a gorgeous place in SwaffhamSwaffhamSwaffham is a market town and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk. The town is situated east of King's Lynn and west of Norwich.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 6,935 in 3,130 households...
[in Norfolk] with a beautiful garden and I really love the market there. I also love WellsWells-next-the-SeaWells-next-the-Sea, known locally simply as Wells, is a town, civil parish and seaport situated on the North Norfolk coast in England.The civil parish has an area of and in the 2001 census had a population of 2,451 in 1,205 households...
and HolkhamHolkhamHolkham is a village and civil parish in the north-west of the county of Norfolk, England. Besides the small village, the parish includes the major stately home and estate of Holkham Hall, and an attractive beach at Holkham Gap...
. I love walking on the pathway from Wells Quay to the beach. Wells is naturally beautiful and has the candy floss as well. It is a marvellous mix."
Film
- 1973 - Assassin
- 1974 - House of Whipcord
- 1978 - Death on the NileDeath on the Nile (1978 film)Death on the Nile is a 1978 film based on the Agatha Christie mystery novel Death on the Nile, directed by John Guillermin. The film features the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot played by Peter Ustinov plus an all-star cast. It takes place in Egypt, mostly on the Nile River...
- 1983 - The Wicked LadyThe Wicked LadyThe Wicked Lady is a 1945 film starring Margaret Lockwood in the title role as a nobleman's wife who secretly becomes a highwayman for the excitement...
- 1986 - HighlanderHighlander (film)Highlander is a 1986 fantasy action film directed by Russell Mulcahy and based on a story by Gregory Widen. It stars Christopher Lambert, Sean Connery, Clancy Brown, and Roxanne Hart. The film depicts the climax of an ages-old battle between immortal warriors, depicted through interwoven past and...
- 1991 - The Harmfulness of Tobacco
- 1992 - Blue Black Permanent
- 1994 - FrankensteinMary Shelley's FrankensteinFrankenstein is a 1994 American horror film directed by Kenneth Branagh. The film starred Branagh, Robert De Niro, Tom Hulce, Helena Bonham Carter. It was produced on a budget of $45 million...
- 1995 - A Midwinter's TaleA Midwinter's TaleA Midwinter's Tale is a 1995 romantic comedy written and directed by Kenneth Branagh. Many of the roles in the film were written for specific actors....
- 1997 - The BorrowersThe Borrowers (1997 film)The Borrowers is a 1997 film based on the children's novel of the same name by author Mary Norton. In 1998 it was nominated for the title of Best British Film in the British Academy of Film and Television Arts awards, but lost to Gary Oldman's Nil by Mouth...
- 1998 - Hiccup
- 1998 - Hilary and JackieHilary and JackieHilary and Jackie is a 1998 British biographical film directed by Anand Tucker. The screenplay by Frank Cottrell Boyce is based on the memoir A Genius in the Family by Piers and Hilary du Pré, which chronicles the life and career of their late sister, cellist Jacqueline du Pré...
- 1999 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace
- 2001 - Revelation
- 2001 - Lucky BreakLucky BreakLucky Break is a 2001 British comedy film starring James Nesbitt and directed by Peter Cattaneo.-Synopsis:Feelgood prison-escape movie that sees a group of prison inmates , put on a theatrical show of Nelson: The Musical to cover their daring break-out attempt...
- 2001 - Bridget Jones's DiaryBridget Jones's Diary (film)Bridget Jones's Diary is a 2001 British romantic comedy film based on Helen Fielding's novel of the same name. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget, Hugh Grant as the caddish Daniel Cleaver, and Colin Firth as Bridget's "true love", Mark Darcy...
- 2002 - HeartlandsHeartlands (film)Heartlands is a 2002 film directed by Damien O'Donnell and written by Paul Fraser. It is a comedy-drama-road movie, running at 90 minutes, produced in the United Kingdom. It was screened at the Edinburgh Film Festival.-Plot:...
- 2002 - ThunderpantsThunderpantsThunderpants is a 2002 family film about a boy whose incredible capacity for flatulence gets him a job as an astronaut. The film was directed by Pete Hewitt, whose previous work included Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey and The Borrowers...
- 2003 - Out of BoundsOut of Bounds (2003 film)Out of Bounds is a 2003 British psychological thriller starring Sophia Myles and Sophie Ward. It is the directorial debut of Merlin Ward, who also wrote the screenplay.-Plot:...
- 2003 - Calendar GirlsCalendar GirlsCalendar Girls is a 2003 comedy film directed by Nigel Cole. Produced by Buena Vista International and Touchstone Pictures, it features a screenplay by Tim Firth and Juliette Towhidi based on a true story of a group of Yorkshire women who produced a nude calendar to raise money for Leukaemia...
- 2004 - Bridget Jones:The Edge of ReasonBridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (film)# Will Young - "Your Love Is King"# Jamelia - "Stop"# Kylie Minogue - "Can't Get You Out of My Head"# Joss Stone - "Super Duper Love Pt. 1"# Mary J...
- 2004 - WimbledonWimbledon (film)Wimbledon is a 2004 romantic comedy film directed by Richard Loncraine. The film centers on a washed-up tennis pro named Peter Colt and an up-and-coming tennis star named Lizzie Bradbury during the Wimbledon Championships.The film was dedicated to Mark McCormack, who died on 16 May 2003 after...
- 2004 - Reuben Don't Take Your Love To Town
- 2005 - Imagine Me & YouImagine Me & YouImagine Me & You is a 2005 British-American comedy-romance film written and directed by Ol Parker. It centres on the relationship between Rachel, played by Piper Perabo and Luce, played by Lena Headey, who meet on Rachel's wedding day. The movie takes its title from a line in the song "Happy...
- 2005 - Wah-WahWah-WahWah-Wah is a 2005 drama film, written and directed by British actor Richard E. Grant and loosely based on his childhood in Swaziland. Filmed and set in Swaziland, the film was premiered at the 2005 Toronto Film Festival and also opened the Edinburgh Festival to critical acclaim...
- 2005 - Nanny McPheeNanny McPheeNanny McPhee is a 2005 fantasy film starring Emma Thompson and Colin Firth. Thompson also wrote the screenplay, which is adapted from Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda books.-Plot:...
- 2006 - Acorn Antiques
- 2007 - St Trinian'sSt Trinian's (2007 film)St Trinian's is the sixth in a long-running series of films based on the works of cartoonist Ronald Searle. The first five films form a series, starting with The Belles of St Trinian's in 1954, with sequels in 1957, 1960, 1966 and 1980....
- 2009 - St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's GoldSt. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's GoldSt Trinian's 2: The Legend of Fritton's Gold is a 2009 comedy film directed by Oliver Parker and Barnaby Thompson, both of whom directed the previous film in the series...
- 2010 - You Will Meet a Tall Dark StrangerYou Will Meet a Tall Dark StrangerYou Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is a 2010 English-language Spanish-American co-production comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It features Antonio Banderas, Josh Brolin, Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Freida Pinto, Lucy Punch, Naomi Watts, Roger Ashton-Griffiths and Pauline...
- 2012 - The Best Exotic Marigold HotelThe Best Exotic Marigold HotelThe Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is an upcoming British comedy-drama film directed by John Madden and written by Ol Parker. The film stars Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Dev Patel, Tom Wilkinson and Maggie Smith. The plot follows the life of a group of British retirees staying in an elderly home in...
Television
- 1974 - Upstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
: "Missing Believed Killed" - 1974 - Upstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, DownstairsUpstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
: "If You Were the Only Girl in the World" - 1979 - To the Manor Born: "A Touch of Class"
- 1980 - Shoestring: The "Dangerous Game"
- 1980 - To the Manor Born: "Vive Le Sport"
- 1981 - 81 Take 2
- 1981 - The Nightmare Man
- 1982 - BergeracBergerac (TV series)Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
- 1982 - Cloud Howe
- 1985 - Victoria Wood As Seen On TV
- 1987 - Acting: "Michael Caine on Acting in Film"
- 1988 - An Audience with Victoria Wood
- 1988 - The New Statesman: "Alan B'Stard Closes Down the BBC"
- 1988 - TaggartTaggartTaggart is a Scottish detective television programme, created by Glenn Chandler, who has written many of the episodes, and made by STV Productions for the ITV network...
: "Root of Evil" - 1989 - Victoria Wood: "Staying In"
- 1989 - Victoria Wood: "Val De Ree (Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha)"
- 1989 - Victoria Wood: "We'd Quite Like to Apologise"
- 1989 - Murder by Moonlight
- 1989 - The New Statesman: "May the Best Man Win"
- 1990 - 102 Boulevard Haussman
- 1990 - Old Flames
- 1990 - Oranges Are Not the Only FruitOranges Are Not the Only Fruit (TV serial)Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit was a critically acclaimed 1990 BBC television drama, directed by Beeban Kidron. Jeanette Winterson wrote the screenplay, adapting her semi-autobiographical first novel of the same name . The BBC produced and screened three episodes, running to a total of 2 hours and...
- 1990 - The World of Eddie Weary
- 1991 - Stay Lucky: "The Food of Love"
- 1991 - The Darling Buds of May: "When the Green Woods Laugh (Parts 1 & 2)"
- 1991 - Lovejoy: "The Italian Venus"
- 1992 - Van der Valk: "Still Waters"
- 1992 - Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast
- 1993 - A Question of Guilt
- 1993 - The Riff Raff ElementThe Riff Raff ElementThe Riff Raff Element was a 1990s British television series written by Debbie Horsfield and directed by Jeremy Ancock, who also directed Dressing for Breakfast and episodes of The Bill and Bergerac....
- 1993 - Bonjour la Classe: "Red Card"
- 1994 - The Return of the Native
- 1994 - Pat and Margaret
- 1994 - A Dark Adapted Eye
- 1995 - Absolutely FabulousAbsolutely FabulousAbsolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
: "Jealous" - 1996 - The Writing on the Wall
- 1996 - Blackhearts In Battersea
- 1997 - Mr. White Goes to Westminster
- 1997 - The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling
- 1997 - Wokenwell
- 1997 - Hospital!
- 1997 - Into the Blue
- 1997 - The Canterville GhostThe Canterville Ghost"The Canterville Ghost" is a popular short story by Oscar Wilde, widely adapted for the screen and stage. It was the first of Wilde's stories to be published, appearing in the magazine The Court and Society Review in February 1887. It was later included in a collection of short stories entitled...
- 1998 - dinnerladiesDinnerladiesDinnerladies is a British sitcom written, co-produced by and starring Victoria Wood. It ran on BBC One for 16 episodes from 1998 to 2000.-Plot:...
- 1998 - Duck Patrol: "River Rage"
- 1999 - A Christmas CarolA Christmas Carol (1999 film)A Christmas Carol is a 1999 television film adaptation of Charles Dickens's famous novel A Christmas Carol. It was directed by David Hugh Jones and stars Patrick Stewart as Ebenezer Scrooge and Richard E. Grant as Bob Cratchit...
- 1999 - Hilltop Hospital
- 1999 - Hetty Wainthropp InvestigatesHetty Wainthropp InvestigatesHetty Wainthropp Investigates is a genteel British crime–comedy drama television series which aired from 1996 to 1998 on BBC One. The series starred Patricia Routledge as the title character , Derek Benfield as her patient husband Robert, Dominic Monaghan as their lodger Geoffrey Shawcross...
- 2000 - Victoria WoodVictoria WoodVictoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
With All The Trimmings - 2000 - Dalziel & Pascoe: "Above the Law"
- 2000 - Gormenghast
- 2001 - Victoria WoodVictoria WoodVictoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
's Sketch Show Story - 2001 - Station Jim
- 2001 - Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased): "Revenge of the Bog People"
- 2001 - Absolutely FabulousAbsolutely FabulousAbsolutely Fabulous, also known as Ab Fab, is a British sitcom created by Jennifer Saunders, based on an original idea by her and Dawn French, and written by Saunders, who plays the leading character. It also stars Joanna Lumley and Julia Sawalha, along with June Whitfield and Jane Horrocks...
: "Menopause" - 2001 - Midsomer MurdersMidsomer MurdersMidsomer Murders is a British television detective drama that has aired on ITV since 1997. The show is based on the books by Caroline Graham, as originally adapted by Anthony Horowitz. The lead character is DCI Tom Barnaby who works for Causton CID. When Nettles left the show in 2011 he was...
: "Dark Autumn" - 2001 - Baddiel's Syndrome: "Inventions Now"
- 2001 - Love in a Cold ClimateLove in a Cold Climate (TV serial)Love in a Cold Climate is a British television serial drama produced by the BBC in association with WGBH Boston, and first broadcast in two parts on BBC One on 4 and 11 February 2001...
- 2002 - Doctor ZhivagoDoctor Zhivago (TV serial)Doctor Zhivago is a 2002 British television serial directed by Giacomo Campiotti and starring Keira Knightley and Sam Neill. The teleplay by Andrew Davies is based on the 1957 novel of the same title by Boris Pasternak....
- 2002 - Daniel DerondaDaniel DerondaDaniel Deronda is a novel by George Eliot, first published in 1876. It was the last novel she completed and the only one set in the contemporary Victorian society of her day...
- 2002 - A is for Acid
- 2002 - SparkhouseSparkhouseSparkhouse is a BBC drama, originally shown in 2002, written by Sally Wainwright which is a modern take on Wuthering Heights.-Synopsis:Two young lovers battle against the odds to be together...
- 2002 - The Gathering Storm
- 2002 - Heartbeat: "The Shoot"
- 2003 - Still Game : "Wummin'"
- 2003 - The Planman
- 2004 - Marple: "The 4.50 From Paddington"
- 2004 - Doc Martin: "Going Bodmin"
- 2004 - Jonathan CreekJonathan CreekJonathan Creek is a British mystery series produced by the BBC and written by David Renwick. Primarily a crime drama, the show is also peppered with broadly comic touches...
: "Gorgons Wood" - 2005 - Mr. Harvey Lights a CandleMr. Harvey Lights a CandleMr. Harvey Lights a Candle is a television drama, written by Rhidian Brook and directed by Susanna White, which originally aired in 2005 on BBC....
- 2005 - The Making of Acorn Antiques! The Musical
- 2005 - A BAFTA Tribute to Victoria WoodVictoria WoodVictoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
- 2006 - Where The Heart Is : "Walk of Faith"
- 2006 - Agatha Christie's Poirot: "Taken at the FloodTaken at the FloodTaken at the Flood is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in March 1948 under the title of There is a Tide... and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in the November of the same year under Christie's original title...
" - 2006 - The Lavender List
- 2007 - KingdomKingdom (TV series)Kingdom is a British television series produced by Parallel Film and Television Productions for the ITV network. It was created by Simon Wheeler and stars Stephen Fry as Peter Kingdom, a Norfolk solicitor who is coping with family, colleagues, and the strange locals who come to him for legal...
- 2007 - After You've Gone
- 2009 - CranfordCranford (TV series)Cranford is a British television series directed by Simon Curtis and Steve Hudson. The teleplay by Heidi Thomas was adapted from three novellas by Elizabeth Gaskell published between 1849 and 1858: Cranford, My Lady Ludlow, and Mr Harrison's Confessions...
: "Christmas Special" - 2010 - The Road to Coronation StreetThe Road to Coronation StreetThe Road to Coronation Street is a British drama first broadcast on BBC Four documenting the journey of Coronation Street, the UK's longest-running television soap opera, from conception to its first transmission in December 1960...
(as Doris SpeedDoris SpeedDoris Speed, MBE was an English actress, best known for her role as snooty Rovers Return landlady Annie Walker on Coronation Street, a role she played from 1960 to 1983.-Early life and career:...
) - 2012 - TitanicTitanic (TV series)Titanic is a television costume drama based on the sinking of the RMS Titanic. It is one of two large budget television dramas set to be released in April 2012, the centenary of the disaster. The other is Titanic: Blood and Steel.-Overview:...
Theatre
- 1976 - The Adventures of Alice
- 1976 - Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
- 1976 - Now Here's A Funny Thing
- 1977 - The Boyfriend
- 1977 - Love's Labour's LostLove's Labour's LostLove's Labour's Lost is one of William Shakespeare's early comedies, believed to have been written in the mid-1590s, and first published in 1598.-Title:...
- 1977 - Henry VHenry V (play)Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
- 1978 - Tis Pity She's a Whore
- 1978 - MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
- 1978 - CabaretCabaret (musical)Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
- 1978 - As You Like ItAs You Like ItAs You Like It is a pastoral comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 or early 1600 and first published in the folio of 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wilton House in 1603 has been suggested as a possibility...
- 1979 - PygmalionPygmalion (play)Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts is a play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party by teaching her to assume a veneer of...
- 1979 - The Good Humoured Ladies
- 1980 - Seduced
- 1981 - A Waste of Time
- 1981 - Heaven and Hell
- 1982 - The Screens
- 1982 - Philosophy of the Boudoir
- 1982 - Puss In BootsPuss in Boots'Puss' is a character in the fairy tale "The Master Cat, or Puss in Boots" by Charles Perrault. The tale was published in 1697 in his Histoires ou Contes du temps passé...
- 1982 - Puntila and Matti, Master and Servant
- 1983 - Sirocco
- 1983 - The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
- 1983 - Custom of the Country
- 1983 - Arms and the Man
- 1983 - Webster
- 1984 - When I Was A Girl I Used To Scream and Shout
- 1984 - The Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of VeniceThe Merchant of Venice is a tragic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Though classified as a comedy in the First Folio and sharing certain aspects with Shakespeare's other romantic comedies, the play is perhaps most remembered for its dramatic...
- 1984 - Alfie
- 1985 - The Philanthropist
- 1985 - Particular Friendships
- 1986 - Last Waltz
- 1987 - YermaYermaYerma is a play by the Spanish dramatist Federico García Lorca. It was written in 1934, and first performed that same year. Lorca describes the play as "a tragic poem."-Plot:...
- 1987 - School For Wives
- 1988 - The Madwoman of Chaillot
- 1988 - Doctor Angelus
- 1990 - No one Sees The Video
- 1990 - Hangover Square
- 1990 - In Pursuit of The English
- 1991 - The Sea
- 1995 - The Hothouse
- 1996 - Habeas CorpusHabeas corpusis a writ, or legal action, through which a prisoner can be released from unlawful detention. The remedy can be sought by the prisoner or by another person coming to his aid. Habeas corpus originated in the English legal system, but it is now available in many nations...
- 1997 - Dona Rosita The Spinster
- 1998 - The School for Scandal
- 2003 - Unsuspecting Susan
- 2003 - The Way of The World
- 2005 - Unsuspecting Susan
- 2005 - Acorn Antiques The Musical!
- 2006 - Singular Women
- 2009 - Mixed Up North
- 2009 - Plague Over EnglandPlague Over EnglandPlague Over England is a play written by Nicholas de Jongh, based on an incident that occurred during John Gielgud's life, when he was arrested for lewd behaviour; it offers an insight into the changes of the gay lifestyle over the last fifty years...
- 2010 - The RivalsThe RivalsThe Rivals, a play by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, is a comedy of manners in five acts. It was first performed on 17 January 1775.- Production :...
- 2010 - Polar BearsPolar Bears (play)Polar Bears is a play by British writer Mark Haddon first produced by the Donmar Warehouse in London. Following previews from 1 April 2010, the play opened on 6 April 2010 where it ran until 22 May...
- 2010 - Hay FeverHay FeverHay Fever is a comic play written by Noël Coward in 1924 and first produced in 1925 with Marie Tempest as the first Judith Bliss. Laura Hope Crews played the role in New York...
- 2011 - Drama at Inish
- 2011 - Noises OffNoises OffNoises Off is a 1982 play by English playwright Michael Frayn. The idea for it was born in 1970, when Frayn was standing in the wings watching a performance of Chinamen, a farce that he had written for Lynn Redgrave...
Imrie appeared as a guest on Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
on Radio 4 on 13th. February 2011.
External links
- Celia Imrie Wins Olivier Award
- Interview with Celia Imrie
- Celia Imrie talks about Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2007/12/15/et-heaven-imrie-115.xmlCelia Imrie Article with The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
] - Photograph of Celia as Marianne Bellshade in 1982 in BergeracBergerac (TV series)Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...