Helen Griffin
Encyclopedia
Helen Griffin is a Welsh
actress, playwright and screenwriter. She has appeared regularly in Welsh theatre and television and wrote and starred in the 2005 film Little White Lies. She also appeared in the 2006 Doctor Who
episodes "Rise of the Cybermen
" and "The Age of Steel
".
Griffin studied at nursing college with comedienne Jo Brand
and worked as a psychiatric nurse until 1986, when she became an actress. She currently resides in Swansea
.
. On television, she has been seen in the cult comedy Satellite City
, Wycliffe
, Life Force, Holby City
and Doctor Who
. Griffin's film work includes Twin Town
, Solomon a Gaenor
and Human Traffic
.
In 2003, Griffin performed a one-woman show, Caitlin, based on the life of Caitlin Macnamara
, wife of Dylan Thomas
; the Western Mail praised her "finely-honed and perceptive performance".
In 2005, Griffin won acclaim for her role as Karen in Little White Lies, which she also wrote. Her performance won the Best Actress prize in the 2005 BAFTA Cymru
awards, defeating expected favourite Billie Piper
(who had been nominated for her role as Rose Tyler
in Doctor Who). Griffin herself had become associated with Doctor Who by frequently being used as a stand-in for unavailable actors during read-through
s for other episodes. This led to her casting in the episodes "Rise of the Cybermen
" and "The Age of Steel
", during production of which she continued to impress the production team to the degree that the script was rewritten so that her character survived for longer than originally planned. In the final episode of "Gavin & Stacey
", Griffin appeared as Rita the toll woman.
she is currently filming on the cobbles of coronation street where she will play a social worker.
(subsequently renamed Teatr na n'Og) and was first performed in 1993. Two more short plays, The Change and A Generation Arises, were performed in 1994. In 1997, Griffin collaborated with Jo Brand on a short play, Mental, which was based on their shared experiences as psychiatric nurses; the two performed an updated version at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
. Griffin's first full-length play, Flesh and Blood, which deals with racism in Welsh society, debuted at the Sherman Theatre
in Cardiff
in 2000, and later moved to the Hampstead Theatre
in London
. In 2002, Teatr y Byd in Newport
debuted another play by Griffin, I Love You Superstar.
Griffin adapted her script for Flesh and Blood into the screenplay for Little White Lies,which was filmed on location in Cardiff and Swansea and premiered in the UK on January 10, 2006.
, anti-racism
and feminist
causes. During the production of Flesh and Blood, Griffin said, "We cannot afford to have a narrow definition of what it means to be Welsh. If we want to move forward we should be proud of multicultural Wales." In 2003, Griffin protested the Iraq War in Swansea
, and identified herself as a spokeswoman for Swansea Coalition Against the War. In 2004, she stood as a candidate for the European Parliament
on the slate of the RESPECT Coalition
. The party won no seats. In 2006, Griffin was arrested for daubing red paint on the National Museum of Wales as part of a protest against Israel's actions in Lebanon
. She was held for ten hours and released with a caution.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
actress, playwright and screenwriter. She has appeared regularly in Welsh theatre and television and wrote and starred in the 2005 film Little White Lies. She also appeared in the 2006 Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episodes "Rise of the Cybermen
Rise of the Cybermen
"Rise of the Cybermen" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode features the return of Cybermen, where they are created on Earth itself. It is the first part of a two-part story, the concluding part being "The Age of Steel"...
" and "The Age of Steel
The Age of Steel
"The Age of Steel" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 20 May 2006 and is the second part of a two-part story that was the first to feature the Cybermen since Silver Nemesis in 1988. The first part, "Rise of the Cybermen", was...
".
Griffin studied at nursing college with comedienne Jo Brand
Jo Brand
Josephine Grace "Jo" Brand is a BAFTA winning British comedian, writer, and actor.- Early life :Jo Brand was born 23 July 1957 in Wandsworth, London. Her mother was a social worker. Brand is the middle of three children, with two brothers...
and worked as a psychiatric nurse until 1986, when she became an actress. She currently resides in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
.
Acting
Griffin has appeared in many plays, television programmes and films both in Wales and throughout the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. On television, she has been seen in the cult comedy Satellite City
Satellite City (sitcom)
Satellite City was a Welsh sitcom which started out originally as a radio show on BBC Radio Wales in 1994 and then evolved into a TV version made by BBC Wales and was first broadcast in 1996....
, Wycliffe
Wycliffe (TV series)
Wycliffe is a British TV series, based on W. J. Burley's novels about Detective Superintendent Charles Wycliffe . It was produced by HTV and broadcast on the ITV Network, following a pilot episode on 7 August 1993, between 24 July 1994 and 5 July 1998. The series was filmed in Cornwall, with a...
, Life Force, Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
and Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
. Griffin's film work includes Twin Town
Twin Town
Twin Town is a 1997 revenge comedy film made and set in South West Wales. It was directed by Kevin Allen and had a working title of Hot Dog; a hot dog van features in a number of scenes in the film. It stars real-life brothers Rhys Ifans and Llŷr Ifans and also features Dougray Scott...
, Solomon a Gaenor
Solomon & Gaenor
Solomon & Gaenor is a BAFTA Awarded and Academy nominated Welsh film released in 1999 and directed by Paul Morrison. It was filmed twice, once with principal dialogue in English and again in Welsh.-Plot:...
and Human Traffic
Human Traffic
Human Traffic is a British independent film written and directed by Welsh filmmaker Justin Kerrigan. The film explores themes of coming of age, drug and club cultures, as well as relationships. It includes scenes provoking social commentary and the use of archive footage to provide political...
.
In 2003, Griffin performed a one-woman show, Caitlin, based on the life of Caitlin Macnamara
Caitlin MacNamara
Caitlin Thomas , née Macnamara, was the wife of poet and writer Dylan Thomas. Their marriage was a stormy affair, fuelled by alcohol and infidelity, though the couple remained together until Dylan's death in 1953. After her husband's death she wrote the book Leftover Life to Kill, an account of her...
, wife of Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
; the Western Mail praised her "finely-honed and perceptive performance".
In 2005, Griffin won acclaim for her role as Karen in Little White Lies, which she also wrote. Her performance won the Best Actress prize in the 2005 BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru
BAFTA Cymru is the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.Formed in 1991, they hold an annual awards ceremony to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Welsh-made films and television programmes...
awards, defeating expected favourite Billie Piper
Billie Piper
Billie Paul Piper is an English singer and actress.She began her career in the late 1990s as a pop singer and then switched to acting. She started in acting and dancing and was talent spotted at the Sylvia Young stage school by Smash Hits magazine who wanted a "face" for their magazine...
(who had been nominated for her role as Rose Tyler
Rose Tyler
Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character portrayed by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who, and was created by series producer Russell T Davies...
in Doctor Who). Griffin herself had become associated with Doctor Who by frequently being used as a stand-in for unavailable actors during read-through
Read-through
The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film and theatre production when an organized reading around a table of the screenplay or script by the actors with speaking parts is conducted....
s for other episodes. This led to her casting in the episodes "Rise of the Cybermen
Rise of the Cybermen
"Rise of the Cybermen" is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The episode features the return of Cybermen, where they are created on Earth itself. It is the first part of a two-part story, the concluding part being "The Age of Steel"...
" and "The Age of Steel
The Age of Steel
"The Age of Steel" is an episode of the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on 20 May 2006 and is the second part of a two-part story that was the first to feature the Cybermen since Silver Nemesis in 1988. The first part, "Rise of the Cybermen", was...
", during production of which she continued to impress the production team to the degree that the script was rewritten so that her character survived for longer than originally planned. In the final episode of "Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey is a British comedy television series. A romantic comedy-drama, the show follows the long-distance relationship of Gavin from Billericay in Essex, England, and Stacey from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, Wales. The writers of the show, actors James Corden and Ruth Jones, also...
", Griffin appeared as Rita the toll woman.
she is currently filming on the cobbles of coronation street where she will play a social worker.
Writing
Griffin's first short play, Killjoy, was written for Theatre West GlamorganGlamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
(subsequently renamed Teatr na n'Og) and was first performed in 1993. Two more short plays, The Change and A Generation Arises, were performed in 1994. In 1997, Griffin collaborated with Jo Brand on a short play, Mental, which was based on their shared experiences as psychiatric nurses; the two performed an updated version at the 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The 2003 Edinburgh Festival Fringe was the 56th Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The Fringe ran from 3–25 August 2003 and presented 1541 shows over 207 venues...
. Griffin's first full-length play, Flesh and Blood, which deals with racism in Welsh society, debuted at the Sherman Theatre
Sherman Theatre
Sherman Cymru, also known by its previous name Sherman Theatre, is a performing arts venue in the Cathays district of Cardiff. It was built as a twin-auditorium venue in 1973 with financial support from University College, Cardiff....
in Cardiff
Cardiff
Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
in 2000, and later moved to the Hampstead Theatre
Hampstead Theatre
Hampstead Theatre is a theatre in the vicinity of Swiss Cottage and Belsize Park, in the London Borough of Camden. It specialises in commissioning and producing new writing, supporting and developing the work of new writers. In 2009 it celebrates its 50 year anniversary.The original theatre was...
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...
. In 2002, Teatr y Byd in Newport
Newport
Newport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
debuted another play by Griffin, I Love You Superstar.
Griffin adapted her script for Flesh and Blood into the screenplay for Little White Lies,which was filmed on location in Cardiff and Swansea and premiered in the UK on January 10, 2006.
Political activism
Griffin has been active in anti-warAnti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
, anti-racism
Anti-racism
Anti-racism includes beliefs, actions, movements, and policies adopted or developed to oppose racism. In general, anti-racism is intended to promote an egalitarian society in which people do not face discrimination on the basis of their race, however defined...
and feminist
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
causes. During the production of Flesh and Blood, Griffin said, "We cannot afford to have a narrow definition of what it means to be Welsh. If we want to move forward we should be proud of multicultural Wales." In 2003, Griffin protested the Iraq War in Swansea
Swansea
Swansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
, and identified herself as a spokeswoman for Swansea Coalition Against the War. In 2004, she stood as a candidate for the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
on the slate of the RESPECT Coalition
RESPECT The Unity Coalition
Respect is a socialist political party in England and Wales founded in 2004. Its name is a contrived acronym standing for Respect, Equality, Socialism, Peace, Environmentalism, Community and Trade Unionism.-Policies:...
. The party won no seats. In 2006, Griffin was arrested for daubing red paint on the National Museum of Wales as part of a protest against Israel's actions in Lebanon
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict
The 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
. She was held for ten hours and released with a caution.