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Gillian Brown

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Gillian Brown
Gillian Brown during rehearsals of The Knotty
BornManchester, England
🎓 Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art
💼 Occupation
  • Actress
  • singer
  • writer
  • composer
  • director
👩 Spouse(s)
Geoffrey Larder
(m. 1968; div. 1976)

Brian Parrish
(m. 1980; div. 1994)

Gillian Brown is a British actress, singer, writer, composer and director, who trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). In 1963, when she graduated,[1] Brown was awarded the RADA Special Silver Medal...

Early life[edit]

Brown, although born in Manchester, spent most of her childhood in Colchester. After several unsuccessful attempts to entertain the other children at the Saturday Morning Pictures, Brown discovered Colchester Repertory Theatre, now the Mercury Theatre, and knew she'd come home. She saw Marie Ney and the late Bruce Montague in Ibsen's Ghosts, followed by a production of Sandy Wilson's musical, The Boy Friend. Brown then joined Colchester Junior Repertory Club and was taught and mentored by Mrs Dorothy Hallett, to whom she owes a great deal.

In 1961, Brown began her RADA training, in the same year as the late Geoffrey Hutchings, Richard Digby Day, Anthony Hopkins, Susan Fleetwood, Eric Allan, Udi Schneewind, Victor Henry and Alaknanda Samarth. Her final productions included playing Mitzi in Milo Sperber's production of Franz Kafka's, The Castle, opposite the late Geoffrey Hutchings, who played K (June 1963) and Sonya in John Fernald's production of Uncle Vanya,[2] with Eric Allan as Astrov and Susan Fleetwood as Yeliena (July 1963).

Theatre[edit]

Brown is well known for having been a member of the Victoria Theatre company in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, for six years, commencing in January 1966: the Artistic Director was Peter Cheeseman and the resident playwright was Peter Terson. During this time, she worked as an actor, singer, composer and director. Brown played the title role in Anna of the Five Towns - adapted from Arnold Bennett's novel by Joyce Cheeseman - on stage at the Victoria Theatre, Hartshill (1969)[3] and on BBC Radio,[4] directed by Anthony Cornish (1970).

During her time at the Victoria Theatre in Hartshill, Stoke-on-Trent, Brown was a member of the permanent company. She worked with, among many others, Susan Tracy, Alan David, Shane Connaughton, Jane Wood, Robert Powell, James Hayes, David Hill, Bob Hoskins, Geoffrey Larder, Susan Glanville, the late Ken Campbell, Anjula Harman, Christopher Bond, Jacqueline Morgan and Charles McKeown.

In 1967, Brown played Beatie Bryant in Arnold Wesker's play, Roots, at the Victoria Theatre. Jane Wood played Mrs Bryant, Beatie's mother, and Susan Glanville played Jenny Beales, Beatie's sister.

Brown directed two plays at the Victoria Theatre: the first, in 1969, was Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs by David Halliwell[5] and the second, in 1970, was Eh? by Henry Livings.[6]

In her role as Norma Elliott, Brown partnered George Costigan[7] in Alpha Beta by Ted Whitehead, at the Man in the Moon Theatre in Chelsea (1987). This was the first London revival of the play since the Royal Court production, starring Rachel Roberts and Albert Finney (1972).

Geoffrey Larder and Gillian Brown in Anna of the Five Towns
Alpha Beta Poster
George Costigan and Gillian Brown in Alpha Beta

Theatre award nominations[edit]

Louise Waddington and Gillian Brown in Ironmistress

Brown was nominated for a Time Out Award for Best Actress for her role as Martha Darby in April De Angelis's play, Ironmistress (1989). This production, which also featured Louise Waddington as Little Cog, opened at the Hill Street Theatre, in Edinburgh,[8] after which it transferred to the Man in the Moon Theatre, in Chelsea, London.

In 1992, Brown received a London Fringe Award nomination for Best Actress for her role as Teresa Brown in House by Colin Hurley at the New Grove Theatre. Colin Hurley won the London Fringe Award for Best First Play for House. This production was directed by Martin Clunes[9] for his Big Arts company with Neil Morrissey.







Music[edit]

Brown composed the music for The Ballad of the Artificial Mash,[10] a musical play by Peter Terson. This agricultural satire, with lyrics by Terson, opened at the Victoria Theatre, Hartshill, on 5th September, 1967. The following year, the television producer, Leonard White, chose the show to be the 400th and final Armchair Theatre production. It was transmitted twice: on 25th July 1968 on ATV Television and on 27th July 1968 on ABC Television.[11] Brown was Musical Director for the television production and taught the songs to the actors in that production. The cast included Stanley Holloway OBE, Alfred Lynch, The Paper Dolls, Mark Dignam, Valerie French and Derek Francis (who played Major Fatstock Gadget). Additionally, Brown played a small part in the television production (The Average Newspaper Reader's Wife). See Leonard White's memoir: Armchair Theatre, The Lost Years.[12]

Brown wrote music and lyrics for the two theatre documentaries she was involved in, at the Victoria Theatre, as well as acting and singing in these productions. In The Knotty, a documentary which opened in July 1966,[13] about North Staffordshire's famous railway, Brown was commissioned by Peter Cheeseman to write a song to close the first half of the show. "What about?" she asked. "About railways - but not about railways," Cheeseman replied. The song Brown wrote is called Railway Lines.

The second theatre documentary Brown was involved in, Six Into One, opened in July 1968, at the Victoria Theatre.[14] This is a documentary concerning the federation of Stoke-on-Trent: the amalgamation of six towns into a single county borough. City status was granted to Stoke-on-Trent in 1925. Brown and Guillaume Oyônô Mbia, who played the talking drum, wrote and performed the narrative songs for the show.

In 1972, Brown appeared as Catherine Tekakwitha in Conversations, a musical revue based on the songs, books and poems of Leonard Cohen, at Hampstead Theatre Club. The show was produced by Greengage Productions, directed by Roger Christian and featured Sean Hewitt, Claire Marshall, John Plume and Brown.

Television roles[edit]

Gillian Brown as Sophie in Colditz - Lord, Didn't It Rain

Brown's first professional television appearance was in 1965, in The Newcomers,[15] directed by David Giles, on BBC Television. She played Ivy from the Pig Marketing Board. As a recent convert to vegetarianism, Brown found this to be a particularly challenging role.

Brown's numerous television roles include Casanova with Frank Finlay,[16] Colditz - Lord, Didn't It Rain with Christopher Neame, Robert Wagner, directed by Michael Ferguson,[17] Grange Hill,[18] The Mayor of Casterbridge with Alan Bates[19] and Ohica in Doctor Who - The Brain of Morbius[20] with Tom Baker, Philip Madoc - all BBC Television.





Selected theatre[edit]

Year Title Role Company Notes
1964 King John Blanche Northampton Repertory Theatre with Kenneth Gilbert
1964 Come Blow Your Horn Connie Northampton Repertory Theatre with Kenneth Gilbert, Nigel Lambert
1964 An Ideal Husbnad Mabel Chiltern Citizens Theatre, Glasgow directed by Iain Cuthbertson

with Stephen MacDonald

1964 Dick Macwhitty Catriona the cat Citizens Theatre, Glasgow directed by Iain Cuthbertson

with John Grieve

1965 The Merchant of Venice Nerissa Citizens Theatre, Glasgow directed by Iain Cuthbertson

including short tour

1965 The Parliament of Women The Girl (including two solo songs) New Theatre, Cardiff

Cambridge Arts Theatre

Oxford Playhouse

directed by Minos Volonakis

music by Yannis Markopoulos

with Bernard Lloyd, Sheila Hancock

1966 Sing an Arful Story Various acting and singing roles Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent written by Peter Terson

directed by Peter Cheeseman

1966 Ticket-of-Leave Man Sam Willoughby Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
1966 The Pot of Gold Staphyla Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent with Ken Campbell
1966 The Knotty Various, including commissioned original song Railway Lines: words and music by Gillian Brown Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent directed by Peter Cheeseman
1966 Fallen Angels Julia Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent with Anjula Harman, Ellis Dale
1966 Uncle Vanya Yeliena Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
1966 Wuthering Heights Cathy (lead) Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent directed by Peter Cheeseman
1967 Roots Beatie Bryant (lead) Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent with Jane Wood, Susan Glanville, James Hayes, Terence Davies
1967 She Stoops to Conquer Mrs Lumpkin Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent with Robert Powell, Ken Campbell
1967 The Ballad of the Artificial Mash Singer/Narrator + wrote all music Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent directed by Peter Cheeseman

Repeated in 1968 on ATV Television as 400th Armchair Theatre production, produced by Leonard White and starring Stanley Holloway

1968 The Promise Lika Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent with Shane Connaughton, Geoffrey Larder

directed by Ken Campbell

1968 Romeo and Juliet Lady Capulet Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent with Susan Glanville
1969 Anna of the Five Towns Anna (lead) Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent directed by Peter Cheeseman

with Geoffrey Larder, Anjula Harman, Brian Young, Susan Tracy

1970 The Daughter-in-law Minnie Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent directed by Peter Cheeseman
1970 The Affair at Bennett's Hill Sylvia Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent directed by Peter Cheeseman

with Jacqueline Morgan

1970 The 1861 Whitby Lifeboat Disaster Mrs. Tattersfield (lead) Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent including Come Together season

at Royal Court Theatre, London

1970 The Recruiting Officer Sylvia Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
1970 Sweeney Todd Johanna Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent Johanna's song written by Charles McKeown and Gillian Brown

with Susan Tracy, Stanley Dawson

1971 Major Barbara Barbara Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent with Alan David
1971 Anarchist Madame Z Royal Court Theatre directed by Chris Parr
1972 Conversations Catherine Tekakwitha + various Greengage Productions Songs, books + poems of Leonard Cohen
1972 Quetzalcoatl La Lloronna (the Narrator) and played various flutes The Roundhouse with Geoffrey Larder, Oliver Cotton
1972 The Trial The Laundress (including solo song) Oval Theatre directed by Steven Berkoff

with Paola Dionisotti

1979 You Never Can Tell[21] Maid Knightsbridge Productions

Lyric Hammersmith

directed by David Giles

with Cheryl Campbell, Peter Egan, Sian Phillips, Lynsey Baxter

1986 Eastwood Katharine Brindsley (lead) Man in the Moon Theatre directed by Nick Ward

Eastwood won a Time Out award

1987 Alpha Beta Norma Elliott (lead) Timeless Productions

Man in the Moon Theatre

with George Costigan
1989 Ironmistress Martha Darby (lead)

(Time Out, Best Actress nomination)

Blood & Honey Productions directed by Thomas de Mallet Burgess

with Louise Waddington as Little Cog

1991 The Transmigration of Timothy Archer Angel Archer (lead) Epping Forest College directed by Geoff Ryman

with Edward de Souza, Colin Hurley

1992 House Teresa Brown

(London Fringe Award, Best Actress nomination)

New Grove Theatre directed by Martin Clunes

produced by Big Arts with Neil Morrissey

2001 Love Letters Melissa Andrew Sketchley Theatre directed by Richard Jacques
2008 The Knotty Various, including commissioned original song Railway Lines: words and music by Gillian Brown Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent Gala Performance only
2010 Major Barbara Barbara Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent Excerpt only

with Alan David

Not an exhaustive list

Selected television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1965 The Newcomers Ivy with Alan Lake

directed by David Giles

1967 Armchair Theatre - The Heroism of Thomas Chadwick Mrs. Colclough directed by Mike Vardy
1968 Armchair Theatre - The Ballad of the Artificial Mash The Average Newspaper Reader's Wife Brown was Musical Director

directed by Dennis Vance

1971 Casanova The Nun four episodes

with Frank Finlay

directed by Mark Cullingham

1972 Colditz - Lord, Didn't It Rain Sophie with Robert Wagner, Christopher Neame

directed by Michael Ferguson

1973 Owen, M.D. - You Don't Get Me Receptionist with Nigel Stock, Patrick Troughton
1975 Z-Cars - Intervention Edna Dove with Miles Anderson, James Donnelly, James Ellis
1976 Doctor Who - The Brain of Morbius Ohica with Philip Madoc, Tom Baker
1976 Angels - Signals Mrs. Clarke with Nigel Havers, Sharon Maughan
1977 The Mayor of Casterbridge The Maid with Alan Bates, Anna Massey
1978 The Stranger's Gift (Our Little Town Series) Fisherman's wife with Martin C. Thurley

featuring a thespian chicken

1979 Grange Hill Librarian with Sean Arnold
1979 Jackanory Playhouse - The Cave of Solomon Queen of the Serpents directed by John Prowse
1986 The Madness Museum Mary Willcocks with Simon Callow

written by Ken Campbell

Not an exhaustive list

References[edit]

  1. "Gillian Brown RADA Alumni Profile". RADA. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  2. "Actors in the Making". Theatre World. Iliffe Books Ltd.: 24 March 1964.
  3. Kathie McInnes. "Grant will help open up treasure trove of theatre life in North Staffordshire". Stoke Sentinel. Retrieved 2020-09-18.
  4. "Saturday-Night Theatre, Sat 21st Feb 1970". BBC Genome. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  5. Rachel Claire Walker (April 2021). "The Forgotten Pioneers: The Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (1962 - 1971)" (PDF). White Rose, College of Arts and Humanities: 286. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  6. Rachel Claire Walker (April 2021). "The Forgotten Pioneers: The Victoria Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (1962 - 1971)" (PDF). White Rose, College of Arts and Humanities: 288. Retrieved 2019-10-07.
  7. "George Costigan CV" (PDF). CDA London. p. 2. Retrieved 2020-05-17.
  8. "Festival Theatre, Contemporary" (101). The List Ltd. 1989-08-18: 23. Retrieved 2021-04-26.
  9. "Martin Clunes CV". Independent Talent Group Limited. Retrieved 2020-05-18.
  10. "Peter Terson - Playwright Database". Doollee. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  11. Lez Cooke. A sense of place : regional British television drama, 1956-82. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0719086786. Search this book on
  12. White, Leonard (2003). Armchair Theatre: The Lost Years. Kelly Publications. ISBN 9781903053188. Search this book on
  13. Elvgren, Gillete A. (1974). "Documentary Theatre at Stoke-on-Trent". Educational Theatre Journal. 26 (1): 86–98. doi:10.2307/3206583. JSTOR 3206583.
  14. Elvgren, Gillete A. (1974). "Documentary Theatre at Stoke-on-Trent". Educational Theatre Journal. 26 (1): 90. doi:10.2307/3206583. JSTOR 3206583.
  15. "The Newcomers, 10th Dec 1965". BBC Genome. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  16. "Casanova, Episode 6: Golden Apples". The Paley Center for Media. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  17. "Colditz: Lord, Didn't It Rain". BBC Genome. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  18. "Grange Hill, 18th Dec 1979". BBC Genome. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  19. "Gillian Brown BFI Profile". BFI. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  20. "The Brain of Morbius Cast & Crew Summary". Doctor Who Guide. Retrieved 2021-10-05.
  21. "You Never Can Tell Cast List". Theatricalia. Retrieved 2022-01-25.

External links[edit]



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