Polly James
Polly James | |
|---|---|
| Born | Pauline Devaney 8 July 1941 Blackburn, Lancashire, England |
| Alma mater | Royal Academy of Dramatic Art |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1966–2001 |
| Spouse | |
Pauline James (formerly Devaney; born 8 July 1941) is an English former actress who had a career in theatre, film, television, and radio.
Early life
[edit]Pauline James was born in Blackburn, Lancashire, as Pauline Devaney.[1] Her father had managed a cotton mill in Nelson while her parents lived in Oswaldtwistle.[2] She was a pupil at St Peter’s School in Mill Hill, then at the Convent of Notre Dame Grammar School for Girls in Blackburn.[2] Afterward, she was awarded a scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).[3][4]
Career
[edit]After graduating from RADA, James began her TV career in BBC2's Thirty-Minute Theatre, followed by the role of a drug addict in Z-Cars in 1967.[4] She played Audrey Hargreaves in Coronation Street in 1967.[5][6]
She is best known for her role as Beryl Hennessey in the first four series of the British sitcom The Liver Birds (1969–74), mostly alongside Nerys Hughes.[7][8] She played Cicely Courtneidge in the biographical musical of the actress Once More with Music in 1976, and appeared as a soubrette in Alan Clarke's 1982 production of Baal. She played the role of Jane Hampden on "The Awakening" episode of Doctor Who in 1984.[9] She appeared in the West End musicals I and Albert and Anne of Green Gables. In 1971, James appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in The Merchant of Venice with Judi Dench.[10]
James appeared as Jenny Wren in the 1976 BBC adaptation of Dickens's Our Mutual Friend.[11]
Personal life
[edit]James is divorced.[3]
Television roles
[edit]| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 and 1967 | Thirty-Minute Theatre - "The Spoken Word" | Doreen Pimblett |
| 1967 | Z-Cars | Sylvia Weeks |
| 1967 | Coronation Street | Audrey Hargreaves |
| 1969 to 1974 | The Liver Birds | Beryl Hennessey |
| 1976 | Our Mutual Friend | Jenny Wren |
| 1984 | Doctor Who | Jane Hampden |
| 1991 | Casualty | Sylvia Vaughan |
| 1996 | The Liver Birds | Beryl Fenning, née Hennessey |
| 2000 to 2001 | The Worst Witch | Miss Lavinia Crotchet |
References
[edit]- ^ Adrian Room (1981). Naming Names: Stories of Pseudonyms and Name Changes, with a Who's Who. Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 978-0-7100-0920-3.
- ^ a b "Polly minds her language". lancashiretelegraph.co.uk. Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 23 February 2025.
- ^ a b Isobel Wolff (2 June 1996). "How We Met". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ a b TV.com. "Polly James (I)". TV.com. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ Webber, Richard (13 April 2013). "Whatever happened to The Liver Birds?". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "The Liver Birds DVD release brings back memories East Lancashire actress Polly". Lancashire Telegraph. 20 April 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "The Liver Birds - BBC1 Sitcom". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ Bryant, Tom; Robertson, Peter (25 January 2018). "Liver Birds' Nerys Hughes reveals brushes with sleazy men in showbiz". mirror. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "BBC - Doctor Who Classic Episode Guide - The Awakening - Details". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ "Search | RSC Performances | MER197103 - The Merchant of Venice | Shakespeare Birthplace Trust". collections.shakespeare.org.uk. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
- ^ Sean Grass (15 May 2017). Charles Dickens's Our Mutual Friend: A Publishing History. Taylor & Francis. p. 152. ISBN 978-1-317-16822-5.
External links
[edit]- Polly James at IMDb
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