Frances Barber
Frances Barber | |
|---|---|
| Born | Frances Brookes 13 May 1958 University College of North Wales |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1979–present |
Frances Barber (née Brookes, born 13 May 1958) is an English actress. She received
We Think the World of You (1988) and Dead Fish (2005); as well as Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987); Soft Top Hard Shoulder (1992); and latterly Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017). Barber's numerous television credits include The Street (2009), Doctor Who (2011), Silk (2012–2014), and Whitstable Pearl
(2021–2022).
Life and career
Barber was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England.[1] Her parents are S.W. Brookes and Gladys Simpson; Barber is the fourth of six children. She attended the Wolverhampton Municipal Grammar School.[2]
Barber studied drama at the University College of North Wales in Bangor, where she was a contemporary of director Danny Boyle, who became her boyfriend.[3]
She appeared in the
opening in November 2007 and closing mid-January 2008.In 2011, Barber guest-starred in the Doctor Who episodes "A Good Man Goes to War" and "The Wedding of River Song" (and five other episodes, sometimes uncredited) as Madame Kovarian.[7] She also acted in the television film We'll Take Manhattan as Diana Vreeland. In 2019, she starred in the Pet Shop Boys' musical Musik.
In May 2022, Barber appeared as Lesley in series 8 episode 4 of BBC dark comedy series, Inside No. 9 (2022), in the episode titled "Love Is A Stranger".[8][9]
Political views
Barber is a
Third Reich, further stating "God help us all is all I can say when the racist S.N.P. try to take over, England will react we will have civil war."[10]
She supported Remain during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.[11][12]
Barber urged a vote for the Labour Party at the 2017 UK general election. Critical of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, she said "I will vote Labour holding my nose. Urge you too."[13] In September 2017, she resigned from the party, saying: "I can't belong to a party full of Misogyny, Anti-Semitism and Thuggery".[14] In the 2019 United Kingdom general election, she backed the Liberal Democrats.[15]
In 2018, she was among the signatories to a letter published in her views.[17]
Legacy
In 2006, Barber received an honorary fellowship from the University of Wolverhampton.[18]
Theatre
- Ooh La La (Hull Truck Theatre, 1979)
- Riff Raff Rules (Theatre Royal Stratford East)
- Space Ache (Tricycle Theatre, 1980)
- Emilia in Othello (Oxford Playhouse)
- La Guerra (The Battle), Desperado Corner and Madame Louise (Glasgow Citizens', 1980, and Venice Biennale Festival, 1981)
- The Treat (Institute of Contemporary Arts)
- The Mission (Soho Poly)
- Turning Over (The Bush, 1983)[20]
- Marguerite in Comedy Theatre, 1985 – Oliviernomination for Most Promising Newcomer)
- Barbican Theatre, 1985)
- Comedy Theatre, 1985)
- The Dead Monkey (RSC The Pit, 1986))
- Haymarket Theatre)
- Viola in Twelfth Night (Renaissance, Riverside Studios, 1987)
- Lady Macbeth in Macbeth (Royal Exchange, Manchester, 1988)
- My Heart's a Suitcase (Royal Court, 1990)
- Over a Barrel (Watford Palace Theatre)
- Imagine Drowning (Hampstead Theatre, 1991)
- Maxine Faulk in The Night of the Iguana (National Theatre, 1992)
- Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion (National Theatre, 1992)
- Insignificance (Donmar Warehouse, 1995)
- TMA Awardand Olivier nomination for Best Supporting Actress)
- Lyric Theatre, National Theatre West End transfer, 1998)
- Billie Trix in Closer to Heaven (Arts Theatre, 2001)
- Valerie in Tales from the Vienna Woods (National Theatre, 2003)
- Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Gielgud Theatre, 2004)
- Dim Sum in Aladdin (Old Vic pantomime, 2005)
- The Narrator in Shane Cullinan's The Pieta St Paul's, Covent Garden, 2006)
- Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare's Globe, London, 2006)[21]
- Arkadina in New London Theatre, 2007)
- Madame de Sade (Donmar West End, Wyndham's Theatre, 2009)
- Edinburgh Festival, then Gate Theatre, Dublin, 2009)
- Julius Caesar (Donmar Theatre, 2012–2013)
- Lady Sneerwell in The School for Scandal (Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York City, 2016)[22]
- Mrs Cheveley in An Ideal Husband (Vaudeville Theatre, London, May 2018)
- Billie Trix in Musik (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, August 2019 & Leicester Square Theatre, London, September 2019 and February 2020)
- Polonius in Hamlet (Theatre Royal Windsor, 2021)
- Elsa Jean Krakowski in The Unfriend (Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester, 2022 and The Criterion, London, 2023)
Selected filmography
- The Missionary (1982) as Mission Girl
- A Flame to the Phoenix (1983) as Wanda Grabinska
- Acceptable Levels (1985) as Jill
- A Zed & Two Noughts (1985) as Venus de Milo
- White City (1985) as Alice
- Castaway (1986) as Sister Saint Winifred
- Prick Up Your Ears (1987) as Leonie Orton
- Sammy and Rosie Get Laid (1987) as Rosie Hobbs
- We Think the World of You (1988) as Megan
- Victim of the Brain (1988)
- Twelfth Night (1988, TV Movie) as Viola / Cesario
- Chambre à part (1989) as Gert
- Behaving Badly (1989, TV Mini-Series) as Rebecca
- Red Dwarf (1989, Episode: "Polymorph") as Genny
- The Veiled Lady") as Lady Millicent
- Young Soul Rebels (1991) as Ann
- Secret Friends (1991) as Angela
- Inspector Morse (1992, TV Series, Episode: "The Death of the Self") as Nicole Burgess
- Soft Top Hard Shoulder (1992) as Miss Trumble
- The Leaving of Liverpool (1992, TV Movie) as Ellen, Lily's mother
- The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (1993, Episode: "Scales of Justice"
- Du fond du coeur (1994) as Anna Lindsay
- Giorgino (1994) as Marie
- Space Precinct (1995, TV Series) as Erika Brandt
- Rhodes (1996, TV Mini-Series) as Princess Catherine Radziwill
- The Ice House (1997, TV Mini-Series) as Diana Goode
- Photographing Fairies (1997) as Beatrice Templeton
- A Royal Scandal (1997, TV Movie) as Lady Jersey
- Dalziel and Pascoe (1998, Episode: "The Wood Beyond") as Amanda 'Cap' Marvell
- Still Crazy (1998) as Lady in Black
- Murder Most Horrid (1999, TV Series) as Gloria Twigge
- The Escort (1999) as Jessica
- Bremner, Bird and Fortune (1999, TV Series)
- Esther Kahn (2000) as Rivka Kahn
- Shiner (2000) as Georgie
- Superstition (2001) as Isabella Flores
- Gimme Gimme Gimme (2001) as Janine
- Manchild (2002, TV Series) as Elizabeth
- The Red Siren (2002) as Eva
- 24 heures de la vie d'une femme (2002) as Betty
- Flyfishing (2002) as Frances
- My Family (2003, TV Series) as Vanessa
- Boudica (2003) as Agrippina
- Monkey Dust (2003, TV Series) (voice)
- Suzie Gold (2004) as Joyce Spencer
- Evilenko (2004)
- Goal! (2005) as Carol Harmison
- Dead Fish (2005) as S & M Prostitute
- Agatha Christie's Marple (2005, Episode: "A Murder Is Announced") as Lizzie Hinchcliffe
- Funland (2005, TV Mini-Series) as Connie Woolf
- The IT Crowd (2006, Episode: "Aunt Irma Visits") as Doctor Mendall
- New Tricks (2006, Episode: "Dockers") as Anita Walsh
- Goal II: Living the Dream (2007) as Carol Harmison
- Hustle (2007, TV Series) as Clarissa
- Beautiful People (2008, TV Series) as Miss Prentice
- King Lear (2008, TV Movie) as Goneril
- Agatha Christie's Poirot (2009, Episode: “The Clocks”) as Merlina Rival
- The Fattest Man in Britain (2009, TV Movie) as Janice
- The Royal (2009)
- Midsomer Murders (2010, Episode: "Master Class") as Constance Fielding
- Doctor Who (2011, TV Series) as Eye Patch Lady / Madame Kovarian
- Great Expectations (2011, TV Mini-Series) as Mrs. Brandley
- Friday Night Dinner (2011, TV Series) as Sheila Bloom
- We'll Take Manhattan (2012, TV Movie) as Diana Vreeland
- May I Kill U? (2012) as Bernice
- Vexed (2012, TV Series) as Pat Poynter
- Silk (2012–2014, TV Series) as Caroline Warwick QC
- The Life of Rock with Brian Pern(2014, TV Series)
- Mapp and Lucia (2014, TV Mini-Series) as Amelia, Contessa Di Faraglione
- Mr. Holmes (2015) as Matinee 'Madame Schirmer'
- Benidorm (2016, TV Series) as Daisy
- The Chosen (2016) as Natalia Sedova
- Medici: Masters of Florence(2016, TV Series) as Piccarda
- Father Brown (2017, Episode: “The Labyrinth of the Minotaur”) as Davina Malmort
- Midsomer Murders (2017, Episode: "Crime and Punishment") as Ingrid Lockston
- Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017) as Joy
- The Escape (2017) as Alison
- The Bookshop (2017) as Jessie
- An Ideal Husband (2018) as Mrs. Cheveley
- Blue Iguana (2018) as Princess
- The Queen and I(2018, TV Movie) as Margaret
- Queens of Mystery as Viv Collins (2 episodes "Death by Vinyl")
- Casualty (2008/2019, TV Series) as Nancy/Claire Wakelins
- Cold Feet (2020) as Maxine Ibsen
- Whitstable Pearl (2021, TV Series) as Dolly Nolan
- The Mezzotintas Mrs Ambrigail
- The Chelsea Detective (two episodes 2022, TV Series) as Olivia Arnold
- Inside No. 9 (2023) (1 episode: "Love Is A Stranger" as Lesley
- A Bird Flew In (TBA)
Music video
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Deeper Understanding | Wife of a computer junkie | Kate Bush album Director's Cut[23] |
See also
References
- OCLC 59532283 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Wolverhampton Municipal Grammar School". Tameclan.me.uk.
- ISSN 1756-3224.
- ^ British Theatre Guide – RSC Double Press Archived 26 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Britishtheatreguide.info. Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ "The British Theatre Guide : Reviews – The Seagull (RSC at the New London Theatre)". Britishtheatreguide.info. 12 January 2008. Archived from the original on 5 July 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ "The British Theatre Guide : Reviews – King Lear (RSC at the New London Theatre)". Britishtheatreguide.info. 12 January 2008. Archived from the original on 16 May 2008. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ BBC One – Doctor Who, Series 6, A Good Man Goes to War. BBC. (23 August 2011). Retrieved 8 June 2012.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (27 April 2023). "Inside No. 9 season 8 cast: Meet the guest stars in new episodes". Radio Times. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ^ "Reece Shearsmith on the new series of Inside No 9". Great British Life. 22 April 2023. Retrieved 2 May 2023.
- ISSN 0965-9439. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "What Remainers should have done differently | the New European". Archived from the original on 3 June 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
- ^ "Labour Used to be the Party of Democracy - I Don't See That Any More". 2 October 2017.
- Newsweek Media Group. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- Oath Inc. Retrieved 26 September 2017.
- ^ "General election: Celebrities reveal who they're backing".
- TheGuardian.com. 14 October 2018.
- ^ Flockhart, Gary (28 September 2020). "JK Rowling receives support from Ian McEwan and Frances Barber amid 'transphobia' row". The Scotsman. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Actress Frances Barber receives honorary award". University of Wolverhampton. 21 August 2006. Archived from the original on 18 February 2007. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ http://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/productions/hard_feelings.html[permanent dead link]
- ^ http://www.bushtheatre.co.uk/productions/turning_over.html[permanent dead link]
- ISSN 0038-9099. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
- ^ "Off Broadway Reviews – The School For Scandal", The Stage Review, 27 April 2016
- ^ "Kate Bush - Deeper Understanding - Official Video". YouTube. 25 April 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
External links
- Frances Barber at IMDb
- Frances Barber at British Comedy Guide
- Frances Barber at the Internet Off-Broadway Database
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