Rosemary Leach

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Rosemary Leach
Photo: Geoff Shields, 1981
Born
Rosemary Anne Leach

(1935-12-18)18 December 1935
Much Wenlock, Shropshire, England
Died21 October 2017(2017-10-21) (aged 81)
London, England
OccupationActress
Years active1960–2017
Spouse
Colin Starkey
​
​
(m. 1981)​

Rosemary Anne Leach[1] (18 December 1935 – 21 October 2017)[2] was a British stage, television and film actress.[3] She won the 1982 Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play for 84, Charing Cross Road and was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her roles in the films That'll Be the Day (1973) and A Room with a View (1985).

She appeared in several TV mini-series, including Germinal (1970), The Jewel in the Crown (1984), The Charmer (1987), The Buccaneers (1995) and Berkeley Square (1998), and had a recurring role on the sitcom My Family (2003–2007).[4][5]

Early life[edit]

Leach was born at Much Wenlock, Shropshire.[1] Her parents were teachers, related to the social anthropologist Edmund Leach; she attended Oswestry Girls High School in Shropshire.[6] before studying acting at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), graduating in 1955 with an Acting (RADA Diploma).[7]

Career[edit]

After appearing in repertory theatres and the Old Vic, she became well known to UK TV viewers between 1965 and 1969 for playing Susan Wheldon, the mistress of building tycoon John Wilder (Patrick Wymark) in the TV boardroom drama The Power Game.[8]

In 1970 she played the part of Marcelle in the BBC's The Roads to Freedom, their adaptation of the trilogy of novels with the same name by Jean-Paul Sartre.[9] In 1971 she appeared as Laurie Lee's mother in a BBC adaptation of Cider with Rosie.[10]

In 1973, she played Aldonza/Dulcinea in the BBC production of Don Quixote (retitled The Adventures of Don Quixote), starring Rex Harrison and Frank Finlay.[11] In 1978, she played Queen Victoria in the four-part TV edition of Disraeli. In 1981, she played Emilia opposite Bob Hoskins's Iago in the BBC Shakespeare production of Othello.[12]

In 1982, she played Aunt Fenny in The Jewel in the Crown and 1986 in a Jack Rosenthal British television Christmas play Day To Remember.[13][14] She played a leading role as smitten Joan Plumleigh-Bruce in the six-part ITV 1987 production of The Charmer which starred Nigel Havers.[15]

Her film roles included David Essex's mother in That'll Be the Day (1973), Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1973), the TV remake of Brief Encounter (1974), S.O.S. Titanic (1979), and a voice role in the animated film of The Plague Dogs (1982).[3]

In 1987, she was nominated for BAFTA's Best Supporting Actress for A Room with a View (1985).[4] In 1992, Leach starred in An Ungentlemanly Act, a BBC television film about the first days of the invasion of the Falkland Islands in 1982, portraying the real-life Lady Mavis Hunt, wife of the islands' then governor, Sir Rex Hunt.[16] In 1995, Leach participated in the popular BBC miniseries The Buccaneers a five-part television adaptation of Edith Wharton's unfinished novel. Leach appeared as Selina Marable, Marchioness of Brightlingsea.[17]

Leach played the part of Anna in BBC Radio 4's No Commitments, and Susan Harper's mother Grace in My Family.[18][19] She made a guest appearance as 'Bessie' on Waterloo Road (the TV series), in Series 3 Spring Term. From 1994, she made occasional appearances in The Archers as Ellen Rogers, the ex-pat aunt of Nigel Pargetter.[20] She portrayed Miss Twitterton in the Radio 4 adaptation of the Lord Peter Wimsey story Busman's Honeymoon, first broadcast in 1983.[21]

In 2001, she played a leading role in Destroying Angel, an episode of Midsomer Murders.[22] She played Queen Elizabeth II three times: in the 2002 television movie Prince William; in a 2006 updated edition of The Afternoon Play entitled Tea with Betty; and in 2009's Margaret.[8] She played "Miss Plum" in an episode of Heartbeat called "Every dog his day" in 2004.[23]

Death[edit]

Leach died at Charing Cross Hospital,[1] in London, aged 81, in 2017 following a short illness.[2]

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1973 That'll Be the Day Mrs. MacLaine
1973 Ghost in the Noonday Sun Kate
1979 A Question of Faith
1981 Turtle Diary Mrs. Charlie Inchcliff
1982 The Plague Dogs Vera Voice
1985 A Room with a View Mrs. Honeychurch
1985 Ha-Kala Esther Also known as The 17th Bride
1990 The Children Miss Scope
1993 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Mrs. Tope
1993 The Hawk Mrs. Marsh
1998 Bloodlines: Legacy of a Lord Lady Osborne
1999 Whatever Happened to Harold Smith? Harold's Mother
2000 Breathtaking Mrs. Henshaw
2002 The Baroness and the Pig Margaret
2010 Mission London Miss Cunningham
2011 The Great Ghost Rescue The Queen
2012 May I Kill U? Mags

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1962–63 Z-Cars Mrs Outram/Ann Brown 2 episodes
1964 Edgar Wallace Mysteries Mary Bell Episode: "Face of a Stranger"
1964 Gideon's Way Marion Grove Episode: "The Lady-Killer"
1965–66 The Power Game Susan Weldon 21 episodes
1967–70 No – That's Me Over Here! Rosemary 25 episodes
1970 The Roads to Freedom Marcelle 8 episodes
1971-3 Now Look Here Laura 10 episodes
1972 Cider with Rosie Mother TV film
1973 BBC Play of the Month Episode: The Adventures of Don Quixote
1974 The Prince of Denmark Laura 6 episodes
1974 Brief Encounter Mrs Gaines TV film
1975 Sadie, It's Cold Outside Sadie 6 episodes
1978 Rumpole of the Bailey Mrs. Ida Tempest Episode: Rumpole and the Man of God
1978–80 Life Begins at Forty Katy Bunting ITV sitcom, 2 series 14 episodes
1984 The Jewel in the Crown Aunt Fenny TV mini-series, 7 episodes
1987 The Charmer Joan Plumleigh-Bruce TV mini-series, 6 episodes
1989 Summer's Lease Nancy Leadbetter 4 episodes
1995 The Buccaneers Lady Brightlingsea 5 episodes
The Tomorrow People Gladys Toms 5 episodes
1989 The Winslow Boy Violet BBC Playhouse
1992 An Ungentlemanly Act Mavis Hunt BBC Film
1993 The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends Tabitha Twitchit 2 episodes
1995 Chiller Mrs. Leslie Episode: Toby
1996 Spywatch Amy Hobbs 10 episodes
1996-2000 Brambly Hedge Lady Daisy Woodmouse, Mrs Ivy Eyebright 8 episodes
1998 Berkeley Square Nanny Collins 10 episodes
2000–05 Doctors Josephine Barker/Meg Carpenter 2 episodes
2000–2005 Down to Earth Irene 5 episodes
2001 Midsomer Murders Evelyn Pope Episode: Destroying Angel
2003–07 My Family Grace 6 episodes
2004 Holby City Barbara Rush Episode: One More Chance
2004–05 Heartbeat Dorothy Plum 2 episodes
2006 The Afternoon Play HM the Queen Episode: Tea with Betty
2007 Casualty Miranda Watts Episode: Strangers When We Meet
2008 Waterloo Road Bessie 1 episode
2009 Margaret Queen Elizabeth II TV film

Radio plays[edit]

  • Shirley Gee: Moonshine (1977)
  • Penny in "Love's Executioner" in the series True Encounters with Henry Goodman and Ben Daniels directed by John Taylor, a Fiction Factory production for BBC Radio 4. (1996)

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Award Category Work Result Ref
1971 BAFTA TV Award Best Actress Germinal / The Roads to Freedom Nominated [24]
1972 BAFTA TV Award Best Actress ITV Playhouse / Cider with Rosie Nominated [25]
1974 BAFTA TV Award Best Actress The Adventures of Don Quixote Nominated [25]
1974 BAFTA Film Award Best Supporting Actress That'll Be the Day Nominated [25]
1977 Olivier Award Best Actress in a New Play Just Between Ourselves Nominated
1982 Olivier Award Best Actress in a New Play 84 Charing Cross Road Won [26]
1987 BAFTA Film Award Best Supporting Actress A Room with a View Nominated [25]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c McFarlane, Brian (2021). "Leach, Rosemary Anne (1935–2017)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/odnb/9780198614128.013.90000380290. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  2. ^ a b "Rosemary Leach, the Room With a View star, dies aged 81". The Daily Telegraph. 22 October 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Rosemary Leach". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Rosemary Leach". AllMovie. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  5. ^ Quinn, Michael (1 November 2017). "Obituary: Rosemary Leach". The Stage. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. ^ Hayward, Anthony (27 October 2017). "Rosemary Leach: 'A Room With A View' actor whose roles spanned ages, genres and social divides". The Independent.
  7. ^ "Student & graduate profiles Rosemary Leach". RADA. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b Coveney, Michael (22 October 2017). "Rosemary Leach obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  9. ^ "Roads to Freedom". Radio Times. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  10. ^ "50th Anniversary of the 1971 BBC play 'Cider With Rosie'". sophieneville.net. 28 October 2021.
  11. ^ "The Adventures of Don Quixote (1973)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018.
  12. ^ "Othello (1981)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017.
  13. ^ "BFI Screenonline: Jewel in the Crown, The (1984) Credits". screenonline.org.uk.
  14. ^ "Day to Remember (1986)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 22 April 2018.
  15. ^ "..: The Charmer :." britishdrama.org.uk.
  16. ^ "An Ungentlemanly Act (1992) – - Cast and Crew". AllMovie.
  17. ^ "The Buccaneers Part Five Plunder (1995)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 31 May 2020.
  18. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra – No Commitments, Series 13, Blue Rabbits". BBC Radio 4.
  19. ^ "Actress Leach dies after 'short illness'". BBC News. 22 October 2017.
  20. ^ "BBC Radio 4 – The Archers – Ellen Rogers". BBC Radio 4.
  21. ^ "BBC Radio 4 Extra – Wimsey, Busman's Honeymoon, The Mysteries of Married Life". BBC Radio 4.
  22. ^ "Midsomer Murders (a guide)". Epguides.com. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
  23. ^ "Strangers on a Train (2004)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 27 November 2019.
  24. ^ "BAFTA Awards". awards.bafta.org.
  25. ^ a b c d "Rosemary Leach". British Academy of Film and Television Arts. 23 October 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  26. ^ "Olivier Winners 1982". Society of London Theatre. 1982. Retrieved 4 August 2019.

External links[edit]

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