Judith Catherine Buxton (born 7 October 1949) is an English actress best known for playing Nurse Katy Shaw in ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...

'' (1972–1973), Susan Protheroe in ''

By the Sword Divided ''By the Sword Divided'' is a British television series produced by the BBC between 1983 and 1985. The series, created by John Hawkesworth (producer), John Hawkesworth, was a historical drama set during the mid-17th century, dealing with the imp ...

'' (1983–1985) and Ruth Carpenter in '' On the Up'' (1990–1992). She has also appeared in several films including '' Aces High'' (1976) and ''

The Big Sleep ''The Big Sleep'' (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, The Big Sleep (1946 film), in 1946 and again The Big Sleep ...

'' (1978) as well as having an extensive stage career with the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and produces around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, St ...

Early life

Born in

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

, Buxton attended

Croydon High School Croydon High School is an Independent school (UK), independent day school for girls located near Croydon, London, England. It is one of the original schools founded by the Girls' Day School Trust. History The school was founded in 1874 in Welles ...

and graduated from the

Rose Bruford College Rose Bruford College (formerly Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance) is a drama school in the south London suburb of Sidcup. The college has degree programmes in acting, actor musicianship, directing, theatre arts and various discipli ...

Career

Making her screen debut in an episode of ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' was a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 19 ...

'' in 1972, Buxton then went on to have a regular role in the television series ''

'' playing nurse Katy Shaw in twenty six episodes. After this, Buxton had roles in several popular television series such as ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective Ins ...

'', ''

Public Eye Public Eye or The Public Eye may refer to: * ''Public Eye'' (TV series), a British television series that ran from 1965 to 1975 * ''The Public Eye'' (TV series), a Canadian television public affairs television series which aired on CBC Televisio ...

'' and ''

Get Some In! ''Get Some In!'' is a British television sitcom about National Service life in the Royal Air Force, broadcast between 1975 and 1978 by Thames Television. Scripts were by John Esmonde and Bob Larbey, the team behind sitcoms such as '' The Good L ...

'' before appearing in two episodes of ''

Rising Damp Structural dampness is the presence of unwanted moisture in the structure of a building, either the result of intrusion from outside or condensation from within the structure. A high proportion of damp problems in buildings are caused by ambient ...

'' as Caroline Armitage and played Inga, Roj Blake's cousin, in ''

Blake's 7 ''Blake's 7'' (sometimes styled ''Blakes7'') is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Four 13-episode series were broadcast on BBC1 between 1978 and 1981. It was created by Terry Nation, who also wrote the first ...

''. Buxton made her film debut in the horror film ''

I Don't Want to Be Born ''I Don't Want to Be Born'' is a 1975 British horror film directed by Peter Sasdy and starring Joan Collins, Ralph Bates, Eileen Atkins, and Donald Pleasence. Its plot follows a woman who gives birth to a child that appears to be demonically p ...

'' with

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...

in 1975 before she appeared in the comedy films ''

The Likely Lads ''The Likely Lads'' is a British sitcom created and written by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais and produced by Dick Clement. Twenty episodes were broadcast by the BBC, in three series, between 16 December 1964 and 23 July 1966. However, only te ...

'' and ''

The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones ''The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones'' is a 1976 British comedy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring Nicky Henson, Trevor Howard and Terry-Thomas. It is an adaptation of the 1749 novel '' Tom Jones'' by Henry Fielding, which follows the ma ...

'' (both 1976). After starring in high-profile films such as '' Aces High'' (1976) and ''

'' (1978), Buxton joined the

in 1979, where she played principal roles until 1982. Her “memorable...and exceptional” performance of Iphigenia in ''The Greeks'' and Juliet in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' were particularly notable. ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' magazine critic T.E. Kalem wrote of her “unforgettable” portrayal of Iphigenia: “...as Buxton reaches the heartbreaking conclusion that the one life she has to give for Hellas is the noblest life to have lived, she radiates a great and unforgettable purity of spirit.” Returning to television in 1983, Buxton played the main role of Susan Protheroe in ''

By The Sword Divided ''By the Sword Divided'' is a British television series produced by the BBC between 1983 and 1985. The series, created by John Hawkesworth (producer), John Hawkesworth, was a historical drama set during the mid-17th century, dealing with the imp ...

'' until the show's end in 1985 before having roles in '' Bergerac'' and ''

Lovejoy ''Lovejoy'' is a British television comedy-drama mystery series, based on the novels by John Grant under the pen name Jonathan Gash. The show, which ran to 71 episodes over six series, was originally broadcast on BBC1 between 10 January 19 ...

'' and playing Ruth Carpenter, a main role, in the television comedy '' On the Up'' from 1990 to 1992 alongside

Dennis Waterman Dennis Waterman (24 February 1948 – 8 May 2022) was an English actor and singer. He was best known for his tough-guy leading roles in television series including ''The Sweeney'', ''Minder'' and ''New Tricks'', singing the theme tunes of the ...

and

Joan Sims Irene Joan Marion Sims (9 May 1930 – 27 June 2001) was an English actress, best remembered for her roles in the ''Carry On'' franchise, appearing in 24 of the films (the most for any actress). On television, she is known for playing Gran i ...

. In the late 1980s, Buxton went onto narrate a few ''

My Little Pony ''My Little Pony'' (''MLP'') is a toy line and media franchise developed by American toy company Hasbro. The first toys were developed by Bonnie Zacherle, Charles Muenchinger, and Steve D'Aguanno, and were produced in 1981. The ponies feature c ...

'' book and tape sets from Tempo Talking Stories. In 1998, Buxton had a role in the romantic comedy film '' Get Real''. In 2006 she was in the cast of a well-received UK touring production of Noël Coward's ''Star Quality''.

Personal life

Buxton is married to

Jeffrey Holland Jeffrey Holland may refer to: *Jeffrey Holland (actor) (born 1946), English television actor *Jeffrey R. Holland (born 1940), American educator and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints *Jeffrey Scott Holland (born 1966), Americ ...

, best known as Spike in ''

Hi-de-Hi! ''Hi-de-Hi!'' is a BBC television sitcom shown on BBC1 from 1 January 1980 to 30 January 1988. Set in 1959 and 1960 in Maplins, a fictional holiday camp, the show was written by Jimmy Perry and David Croft, who also wrote ''Dad's Army'' and ...

''.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

*1973: '' Boeing-Boeing'' - Jacqueline *1973: ''

The French Mistress ''The French Mistress'' is a comedy play by the British entertainer Sonnie Hale under the pen name Robert Munro about the arrival of a new young French teacher at a traditional public school. It premiered at the Wimbledon Theatre in June 1955. ...

'' - Madaleine Lafarge *1974: ''

Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; french: Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteur, ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical thea ...

'' - Marianne *1975: ''The Mating Game'' - Secretary *1975: '' Relatively Speaking'' - Ginny *1976: ''Baggage'' - Leila *1976: '' The Ghost Train'' - Peggy Murdock *1976: ''

The Constant Wife ''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair. A “sparkling comedy o ...

'' - Marie Louise *1977: '' A Man for All Seasons'' - Margaret *1978: ''

Dear Brutus ''Dear Brutus'' is a 1917 fantasy play by J. M. Barrie, depicting alternative realities for its characters and their eventual return to real life. The title is a reference to a line from Shakespeare's ''Julius Caesar'': "The fault, dear Brutus, is ...

'' - Joanna Trout *1978: '' A Murder Is Announced'' - Julia Simmons *1979: ''

Habeas Corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...

'' - Felicity Rumpers *1979: '' On Approval'' - Helen Hale *1980: ''

Iphigenia in Aulis ''Iphigenia in Aulis'' or ''Iphigenia at Aulis'' ( grc, Ἰφιγένεια ἐν Αὐλίδι, Īphigéneia en Aulídi; variously translated, including the Latin ''Iphigenia in Aulide'') is the last of the extant works by the playwright Euripide ...

'' -

Iphigenia In Greek mythology, Iphigenia (; grc, Ἰφιγένεια, , ) was a daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra, and thus a princess of Mycenae. In the story, Agamemnon offends the goddess Artemis on his way to the Trojan War by hunting ...

*1980: ''

La Ronde La Ronde may refer to: Geography * La Ronde, Charente-Maritime, a commune in the Charente-Maritime ''département'', France * La Ronde River, on the Caribbean island of Dominica *La Ronde (amusement park), Montreal, Quebec, Canada *A La Ronde, an ...

'' - Sweet Girl *1981: ''

'' -

Juliet Juliet Capulet () is the female protagonist in William Shakespeare's romantic tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. A 13-year-old girl, Juliet is the only daughter of the patriarch of the House of Capulet. She falls in love with the male protagonist R ...

(with the

) *1981: ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'' - Jessica (with the

) *1981: ''

Timon of Athens ''Timon of Athens'' (''The Life of Tymon of Athens'') is a play written by William Shakespeare and probably also Thomas Middleton in about 1606. It was published in the ''First Folio'' in 1623. Timon lavishes his wealth on parasitic companion ...

'' - Phrynia (with the

) *1982: ''The Swan Down Gloves'' - Kit the Glovemaker (with the

) *1983: ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling Sna ...

'' - Lady Teazle *1987: '' The Lover'' - Sarah *1987: ''

The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in order ...

'' - Princess Flavia *1989: ''

Dangerous Corner ''Dangerous Corner'' was the first play by the English writer J. B. Priestley. It was premiered in May 1932 by Tyrone Guthrie at the Lyric Theatre, London, and filmed in 1934 by Phil Rosen. Priestley had recently collaborated with Edward Knoblo ...

'' - Freda Caplan *1989: ''

Last of the Red Hot Lovers ''Last of the Red Hot Lovers'' is a comedy by Neil Simon. It premiered on Broadway in 1969. Production The play opened on Broadway at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on December 28, 1969, and closed on September 4, 1971, after 706 performances and si ...

'' - Elaine Navazio *1990: '' Run for Your Wife'' - Mary Smith *1990: ''Whose Wife Is It Anyway?'' - Jane Worthington *1991: '' The Drummer'' - The Lady *1992: ''The Earl and the Pussycat'' - Emily Thornton *1993: '' Jeffrey Bernard Is Unwell'' - Various *1995: ''

'' - Marie Louise *1995: '' Out of Order'' - Jane Worthington *1996: ''

Private Lives ''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetuall ...

'' - Amanda *1997: ''

Funny Money ''Funny Money'' is a farce written by Ray Cooney. It premièred at The Churchill Theatre, Bromley, London, England, in 1994, followed by a successful two-year run in the West End. Cooney directed his own play and also played the part of Henry ...

'' - Jean Perkins *1999: '' Run for Your Wife'' - Mary Smith *2001: ''

'' - Jean Perkins *2001: '' Run for Your Wife'' - Mary Smith *2002: ''Wife Begins at Forty'' - Linda Harper *2002: ''Snakes and Ladders'' - Faye Spence *2003: ''It Runs in the Family'' - Rosemary Mortimore *2003: ''Wife Begins at Forty'' - Linda Harper *2004: ''There Goes the Bride'' - Ursula *2004: ''Murder by Misadventure'' - Emma *2004: ''

Confusions ''Confusions'' is a play by Alan Ayckbourn consisting of a series of five interconnected one-act plays. It was first staged in 1974 (1976 in London) and played by just five actors. The scenes are all loosely linked by characters or locations, ...

'' - Various *2004: '' Relatively Speaking'' - Sheila *2005: ''Caught in the Net'' - Mary Smith *2006: ''Star Quality'' - Marion Blake *2007: ''The Secretary Bird'' - Liz Walford *2008: ''

Come On, Jeeves ''Come On, Jeeves'' is a comedic play co-written by Guy Bolton and P. G. Wodehouse. The play was written in the summer of 1952, and toured the English provinces in the summer of 1954. Wodehouse adapted the play into the novel ''Ring for Jeeves' ...

'' - Lady Monica Carmoyle *2009: ''

'Allo 'Allo! ''Allo 'Allo!'' is a British sitcom television series, created by David Croft and Jeremy Lloyd, starring Gorden Kaye, Carmen Silvera, Guy Siner and Richard Gibson. Originally broadcast on BBC1, the series focuses on the life of a French caf ...

'' - Michelle Dubois *2010: ''It's Never Too Late'' - Linda Bridges *2010: ''

Spring and Port Wine ''Spring and Port Wine'' is a stage play by Bill Naughton and a 1970 British kitchen sink drama film based on it. The drama is set in Bolton and concerns the Crompton family, especially Rafe, the father, and his attempts to assert his authority ...

'' - Daisy Crompton *2011: ''Cranford'' - Lady Glenmire *2011: ''Changing Rooms'' - Jacqueline *2011: ''The Art of Concealment: The Life of Terence Rattigan'' - Vera Rattigan/Aunt Edna *2012: ''The Art of Concealment: The Life of Terence Rattigan'' - Vera Rattigan/Aunt Edna *2013: ''

Lady Windermere's Fan ''Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman'' is a four-act comedy by Oscar Wilde, first performed on Saturday, 20 February 1892, at the St James's Theatre in London. The story concerns Lady Windermere, who suspects that her husband i ...

'' - Mrs. Erlynne *2014: ''Double Death'' - Lalla Kershaw *2015: ''Blast from the Past'' - Julie Tate *2015: '' The Ghost Train'' - Miss Bourne *2016: ''Secondary Cause of Death'' - Cynthia Maple *2016: '' Blithe Spirit'' - Madame Arcati *2016: ''Blast from the Past'' - Julie Tate *2017: ''Trespass'' - Mrs. Henting *2018: '' Move Over, Mrs Markham'' - Linda Lodge *2019: '' Run for Your Wife'' - Barbara Smith *2021: ''Women of Pensionable Rage'' - Linda Godfrey/Julie Tate/Miriam McKenzie

References

External links

* *Judy Buxton Website: www.judybuxton.co.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Buxton, Judy 1949 births Living people People from Croydon People educated at Croydon High School English stage actresses English television actresses Royal Shakespeare Company members Alumni of Rose Bruford College