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Maria Charles (born 22 September 1929) is an English film, television and stage actress, director and
comedian. She is probably best known for her TV performance as the overbearing mother Bea Fisher in the
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
sitcom ''
Agony
Agony may refer to:
Concepts
*Pain, anguish, or struggle, especially precededing death
*Suffering of intense degree, relating to physical or mental suffering
*Passion (Christianity), also called the Agony of Christ
*Agony in the Garden, Christ' ...
''. Charles has also appeared on the stage in original West End productions including musicals by
Stephen Sondheim,
Charles Strouse
Charles Strouse (born June 7, 1928) is an American composer and lyricist best known for writing the music to such Broadway musicals as '' Bye Bye Birdie'', ''Applause'', and '' Annie''.
Life and career
Strouse was born in New York City, to Jewis ...
and
Sandy Wilson
Alexander Galbraith "Sandy" Wilson (19 May 1924 – 27 August 2014) was an English composer and lyricist, best known for his musical '' The Boy Friend'' (1953).
Biography
Wilson was born in Sale, Cheshire, England, and was educated at Harrow S ...
.
Early life
Maria Charles was born in London on 22 September 1929 as Maria Zena Schneider.
[England and Wales Civil Registration Birth Index, 1929 Births.] She was the daughter of David Schneider (1896-1980) and Celia Schneider née Ashkenaza (1906-1954).
[ Her father was a hairdresser who used the soubriquet "Mr Charles". When she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in 1946 she took her father's working name as her stage surname.
]
Career
Charles has had an exceptionally long acting career that spans over seven decades. She made her stage debut as the Dormouse in a 1945 production of '' Alice in Wonderland'' at the Connaught Theatre
The Connaught Theatre is a Streamline Moderne-style theatre and cinema in the centre of Worthing, in West Sussex, England. Built as the Picturedrome cinema in 1914, the venue was extended in 1935 and became the new home of the Connaught Theatre ( ...
, Worthing
Worthing () is a seaside town in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 111,400 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Brighton and Ho ...
and her West End theatre debut in the ''Pick up Girl'' at the Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...
in 1946. Charles appeared in the original London production of '' The Boy Friend'' as 'Dulcie' which ran for a total of 2,082 performances from (1954 to 1959). She played the part of 'Solange Lafitte' in the original West End production of ''Follies
''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman.
The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...
'' at the Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue.
History
The theatre was ...
by Stephen Sondheim. The show ran for 644 performances from 21 July 1987 to 4 February 1989 and starred Julia McKenzie
Julia Kathleen Nancy McKenzie (born 17 February 1941) is an English actress, singer, presenter, and theatre director. She has premièred leading roles written by both Alan Ayckbourn and Stephen Sondheim. On television, she is known for her BAFT ...
, Daniel Massey and Eartha Kitt. Charles has worked extensively in theatre, TV and films and has carved a niche for herself on television playing clingy Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
mothers. She appeared in the memorable BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
''
Play for Today'' anthology TV series which ran from (1970 to 1984) in the
TV play
A television play is a television programming genre which is a drama performance broadcast from a multiple-camera setup, multi-camera television studio, usually live in the early days of television but later recorded to tape. This is in contra ...
the ''
Bar Mitzvah Boy'' which won the
BAFTA,
British Academy Television Award for (best single play); in 1977 it was placed 56th in a
BFI
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...
poll of the
100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century, voted by industry professionals. She also played
Maureen Lipman
Dame Maureen Diane Lipman (born 10 May 1946) is an English actress, writer and comedian. She trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and her stage work has included appearances with the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespea ...
's character's mother in the
ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
sitcom ''
Agony
Agony may refer to:
Concepts
*Pain, anguish, or struggle, especially precededing death
*Suffering of intense degree, relating to physical or mental suffering
*Passion (Christianity), also called the Agony of Christ
*Agony in the Garden, Christ' ...
'' from 1979 to 1981. In 1981 she starred in
Nell Dunn
Nell Mary Dunn (born 9 June 1936) is an English playwright, screenwriter and author. She is known especially for a volume of short stories, '' Up the Junction'', and a novel, '' Poor Cow''.
Early years
The second daughter of Sir Philip Dunn an ...
's new comedy play, ''
Steaming'' at the
Comedy Theatre
The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011, Stratford East, playing alongside
Brenda Blethyn; the production won the
Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy
The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End The ...
that year.
Other notable TV credits include well known television series such as: ''
Z-Cars
''Z-Cars'' or ''Z Cars'' (pronounced "zed cars") is a British television police procedural series centred on the work of mobile uniformed police in the fictional town of Newtown, based on Kirkby, near Liverpool. Produced by the BBC, it debut ...
'', ''
Crossroads
Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to:
* Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet
Film and television Films
* ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa
* ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
'', ''
Secret Army'', ''
Brideshead Revisited
''Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred & Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder'' is a novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. It follows, from the 1920s to the early 1940s, the life and romances of the protagonist Charles ...
'', ''
Coronation Street'', ''
Whoops Apocalypse
''Whoops Apocalypse'' is a six-part 1982 television sitcom by Andrew Marshall and David Renwick, made by London Weekend Television for ITV. Marshall and Renwick later reworked the concept as a 1986 film of the same name from ITC Entertainmen ...
'', ''
Boon
Boon may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Boon (game), a trick-taking card game
* ''Boon'' (novel), a 1915 satirical work by H. G. Wells
* ''Boon'' (TV series), a British television series starring Michael Elphick
* The Ultimate Boo ...
'', ''
Never the Twain
''Never the Twain'' is a British sitcom that ran for eleven series from 7 September 1981 to 9 October 1991.
It was created by Johnnie Mortimer, and was the only sitcom he ever created without his usual writing partner, Brian Cooke. Mortimer w ...
'', ''
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 ...
'', ''
Casualty
Casualty may refer to:
*Casualty (person), a person who is killed or rendered unfit for service in a war or natural disaster
**Civilian casualty, a non-combatant killed or injured in warfare
* The emergency department of a hospital, also known as ...
'', ''
Holby City'' and ''
Bad Girls''.
Her notable film credits have included: ''
Sisterhood'', ''
Hot Fuzz
''Hot Fuzz'' is a 2007 action comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg. Starring Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, and Jim Broadbent, the film centres on two police officers investigating a series of mysteriou ...
'', ''
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
, ''
Revenge of the Pink Panther'',
Victor Victoria
''Victor/Victoria'' is a 1982 Musical film, musical comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston (actor), Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, Alex Karras, and John Rhys-Davies. The fi ...
, and
Sixty Six.
Stage appearances
*(Stage debut) Dormouse,
Alice in Wonderland, Connaught Theatre, Worthing, England, 1945
*(London West End debut) Ruby Lockwood, The Pick-Up Girl,
Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...
, London, 1946
*Rosie,
Women of Twilight
''Women of Twilight'' is a 1951 play by Sylvia Rayman that became a 1952 film directed by Gordon Parry. The latter stars Freda Jackson, Rene Ray and Lois Maxwell, with a screenplay by Anatole de Grunwald. It was the first British film to receiv ...
,
Vaudeville Theatre
The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...
, London, 1951
*See You Again (Sandy Wilson revue),
Watergate Theatre, London
The Watergate Theatre in London existed in 1949-56, located on Buckingham Street, Westminster.
In 1949 Elizabeth Denby, together with the theatre director and playwright Velona Pilcher, the writer Elizabeth Sprigge, and Jane Drew converted a site ...
, 1952
*Swing Back the Gate (Geoffrey Wright, revue),
Irving Theatre, London, 1952.
*Sorrell Connaught, A Kiss for Adele,
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...
, London, 1952
*Florrie Solomon, Spring Song,
Embassy Theatre, London, 1953
*Dulcie,
The Boy Friend,
Wyndham's Theatre
Wyndham's Theatre is a West End theatre, one of two opened by actor/manager Charles Wyndham (the other is the Criterion Theatre). Located on Charing Cross Road in the City of Westminster, it was designed c.1898 by W. G. R. Sprague, the archit ...
, London, 1954–1958
*Dulcie Du Bois,
The Boy Friend,
Globe Theatre, London, 1965
*Fairy Sorayah,
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
"Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" ( ar, علي بابا والأربعون لصا) is a folk tale from the '' One Thousand and One Nights''. It was added to the collection in the 18th century by its French translator Antoine Galland, who hear ...
,
Players' Theatre, London, 1965
*Florence,
Enter a Free Man
''Enter a Free Man'' is a play by Tom Stoppard that follows the story of an unsuccessful inventor named George Riley. The play was first performed on March 28, 1968, at the St. Martin's Theatre. It was directed by Frith Banbury and starred Mich ...
,
St. Martin's Theatre, London, 1968
*Jessie Macfarlane, Mrs. Dawkins, Bridgid O'Cooney, Mrs. van Boven, Dellarosa Paravici, Miss Minter, Mary Thornton, Mrs. Campbell-Scully, and Mrs. Zuckmeyer,
They Don't Grow on Trees,
Prince of Wales Theatre
The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...
, 1969
*Felice Kovacs, Partners,
Royal Lyceum Theatre
The Royal Lyceum Theatre is a 658-seat theatre in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, named after the Theatre Royal Lyceum and English Opera House, the residence at the time of legendary Shakespearean actor Henry Irving. It was built in 1883 by a ...
, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1969
*Piglet,
Winnie the Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear and Pooh, is a fictional Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic teddy bear created by English author A. A. Milne and English illustrator E. H. Shepard.
The first collection of stories about the character w ...
,
Phoenix Theatre, London, 1972
*Fairy Cabbage Rose,
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
, Players' Theatre, 1973
*Annie Chapman,
Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in the autumn of 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer w ...
, Players' Theatre, 1974
*Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi,
The Matchmaker
''The Matchmaker'' is a 1954 play by Thornton Wilder, a rewritten version of his 1938 play ''The Merchant of Yonkers''.
History
The play has a long and colorful history. John Oxenford's 1835 one-act farce ''A Day Well Spent'' had been exte ...
,
Her Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...
, London, 1978
*Mistress Overdone,
Measure for Measure,
Riverside Studios
Riverside Studios is an arts centre on the banks of the River Thames in Hammersmith, London, England. The venue plays host to contemporary performance, film, visual art exhibitions and television production.
Having closed for redevelopment i ...
, Hammersmith, England, 1979
*Miss Hannigan,
Annie
Annie may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Annie (given name), a given name and a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Annie (actress) (born 1975), Indian actress
* Annie (singer) (born 1977), Norwegian singer
The ...
,
Victoria Palace Theatre
The Victoria Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in Victoria Street, in the City of Westminster, opposite Victoria Station. The structure is categorised as a Grade II* listed building.
History Origins
The theatre began life as a small conc ...
, London, 1979
*
Steaming,
Theatre Royal Stratford East
The Theatre Royal Stratford East is a 460 seat Victorian producing theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company, famously associated with director Joan Littlewood, whose ...
, London, 1981.
*Yente,
Fiddler on the Roof,
Apollo Theatre
The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London. , London, 1983
*Solange Lafitte,
Follies
''Follies'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Goldman.
The plot takes place in a crumbling Broadway theater, now scheduled for demolition, previously home to a musical revue (based on the ''Ziegfeld Fol ...
,
Shaftesbury Theatre
The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue.
History
The theatre was ...
, London 1987
*Multiple roles in the British
National Theatre repertoire season at the
Cottesloe Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...
,
Lyttelton Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. In ...
, and
Olivier Theatre
The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. In ...
in London, 1989
*Vera Klein,
The Absence of War,
Royal National Theatre, London, 1993
*Melissa, Party Time & One for the Road,
Battersea Arts Centre, London, 2003.
*Noreen Biggs,
Bad Girls,
Garrick Theatre
The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ' ...
, London, 2007
Film appearances
*Goldie, ''
A Gunman Has Escaped
''A Gunman Has Escaped'' is a 1948 British crime film directed by Richard M. Grey and starring John Harvey (actor), John Harvey, Maria Charles and Jane Arden (director), Jane Arden.Chibnall & McFarlane p.35 It was produced as a second feature and ...
'',
Monarch
A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power i ...
, 1948
*WRAC female soldier, ''
Folly to Be Wise
''Folly to Be Wise'' is a 1952 British comedy film directed by Frank Launder and starring Alastair Sim, Elizabeth Allan, Roland Culver, Colin Gordon, Martita Hunt and Edward Chapman. It is based on the play ''It Depends What You Mean'' by Jame ...
'',
British Lion, 1952
*Blonde, ''
The Deadly Affair
''The Deadly Affair'' is a 1967 British spy film based on John le Carré's first novel, ''Call for the Dead'' (1961). The film stars James Mason and was directed by Sidney Lumet from a script by Paul Dehn.
As it is a Columbia Pictures productio ...
'', Columbia, 1967
*Tea lady,
The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It
''The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It'' is a 1977 comedy film directed by Joseph McGrath and starring John Cleese. It is a low-budget spoof of the Sherlock Holmes detective series, as well as the mystery genre in gener ...
, 1977
*Lady Client,
Revenge of the Pink Panther, 1978
*Senora Pulido,
Cuba
Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
,
United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the stud ...
, 1979
*Madame President,
Victor/Victoria
''Victor/Victoria'' is a 1982 musical comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards and starring Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, Alex Karras, and John Rhys-Davies. The film was produced by Tony Adams and sco ...
,
MGM/UA, 1982
*Mrs. Weedle, Under the Bed,
CFU, 1988.
*The Pure Gatherer,
The Fool, 1990
*Sylvia Pinker, Antonia & Jane, Miramax, 1991.
*Maria, August Entertainment/Bratton/Wavepower Navigation Corp., 1995
*The Broadway Babies,
Hey, Mr Producer! (also known as Hey Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron Mackintosh), Act Two, Broadway Baby, Follies, 1998
*Mrs Glitzman,
Sixty Six, 2006.
*Mrs Reaper,
Hot Fuzz
''Hot Fuzz'' is a 2007 action comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg. Starring Pegg, Nick Frost, Timothy Dalton, and Jim Broadbent, the film centres on two police officers investigating a series of mysteriou ...
, 2007.
*Ethel,
Sisterhood, 2008.
Television appearances
Series
*Lorelei Macefield,
Crossroads
Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to:
* Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet
Film and television Films
* ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa
* ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
, 1964.
*Mrs. Higgins,
Pollyanna
''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter's soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, know ...
, BBC, 1973
*Madge,
Thomas and Sarah, 1979
*Bea Fisher,
Agony
Agony may refer to:
Concepts
*Pain, anguish, or struggle, especially precededing death
*Suffering of intense degree, relating to physical or mental suffering
*Passion (Christianity), also called the Agony of Christ
*Agony in the Garden, Christ' ...
,
LWT
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
1979
*Mrs. Sadler,
Never the Twain
''Never the Twain'' is a British sitcom that ran for eleven series from 7 September 1981 to 9 October 1991.
It was created by Johnnie Mortimer, and was the only sitcom he ever created without his usual writing partner, Brian Cooke. Mortimer w ...
,
Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992.
Thames Television broa ...
1981
*May,
Dream Stuffing
''Dream Stuffing'' is a British television sitcom which aired on Channel 4 in early 1984.
The series followed the exploits of two working class young women, Mo (Amanda Symonds) and Jude (Rachel Weaver), who share a flat in a council tower block ...
,
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
1984
*Bea Fisher,
Agony Again
''Agony Again'' is a British sitcom that aired on BBC1 in 1995. Starring Maureen Lipman, it is the sequel to ''Agony'', an ITV sitcom that aired from 1979 to 1981, produced by the BBC after ITV turned it down; It had originally been pitched as ...
,
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, 1995.
*Lena Thistlewood,