Polly Perkins (born Gillian Nessie Arnold, 31 May 1943) is a British actress, singer and writer. Perkins rose to fame in the 1960s as a popstar, going on to regularly appear in theatre and

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or d ...

throughout the UK. She is known for playing Rose Cotton, the half-sister of Dot Cotton ( June Brown), in the

BBC #REDIRECT 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 ex ...

soap opera ''

EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a Television in the United Kingdom, British soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the Ea ...

'' between 2011 and 2012.

Early and personal life

Perkins was born Gillian Nessie Arnold to theatrical parents Dickie and Mitzi, who both had a successful career performing a cabaret/vaudeville act. Dickie's second wife, Dottie Arnold, was also a successful variety performer. Perkins has two children, singer songwriter Tim Arnold and film producer/director Toby Tobias. In 1985, Perkins moved to Spain.

Career

Perkins started her career performing at the Windmill Theatre in

Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develop ...

, when still in her teens, she first appeared nude aged 15. During the 60's, Perkins was a teen pop star, a

thespian and the first compere of the cult TV show '' Ready Steady Go!''. She starred in stage musicals as diverse as '' Salad Days'' and ''

Let My People Come ''Let My People Come'' is a musical with book and music by Earl Wilson, Jr. and lyrics by Wilson and Phil Oesterman. Subtitled "A Sexual Musical", the sexually-explicit show originally ran from 1974 to 1976 at The Village Gate theater in Greenwich ...

'', and appeared in episodes of '' Minder'', ''

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 ...

'', Rules of Justice and ''Nanny''. Perkins was the leading lady in many West End cabaret clubs including The Latin Quarter, Blue Angel, The Celebrite, The Gaslight, The Directors Lodge, The Gargoyle, The Piano Bar and Madame Jojo's. She became a much-loved figure in Soho clubs for her smoky rendition of Edith Piaf's ''

Je Ne Regrette Rien "Non, je ne regrette rien" (, Piaf's pronunciation , meaning "No, I do not regret anything") is a French song composed in 1956 by Charles Dumont, with lyrics by Michel Vaucaire. Édith Piaf's 1960 recording spent seven weeks atop the French Sing ...

''. She also ran and performed in her own club "Polly's Candlelight" in Mayfair throughout 1977/78. Perkins was cast as Trish Valentine, a washed-up nightclub singer, in the BBC soap opera ''

Eldorado El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...

'' in the mid-90s. In 2011, she returned to the stage in the debut performance of songs from her son's new musical '' Secrets of Soho'' at The Phoenix Artist Club. In the movie Metropolitan by

Whit Stillman John Whitney Stillman (born January 25, 1952) is an American writer-director and actor known for his 1990 film '' Metropolitan'', which earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. He is also known for his other f ...

there is a mentioned character named Polly Perkins although an appearance is never made. In May 2011, it was announced by that Perkins would be joining the cast of BBC soap opera ''

'' as

Rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

, the estranged half-sister of Dot Branning. Speaking of her casting, Perkins said "I am thrilled to be joining the cast of ''EastEnders'', the show is a real British institution with an extraordinary creative team. I'm really looking forward to working with June again, who I have been friends with for over 30 years."

Filmography

Television

*''BBC Sunday Night Play-She's A Free Country'' *'' The Colony'' *'' Menace'' *''

'' *''Flickers'' *''Rules of Justice'' *'' Nanny'' *''Play For Today-Wayne And Albert'' *''

'' *''

'' (2011–12)

Stage

*'' Salad Days'' *''

'' *''Blood Brothers (Salon Varietés Production)''

Film

*'' Take It or Leave It'' *''The Mumbo Jumbo''

Discography

Albums

*''Pop Lore According to the Academy'' (1969) - Reissued on CD and is available digitally. *''Liberated Woman'' (1973) *''Polly'' (1977)

Singles

*''I Reckon You'' (1963) *''Sweet As Honey'' (1963) *''Young Lover'' (1964) *''I Went By Your House Today'' (1964) *''Munching The Candy'' (1969) *''Coochie Coo'' (1973)

Bibliography

*''Songs for the Liberated Woman'' (1973) *''Far Too Dainty'' (2003)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Perkins, Polly 1943 births Living people English television actresses English women singers English film actresses English stage actresses