Bonnie Langford
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Bonita Melody Lysette "Bonnie" Langford (born 22 July 1964 in Hampton Court, Surrey) is an English actress and entertainer.
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[edit] Career
Langford attended the Italia Conti Academy stage school, soon after she first achieved fame as a child actor in the television series Just William and the film Bugsy Malone. In the early part of her career, Langford was associated with fellow child star Lena Zavaroni.
Her stage work includes Peter Pan: The Musical, Cats and The Pirates of Penzance. On 23 October 2005, Langford performed in Children Will Listen, a 75th birthday tribute to Stephen Sondheim at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.
Langford is also a panto regular and most notably appeared at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford for 2 seasons in a row. In 2004–05, Langford played the title role in Dick Whittington, the following season she was invited back and this time played Prince Charming in Cinderella.
Although known for her stage work, Langford has regularly appeared on television. She came to prominence as a child star when, aged 6, she won the talent show Opportunity Knocks. As an adult, Langford gained further attention when she was a featured dancer, in BBC One's popular light entertainment series The Hot Shoe Show, which she also co-presented with Wayne Sleep.
Langford later appeared in the classic science fiction series Doctor Who, playing the role of the Doctor's companion Mel. She appeared in the cult show from 1986 to 1987, where she accompanied both the Sixth and Seventh Doctor on their adventures. In 1993, as part of the BBC's annual charity spectacular Children In Need, Langford returned as Mel in Dimensions in Time, a special one-off crossover episode with the soap opera EastEnders. She has since gone on to reprise the role of Mel in audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions.
In 2006, Langford was a celebrity contestant on ITV1's smash hit show Dancing On Ice. Langford's partner in the series was American pair skater and member of the US skating team Matt Evers. The pair finished 3rd overall and achieved the highest mark from the judges of the whole competition: 28.5 for one of their final routines. The score for the final routines included 2 sixes (the highest possible mark) and these were the only ones seen in the competition. Langford's skating routines were characterised by the incredible lifts and tricks she and Evers performed which often showed off Langford's flexibility.
Whilst competing on Dancing on Ice, Langford appeared in one episode of ITV1's popular murder mystery series Agatha Christie's Marple.
Langford returned to the West End theatre in April 2006 to play murderess Roxie Hart in the long-running West End musical Chicago, a role for which she received much acclaim.
Langford also took part in a touring two-woman theatrical show called Short and Curly alongside Sandi Toksvig. From 2003 to 2005, Langford was a regular guest on Toksvig's weekday lunchtime show on LBC radio, sometimes hosting the programme if Toksvig was ill or on holiday.
Most recently, Langford has signed up to a Guys and Dolls tour alongside Nigel Harman as Sky Masterson. Langford will play Miss Adelaide Adams, a dance hall hostess, starting in December 2006.
Langford also appeared in the comedy series: The Catherine Tate Show in a sketch with the character Derek Faye. Derek always becomes very offended when people assume he is gay, consequently he was highly offended when Langford assumed that he was gay.
[edit] Criticism
Langford has received a fair amount of abuse over her career, as she has been widely perceived as an overly perky youth. Noel Coward reportedly made the comment, after seeing a play with the young Bonnie Langford in it in which a horse also defecated on the stage, "If they had shoved the child's head up the horse's arse they would have solved two problems at once."
[edit] Personal life
Langford lives with her husband, fellow actor Paul Grunert (most notable for appearances in ChuckleVision) whom she married in 1995, his daughter from a previous marriage Natasha, and their daughter Biana (born 2000).
[edit] Trivia
- John Barrowman, another ex-Doctor Who companion and musical theatre stalwart, was also a contestant on Dancing On Ice in early 2006.
- Bonnie is Scarlett (Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)and Summer (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Boyfriend) Strallen's aunt.
[edit] Filmography
- Television
- The Catherine Tate Show (2006) - Herself
- Agatha Christie's Marple: By the Pricking of My Thumbs (2006) — Betty Johnson
- Dancing on Ice (2006) — Herself, finalist finishing in 3rd place
- Goodnight Sweetheart : How I Won the War (1999) -- Nancy Potter
- Doctor Who: Dimensions in Time (1993) — Melanie Bush
- Doctor Who (1986 to 1987) — Melanie Bush
- The Hot Shoe Show (1983)
- Just William (1976) — Violet Elizabeth Bott
- Film
- Wombling Free (1977) aka Wombling Free: The Movie (UK: video title)
- Bugsy Malone (1976) - Lena Marelli (as Bonita Langford)
[edit] Discography
- Doctor Who: The Fires of Vulcan (2000) — Mel
- Doctor Who: The One Doctor (2001) — Mel
- Doctor Who: Bang-Bang-a-Boom! (2002) — Mel
- Doctor Who: Flip-Flop (2003) — Mel
- Doctor Who Unbound: He Jests at Scars... (2003) — Mel
- Doctor Who: Zagreus (2003) — Cassandra
- Doctor Who: The Juggernauts (2005) — Mel
- Doctor Who: Catch-1782 (2005) — Mel
- Doctor Who: Unregenerate! (2005) — Mel
- Doctor Who: Thicker than Water (2005) — Mel
- Doctor Who: Red (2006) — Mel
