Patsy Rowlands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Patsy Rowlands | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | Patricia Rowlands 19 January 1934  Palmers Green, London, England |
| Died | 22 January 2005 (aged 71)Hove, East Sussex, England |
Patsy Rowlands (19 January 1934 – 22 January 2005) was an English actress who is best remembered for her roles in the Carry On films and as Betty in the popular ITV sitcom Bless This House.
Contents |
[edit] Early years
She was born in Palmers Green, London and attended a succession of convent schools throughout her childhood. At one an elocution teacher spotted her potential and encouraged her to pursue a career in acting. She applied for the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and won a scholarship aged just fifteen.
[edit] Theatre Career
Rowlands began her career in the chorus of Annie Get Your Gun, followed by a summer season in Torquay. She then spent several years with the Players' Theatre in London, before making her West End debut in Sandy Wilson's musical Valmouth.
Other West End theatre credits included Semi-Detached with Laurence Olivier and directed by Tony Richardson (with whom she was to work often), Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, with Donald Sinden, The Seagull directed by Lindsay Anderson and When We Are Married for Ronald Eyre.
[edit] Carry On
She made her debut in the Carry On films in Carry On Again Doctor in 1969 and soon became a regular member of the team, usually playing the dowdy, put-upon wife or the long-suffering secretary. Between 1969 and 1975 she appeared in nine of the films, including Carry On Loving, Carry On At Your Convenience, Carry On Girls and Carry On Behind.
From 1971 to 1976, she played Betty, the feckless neighbour in the popular ITV sitcom Bless This House, which starred fellow Carry On star Sid James. Her other television credits at this time included appearances with comedians such as Les Dawson and Dick Emery. In the early 1980s, she appeared with Thora Hird in the sitcom Hallelujah!, in which they played an aunt and niece in the Salvation Army.
[edit] Later years
Towards the end of her life, Rowlands appeared in several revivals of major musicals such as Oliver! at the London Palladium and My Fair Lady at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Later television credits include The Cazalets, The Canterbury Tales, The Cater Street Hangman, Get Well Soon, Vanity Fair and Bottom for the BBC.
Rowlands completed several DVD audio commentaries along with other surviving stars of the Carry On films in 2003.
[edit] Illness and death
She developed breast cancer and had to give up her plans to become an acting teacher and quietly retire. She died of the disease in a Sussex hospice at the age of 71. She had one son, Alan. Patsy was described as a 'stalwart' of the Carry On films by national newspaper obituaries.
[edit] Television Roles
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 to 1976 | Bless This House | Betty Lewis |
| 1974 to 1977 | The Squirrels (TV series) | Susan |
| 1980 | The Nesbitts Are Coming | WPC Naylor |
| 1997 | Get Well Soon | Mrs Clapton |
[edit] External links
|
||||||||
