Sheila White (actress)

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Sheila White (born October 18, 1950 in London) is a British actress and West End musical star.

Contents

[edit] Early Career

White began her career at the age of twelve in the pantomime Cinderella at the Golders Green Hippodrome starring Arthur Askey as a member of Terry's Juveniles. This led to an audition for the London production of The Sound of Music at the Palace Theatre where she played the parts of Briggitta and Louisa for three years. Sheila White then became a student at the Corona Stage School in Hammersmith, West London. At sixteen she was still playing child parts as she appeared young for her age and the start of her television career was in Z Cars with Malcolm McDowell. A theatre tour of Counter Crime followed and the musical tour of The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd starring Norman Wisdom and Willoughby Goddard, written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley, playing one of the urchins with Elaine Paige and choreography by Gillian Lynne. Sheila White's big break came playing the part of Eileen in the musical On The Level at the Saville Theatre. She was taken out of the chorus and the song "Bleep - Bleep", was written especially for her. This song stopped the show making Sheila White's name in the West End Theatre. This success led to the part of Bet in the musical film Oliver, singing I'd Do Anthing with Nancy played by Shani Wallis and Fagin's gang.

[edit] Filmography

Later she went on to play leading roles as Polly in The Ghost Goes Gear with the Spencer Davis Group, Norma in Alfie Darling and as Tulip in [[Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter for MGM. Sheila White is well known to younger audiences for portraying Alisande in The Spaceman and King Arthur for Walt Disney Productions, and comedy roles in movies like Confessions of a Pop Performer.


[edit] Television

Sheila White played Carol Hanley, biological mother of Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) in EastEnders and most famously, her memorable performance as the infamous Messalina in the BBC classic serial I, Claudius, opposite Derek Jacobi as Claudius, written by Jack Pulman and directed by Herbert Wise. Other television credits include her role as Keren Daniel in the Poldark series for BBC. The leading lady in "The Songwriters", a series for BBC television, Annie Miller, in The Brotherhood - Pre-Raphaelites - Aka Love School for the BBC directed by Piers Haggard. Sheila White also played the leading role as Dixie in Don't Rock the Boat, a comedy series for Thames Television directed by Mark Stuart. Sheila White also starred in Whizzkid's Guide a children's comedy series for Anglia Television, as Moyra Sheffield in Framed for ITV, written by Lynda La Plante and as Vivien McKewan in Dear Mother ...Love Albert for Thames Television, Mildred in ITV Saturday Night Theatre - The Funeral of Queen Victoria, directed by Tania Lieven.

[edit] Theatre

Sheila White's extensive theatre credits as a leading lady include playing Mary Pickford in The Biograph Girl for Harold Fielding, directed by Victor Spinetti, Eileen Wells in On The Level for which she famously sang Bleep Bleep, Young Belle in Little Me, Ruby in the London Production of Dames At Sea, Samantha in Queen Daniella opposite Danny La Rue, and Sonia Walsk in the National Tour of They're Playing Our Song

[edit] External links

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