Gabrielle Drake

Gabrielle Drake (born 30 March 1944) is a British actress who was born in Lahore, British India and has lived in several Far Eastern countries. She became well known for her appearance in the television series UFO. Her brother was the musician Nick Drake.

Life and career

Drake attended Edgbaston College for Girls, Wycombe Abbey School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). She is a classically-trained actress with experience in Shakespearean plays, but first gained wider attention for her portrayal of Lieutenant Gay Ellis in the 1970 science fiction television series UFO, in which her costume consisted of a silver suit and a purple wig.^[1] In the series, the character of Lt Ellis is stationed on Moonbase, which is Earth's first line of defence against invading flying saucers. Drake appeared in roughly half the 26 episodes produced, leaving the series during a break in the production to pursue other acting opportunities.

In the early 1970s, she auditioned for the part of Jo Grant in Doctor Who, reaching the final shortlist of three. Drake's film appearances include There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) and Au Pair Girls (1972). Her other television appearances include The Avengers (1967), Coronation Street (as Inga Olsen in 1967, and Vanessa in 2009), The Saint (1968), The Brothers (1972–74, in a regular leading role), The Kelly Monteith Show (1979–80), a made-for-TV version of The Importance of Being Earnest (1985), Crossroads (1985–87, as motel boss Nicola Freeman) and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2003–05) as the protagonist's mother.

In 1975, she appeared as Madeline Bassett in the original London cast of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Alan Ayckbourn musical Jeeves.

Personal life

Drake lives in Much Wenlock, Shropshire and continues to perform in theatre.^{[citation needed]}

She can be heard accompanying her brother Nick on a number of songs that he recorded privately, and which have since been released on the album Family Tree.

Selected filmography

• Crossplot (1969)
• Connecting Rooms (1970)
• The Atrocity Exhibition (JG Ballard and the Motorcar) (1970)
• There's a Girl in My Soup (1970)
• Suburban Wives (1971)
• Au Pair Girls (1972)
• Commuter Husbands (1973)
• All About a Prima Ballerina (1980)
• The Steal (1995)

Television roles

• Riviera Police (one episode, 1965)
• The Avengers (one episode, "The Hidden Tiger", produced in January 1967)
• UFO (1969–70)
• Man at the Top (one episode, "Join the Human Race", 1970)
• The Brothers (1972–74)
• The New Avengers (one episode, "Dead Men Are Dangerous", 1977)
• The Professionals (1978)
• The Kelly Monteith Show (1979-80)
• Number 10 (one episode, 1983)
• Crossroads (1985–87)
• The Inspector Lynley Mysteries (2003–05)
• Doctors (2011)

References

Bibliography

• Boyd, Joe (2006). White Bicycles – Making Music in the 1960s. Serpent's Tail. ISBN 1-85242-910-0. 
• Dann, Trevor (2006). Darker Than The Deepest Sea: The Search For Nick Drake. London: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81520-6. 

External links

• Gabrielle Drake at the Internet Movie Database