Pat Ashton
| Pat Ashton | |
|---|---|
| Born |
28 February 1931 Wood Green, London, England |
| Died |
23 June 2013 (aged 82)[1] Diss, Norfolk, England |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1965–1984 |
Pat Ashton (28 February 1931 – 23 June 2013) was an English actress. Her engaging cockney, blonde persona is best remembered for appearances in English TV-sitcom film spin-offs On the Buses (1971) and Mutiny on the Buses (1972).[2] She was married to Geoff Godwin 1953-1985, separated with 1 child.
Early life
Ashton was born and raised in Wood Green, North London. Trained from childhood as a singer and tap-dancer, she performed in the 1950s at seaside resorts around England in summer season shows. In the early 1960s, she toured Europe with Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop in Oh, What a Lovely War!. Early West End appearances included Half a Sixpence and The Matchgirls.
Career
Ashton's first television break was taking the role of Fanny Cornforth opposite Oliver Reed in Ken Russell's Danté's Inferno (1967), a film in the Omnibus series on the life of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The part later led to a small role in Russell's 1971 film The Devils.
In 1970, Ashton's chirpy, blonde persona found her understudying Barbara Windsor in the Ned Sherrin-produced musical Sing a Rude Song, based on the life of music hall singer Marie Lloyd; she successfully took the lead role when Windsor was struck down with laryngitis.
Ashton played numerous TV roles; credits include: On the Buses (1971) - subsequently making memorable appearances in two spin-off films; The Benny Hill Show (1972–80); Both Ends Meet (1972, with Dora Bryan); Don't Drink the Water (1975, an On the Buses spin-off); Yus, My Dear (1976, with Arthur Mullard), Rooms (1977); Only When I Laugh (1980, with James Bolam); The Gaffer (1981–83, with Bill Maynard), and Tripper's Day (1984, with Leonard Rossiter) Beer Hunter Minder Episode 1980 (with Dennis Waterman, George Cole.
A notable television role was that of Annie, wife of a burglar (Bob Hoskins) who comes out of prison to find that his old friend (John Thaw) has moved in, in Thick As Thieves (1974). When LWT declined a second series, the writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais took the idea to the BBC, where it was developed into the much-loved series Porridge.
On stage, she later appeared in Stepping Out, and was a regular performer at the Players' Theatre in London.[3]
Filmography
- Half a Sixpence (1967) ... Pub Character
- On the Buses (1971) ... Sally
- The Devils (1971) ... Gossiping woman (uncredited)
- Mutiny on the Buses (1972) ... Norah
- Nearest and Dearest (1972) ... Freda
- The Optimists of Nine Elms a.k.a. The Optimists (1973) ... Woman at Nursery
- Party Party (1983) ... Johnny's Mum
- Bloodbath at the House of Death (1983) ... Barmaid
References
- ↑ "Pat Ashton obituary". Pictures that Talk. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ↑ "Biography for Pat Ashton obituary". IMDb. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ↑ Nick Godwin (23 June 2013). "Pat Ashton obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
External links
Pat Ashton at the Internet Movie Database