Sheila Hancock
Mother Superior
Sheila should be at home with her feet up, but…
Theatre includes: recently, The Birthday Party (Lyric, Hammersmith), Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret (Apollo, Olivier Award and Clarence Derwent Award), Mum in the Liverpool Playhouse production of The Anniversary (a role played by Bette Davis, while Sheila played the daughter-in-law, in the original film version) which then transferred to the Garrick, The Arab Israeli Cookbook (Gate), Under the Blue Sky (Royal Court), Vassa (Albery) and In Extremis (NT). Earlier work includes: Annie (original London Miss Hannigan) and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (original London Mrs Lovett). NT: The Cherry Orchard and The Duchess of Malfi. RSC: The Winter's Tale, Titus Andronicus, A Delicate Balance and Peter Pan. Also, Gypsy (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Entertaining Mr Sloane (New York) and The Way of the World (Lyric, Hammersmith). Work as a director includes: A Midsummer Night's Dream, when she was the fi rst woman artistic director of an RSC company. She was also the first woman to direct in the NT's Olivier, with Sheridan's The Critic. She was associate artistic director of the Cambridge Theatre Company, herself directing The Constant Wife, Dandy Dick, In Praise of Love and The Soldier's Fortune.
Film includes: The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Yes, Hold Back the Night and Love and Death on Long Island.
Television includes: most recently as a judge on the BBC talent search Over The Rainbow, also Suffragette City for the BBC History of the World season, My Life in Poetry, Moving On, Before I Call You In (monologue written especially for her by Hugo Blick), Dickens's Bleak House, New Tricks, The Catherine Tate Show, Fallen Angel, After Thomas, Feather Boy, Bedtime (three series), Fortysomething, Bait, The Russian Bride and EastEnders. Guest appearances include: Grumpy Old Women, Have I Got News for You and Room 101.
Other work includes: Sheila is the author of Ramblings of an Actress, The Two of Us (Author of the Year Award) and most recently, Just Me. She is working on her first novel.
She is Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth. Sheila is proud to be a member of the British Actors' Equity.
