Laura Lancing

Infobox character
colour = #99CCFF
name = Laura Lancing


caption = Laura in "The Brittas Empire"
first = "Series one, episode one, Laying the Foundations (1991)"
last = "Christmas special (1994)"
cause = Moved to America with husband.
gender = Female
age = not known.
occupation = deputy manager, Whitbury Leisure Centre
portrayer = Julia St. John
creators = Richard Fergan & Andrew Norris

Laura Lancing is a character portrayed by Julia St. John in the British television sitcom, The Brittas Empire. The sitcom aired on BBC 1 between 1991 and 1997. She is the deputy manager of Whitbury Leisure Centre, the fictional disaster-bound sports centre run by awful manager Gordon Brittas.

Laura is calm and efficient, and brings normality back to the centre when a disaster has escalated. She's also the voice of reason, talking sense into those around her.

She understands that, however much chaos her boss causes in his attempts to do the right thing, that he means well, so she will occasionally defend him from staff criticism and that from Brittas's wife, the unhinged Helen Brittas.

Laura lends support to Helen, a character who panics when Laura announces she is leaving in series three of the show. Helen is convinced the centre won't cope without Laura, with no one there to "pick up the pieces" after Brittas has caused another disaster. Nevertheless the centre "does" cope when Laura leaves in series five to move to America with her husband.

Actress Julia St. John departed from the Brittas Empire at the same time writers and creators of the show, Richard Fergan and Andrew Norris did, a possible reason was due to her role in The Bill around the same time.

[Information gathered from The Brittas Empire DVDs published by Eureka Video. Evidence in episodes can support all information stated above.]

References