Thelma Barlow

Infobox actor
name = Thelma Barlow

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imagesize = 150
caption =
birthdate = Birth date and age|1929|6|19|df=yes
location = Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, England
deathdate =
deathplace =
occupation = Actor, writer
academyawards =
emmyawards =

Thelma Barlow (born 19 June 1929) is an English television actress and writer, most famous for her roles as Mavis Wilton in the long-running ITV soap opera "Coronation Street" and as Dolly Bellfield in the sitcom "dinnerladies".

Early life

Thelma Barlow was born in Middlesbrough, Yorkshire in 1929, the younger of two daughters. [For many years her year of birth was thought to be 1937. However, in a [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article593425.ece 2005] interview with "The Times", she admitted to being over 70 and 1929 is [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5388130.stm thought] to be her year of birth.] cite news|url=http://www.corrie.net/profiles/actors/barlow_thelma.html|title=Thelma Barlow - Biography|first=|last=|publisher=corrie.net|date=] Her father Tommy, a cabinet maker, died of pneumonia five weeks before her birth, so Barlow was brought up by her mother Margaret. During her childhood, the family moved to Huddersfield and Thelma Barlow left school at 15 and went to Huddersfield Technical College to study shorthand and typing. Her first job, as a secretary, she held for eight years and at the same time belonged to an amateur dramatics group. Barlow decided to take up acting professionally and joined the Joan Littlewood Theatre Group. During the 1950s, she did rep in Liverpool, Nottingham and Birmingham. In 1960, Barlow joined the West of England Theatre Company followed by the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company. In Bristol, she ran a boarding house for fellow actors. In 1956 she married set designer Graham Barlow, and they had two children, Clive and James. They later divorced.

Television fame

Thelma Barlow's first television appearance was in 1970 in "A Stranger on the Hill". The following year while performing in Liverpool, she was asked to audition for the soap opera "Coronation Street" for the role of Mavis Riley. She was successful and her first episode was aired on 14 August 1971. The character became a regular one in 1973, when she joined the staff of "The Kabin". Barlow remained in the show for 26 years, and nearly 2000 episodes, until she quit following the departure of her on-screen husband Derek. Her final episode was aired on 10 October 1997 as Mavis moved to the Lake District. During her time on "Coronation Street" Barlow shared a flat with co-star Helen Worth and later moved to Settle, where she later did a TV show from her garden.

Barlow's next major role was that of Dolly Bellfield in Victoria Wood's sitcom "dinnerladies". This aired for two series from 1998 to 2000. Around the same time she appeared in "Murder Most Horrid" and "David Copperfield". Since then Thelma Barlow has appeared as one-off characters in several television shows, including "Fat Friends", "Doctors", "The Royal", "Where the Heart Is", "My Dad's the Prime Minister", "Marple" and the "Midsomer Murders" episode "Last Year's Model". In 2005 she appeared her first film "Mrs Henderson Presents" and in 2007 she played Lady Thaw in the "Doctor Who" episode "The Lazarus Experiment".cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/5388130.stm|title=Doctor Who baddie role for Barlow|first=|last=|publisher=BBC|date=28 September 2006] cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/article593425.ece|title=Lady of the manner|first=Kathryn|last=Hone|publisher=The Times|date=24 November 2005] For her role in "Mrs Henderson Presents" she was nominated for "Most Promising Newcomer" in the British Independent Film Awards 2005.cite news|url=http://www.bifa.org.uk/person.php?person=375|title=People - Thelma Barlow|first=|last=|publisher=British Independent Film Awards|date=] Since her departure from "Coronation Street" Barlow has also made stage appearances, with roles such as Madame Arcati in "Blithe Spirit", Mam in Alan Bennett's "Enjoy" and Abby Brewster in "Arsenic and Old Lace". Barlow has also acted on radio. In 2003, she moved to the Isle of Purbeck.

Barlow has also written a book about her hobby, organic gardening, first published by Robson Books as "Organic Gardening with Love" and re-issued in paperback under the title "Gardening Nature's Way" (ISBN 978-1861053312).

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0055289|name=Thelma Barlow
* [http://www.corrie.net/profiles/actors/barlow_thelma.html Thelma Barlow] at corrie.net