Sheila White (actress)

Infobox actor
name = Sheila White


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birthdate = Birth date and age|1950|10|18|df=yes
location = London, England, UK
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birthname = Sheila White
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yearsactive = 1966 - Present

Sheila White (born October 18, 1950 in London) is an English actress and West End musical star.

Early career

White began her career at the age of twelve in the pantomime "Cinderella" at the "Golders Green Hippodrome" starring "Arthur Askey" as a member of Terry's Juveniles. This led to an audition for the London production of "The Sound of Music" at the "Palace Theatre" where she played the parts of Briggitta and Louisa for three years. Sheila White then became a student at the Corona Stage School in Hammersmith, West London. At sixteen she was still playing child parts as she appeared young for her age and the start of her television career was in "Z Cars" with "Malcolm McDowell". A theatre tour of Counter Crime followed and the musical tour of "The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd" starring "Norman Wisdom" and Willoughby Goddard, written by "Leslie Bricusse" and "Anthony Newley", playing one of the urchins with "Elaine Paige" and choreography by "Gillian Lynne". Sheila White's big break came playing the part of Eileen in the musical "On The Level" at the "Saville Theatre". She was taken out of the chorus and the song "Bleep - Bleep", was written especially for her. This song stopped the show making Sheila White's name in the West End Theatre. This success led to the part of Bet in Lionel Bart's film musical "Oliver", accompanying Shani Wallis as Nancy in the songs It's a fine life and "I'd Do Anthing".

Filmography

After Oliver! she went on to play leading roles as Polly in "The Ghost Goes Gear" with the Spencer Davis Group, Norma in "Alfie Darling" and as Paula in "Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush" in 1967 with Barry Evans and as Tulip in [Mrs Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter for MGM. Sheila White is well known to younger audiences for portraying Alisande in "The Spaceman and King Arthur" for Walt Disney Productions, and comedy roles in movies like "Confessions of a Pop Performer".

Television

Sheila White played Carol Hanley, biological mother of Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean) in "EastEnders" and most famously, her memorable performance as the infamous "Messalina" in the BBC classic serial "I, Claudius", opposite "Derek Jacobi" as "Claudius", written by "Jack Pulman" and directed by "Herbert Wise".Other television credits include her role as Keren Daniel in the "Poldark" series for BBC. The leading lady in "The Songwriters", a series for BBC television, Annie Miller, in "The Brotherhood - Pre-Raphaelites - Aka Love School" for the BBC directed by "Piers Haggard". Sheila White also played the leading role as Dixie in "Don't Rock the Boat", a comedy series for Thames Television directed by Mark Stuart. Sheila White also starred in "Whizzkid's Guide" a children's comedy series for Anglia Television, as Moyra Sheffield in "Framed" for ITV, written by "Lynda La Plante" and as Vivien McKewan in "Dear Mother ...Love Albert" for "Thames Television", Mildred in "ITV Saturday Night Theatre - The Funeral of Queen Victoria", directed by Tania Lieven and The Good Old Days with Leonard Sachs and Frankie Vaughan.

Theatre

Sheila White's extensive theatre credits as a leading lady include playing "Mary Pickford" in "The Biograph Girl" for Harold Fielding, directed by "Victor Spinetti", Eileen Wells in "On The Level" for which she famously sang "Bleep Bleep", Young Belle in "Little Me", Ruby in the London Production of "Dames At Sea", Samantha in "Queen Daniella" opposite "Danny La Rue", and Sonia Walsk in the National Tour of "They're Playing Our Song"

External links

* http://www.sheilawhite.co.uk
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