Joanna McCallum (born 27 June 1950) is an English theatre, film and television actress.

Early years and personal life

She is the daughter of English actress Googie Withers and Australian actor

John McCallum John McCallum (born 9 April 1950) is a Canadian politician, economist, diplomat and former university professor. A former Liberal Member of Parliament ( MP), McCallum was the Canadian Ambassador to China from 2017 to 2019. He was asked for ...

, and was educated at St Catherine's School in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. McCallum graduated from the

National Institute of Dramatic Art The National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) is an Australian educational institution for the performing arts is based in Sydney, New South Wales. Founded in 1958, many of Australia's leading actors and directors trained at NIDA, including Cat ...

(NIDA) in 1969. She is married to writer Roger Davenport.

Theatre

McCallum is best known for her extensive work in theatre. Notable roles include Portia in ''

The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...

'', with Alec Guinness as Shylock (

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Mart ...

, dir.

Patrick Garland Patrick Ewart Garland (10 April 1935 – 19 April 2013) was a British director, writer and actor. Career Garland was educated at St Mary's College, Southampton, and St Edmund Hall, Oxford where he studied English and was Literary Editor of Isi ...

, 1984); heading a vast cast as Jane Marryot in Noël Coward's ''

Cavalcade A cavalcade is a procession or parade on horseback, or a mass trail ride by a company of riders. The focus of a cavalcade is participation rather than display. Often, the participants do not wear costumes or ride in formation. Often, a cava ...

'' (Chichester Festival Theatre, dir. David Gilmore, 1985); and Margeurite Blakeney, opposite

Donald Sinden Sir Donald Alfred Sinden (9 October 1923 – 12 September 2014) was a British actor. Sinden featured in the film ''Mogambo'' (1953), and achieved early fame as a Rank Organisation film star in the 1950s in films including ''The Cruel Sea (195 ...

as Sir Percy Blakeney, in ''

The Scarlet Pimpernel ''The Scarlet Pimpernel'' is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. It was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having ...

'' (

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

, dir.

Nicholas Hytner Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner (; born 7 May 1956) is an English theatre director, film director, and film producer. He was previously the Artistic Director of London's National Theatre. His major successes as director include '' Miss Saigon'', ''T ...

, 1985). She was Meg Page, one of '' The Merry Wives of Windsor'', with Susannah York as Alice Ford ( Royal Shakespeare Company, dir. Ian Judge, 1997); and Gertrude, alongside

Mark Rylance Sir David Mark Rylance Waters (born 18 January 1960) is a British actor, playwright and theatre director. He is known for his roles on stage and screen having received numerous awards including an Academy Award, three BAFTA Awards, two Laurence ...

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

, at the reconstructed Globe Theatre on London's South Bank (dir. Giles Block, 2000).

Film and Television

McCallum played the central character, Aroon, in a three part adaptation of Molly Keane's Anglo Irish novel '' Good Behaviour'' ( BBC Television, dir. Bill Hays, 1983), and co-starred with

Trevor Eve Trevor John Eve (born 1 July 1951) is an English film and television actor. In 1979 he gained fame as the eponymous lead in the detective series ''Shoestring'' and is also known for his role as Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd in BBC televi ...

in '' A Wreath of Roses'', adapted from the book by Elizabeth Taylor ( Granada Television, dir.

John Madden John Earl Madden (April 10, 1936 – December 28, 2021) was an American football coach and sports commentator in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, who he led to eight pl ...

, 1987). In '' The Franchise Affair'', a 1988 BBC Television serial, she played Marion Sharp opposite

Rosalie Crutchley Rosalie Sylvia Crutchley (4 January 1920 – 28 July 1997) was a British actress. Trained at the Royal Academy of Music, Crutchley was perhaps best known for her television performances, but had a long and successful career in theatre and films, ...

and

Patrick Malahide Patrick Gerald Duggan (born 24 March 1945), known professionally as Patrick Malahide, is a veteran British film, television and theatre actor, author and producer, known, amongst other things, for his roles as Inspector Alleyn in '' The Inspec ...

. She was writer Winifred Holtby in the last episode of '' Testament of Youth'' (BBC Television, 1979) and

Virginia Woolf Adeline Virginia Woolf (; ; 25 January 1882 28 March 1941) was an English writer, considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. Woolf was born i ...

in the film ''

Tom & Viv ''Tom & Viv'' is a 1994 historical drama film directed by Brian Gilbert, based on the 1984 play of the same name by British playwright Michael Hastings about the early love life of American poet T. S. Eliot. The film stars Willem Dafoe, Miran ...

'' (1994). McCallum played the missionary Alicia Bassett-Hill in the 1989 TV serial ''

The Ginger Tree ''The Ginger Tree'' is a 1977 novel by Scottish novelist Oswald Wynd published in the UK by Collins Publishers. The novel was adapted into a 4-part TV series by the BBC and Japan's NHK , also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcast ...

'', which was based on the novel of the same name by

Oswald Wynd Oswald Morris Wynd (1913–1998) was a Scottish writer. He is best known for his novel '' The Ginger Tree'', which was adapted into a BBC televised mini-series in 1989. Wynd was born 4 July 1913 in Tokyo of parents who had left their native ...

; it also starred

Samantha Bond Samantha Jane Bond (born 27 November 1961) is an English actress, who is best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films during the Pierce Brosnan years, and for her role on ''Downton Abbey'' as the wealthy widow Lady Rosamu ...

and

Daisuke Ryu Daisuke Ryu (Japanese: 隆大介, Korean: 장명남, Jang Myeong-nam, hanja: 張明男; 14 January 1957 – 11 April 2021) was a Japanese actor of Korean descent. He won the Japanese "best new actor" Blue Ribbon Award for his performance as the ...

. Her other television appearances have included episodes of '' Holby City'', '' All Creatures Great and Small'', and Agatha Christie's ''

Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and ''Alibi''), and more ...

''.

Other Activities

Joanna McCallum is currently a Vice President of The Theatrical Guild, (formerly The Theatrical Ladies Guild), having previously been Chairman, and has worked with the charity for many years. She is also a Vice President of Acting For Others, and is active in fundraising work within the theatre community.

Selected Film and Television Credits

*'' Doctors, Bleeding Hearts'' - Margaret Wooley (BBC, 2013) *'' Law and Order: UK, Paradise'' - Judge Hartop ( ITV, 2009) *''Holby City, Loss of Faith'' – Val Hubbard (BBC, 2003) *'' The Gathering Storm'' – Marjorie ( HBO, 2002) *''Tom & Viv'' – Virginia Woolf (dir. Brian Gilbert, 1994) *''

The House of Eliott ''The House of Eliott'' is a British television series produced and broadcast by the BBC in three series between 1991 and 1994. The series starred Stella Gonet as Beatrice Eliott and Louise Lombard as Evangeline Eliott, two sisters in 1920s Lon ...

'' - Lady Phylis Crowborough (BBC, 1994) *''

Wide-Eyed and Legless ''Wide-Eyed and Legless'' (known in the US as ''The Wedding Gift'') is a 1993 made-for-TV British drama film, directed by Richard Loncraine starring Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent, Sian Thomas and Thora Hird. It is based on the 1989 book ''Dian ...

'' - Doctor Roper (dir.

Richard Loncraine Richard Loncraine (born 20 October 1946) is a British film and television director. Loncraine was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Loncraine received early training in the features department of the BBC, including a season directing i ...

, 1993) *''

The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes ''The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes'' is the final set of twelve (out of a total of fifty-six) Sherlock Holmes short stories by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle first published in the '' Strand Magazine'' between October 1921 and April 1927. ...

, The Eligible Bachelor'' – Flora Miller (Granada, 1993) *'' A Masculine Ending'' – Miriam Morris (dir.

Antonia Bird Antonia Jane Bird, FRSA (27 May 1951 – 24 October 2013Kate Hardi"Antonia Bird obituary" ''The Guardian'', 28 October 2013) was an English producer and director of television drama and feature films. Career In 1968, at the age of 17, Bird ...

, 1992) *'' Trainer'' – Toni Mountford (BBC, 1992) *''Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Mysterious Affair at Styles'' – Evelyn Howard (

LWT London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...

, 1990) *''All Creatures Great and Small, The New World'' - Lady Hulton (BBC, 1989) *''The Ginger Tree'' – Alicia Bassett-Hill (BBC, 1989) *'' The Franchise Affair'' - Marion Sharp (BBC, 1988) *''Wreath of Roses'' - Camilla (Granada, 1987) *''A Still Small Shout'' - Lift Girl (dir. Mike Vardy, 1985) *''Coriolanus'' - Virgilia (BBC, 1984) *'' Crown Court: Love & War'' – Hilary Rogers (ITV, 1984) *''

By the Sword Divided ''By the Sword Divided'' is a British television series produced by the BBC between 1983 and 1985. The series, created by John Hawkesworth, was a historical drama set during the mid-17th century, dealing with the impact of the English Civil Wa ...

'' - Frances Neville (BBC, 1983) *''Henry VI part 1'' - the Countess of Auvergne (BBC, 1983) *'' Bognor'' - Monica Becket (Thames TV, 1981) *''

Hopscotch Hopscotch is a popular playground game in which players toss a small object, called a lagger, into numbered triangles or a pattern of rectangles outlined on the ground and then hop or jump through the spaces and retrieve the object. It is a ch ...

'' -bookshop cashier (dir.

Ronald Neame Ronald Neame CBE, BSC (23 April 1911 – 16 June 2010) was an English film producer, director, cinematographer, and screenwriter. Beginning his career as a cinematographer, for his work on the British war film '' One of Our Aircraft Is Miss ...

, 1980) *''Testament of Youth, 1918'' - Winifred Holtby (BBC, 1979) *''Pygmalion'' - Clara Eynsford Hill (BBC, 1973) *''Barbara of the House of Grebe'' - Barbara (BBC, 1973) *''

Nickel Queen ''Nickel Queen'' is a 1971 Australian comedy film starring Googie Withers and directed by her husband John McCallum. The story was loosely based on the Poseidon bubble, a nickel boom in Western Australia in the late 1960s, and tells of an outback ...

'' - Jenny (dir.

, 1971)

Selected Stage Work

*''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the dir ...

'' - Maria ( HOME Theatre Manchester, 2017) *'' Hobson's Choice'' - Mrs Hepworth (

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

, 2016) *''

The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious ...

'' - Lady Bracknell (

Salisbury Playhouse Salisbury Playhouse is a theatre in the English city of Salisbury, Wiltshire. It was built in 1976 and comprises the 517-seat Main House and the 149-seat Salberg, a rehearsal room and a community & education space. It is part of Arts Council En ...

, 2009) *''

Habeas Corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a recourse in law through which a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment to a court and request that the court order the custodian of the person, usually a prison official, t ...

'' - (

Bath Theatre Royal The Theatre Royal in Bath, England, was built in 1805. A Grade II* listed building, it has been described by the Theatres Trust as "One of the most important surviving examples of Georgian theatre architecture". It has a capacity for an audienc ...

, 2006) *''

Cymbeline ''Cymbeline'' , also known as ''The Tragedie of Cymbeline'' or ''Cymbeline, King of Britain'', is a play by William Shakespeare set in Ancient Britain () and based on legends that formed part of the Matter of Britain concerning the early Celti ...

'' - Queen (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1997) *''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'' - Maria (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1994) *''

Henry V Henry V may refer to: People * Henry V, Duke of Bavaria (died 1026) * Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor (1081/86–1125) * Henry V, Duke of Carinthia (died 1161) * Henry V, Count Palatine of the Rhine (c. 1173–1227) * Henry V, Count of Luxembourg (1 ...

'' - Mistress Quickly/Alice (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1994) *'' Love's Labour's Lost'' - Princess of France (

Bristol Old Vic Bristol Old Vic is a British theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, Bristol. The present company was established in 1946 as an offshoot of the Old Vic in London. It is associated with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, which became a f ...

, 1977) *''

The Caucasian Chalk Circle ''The Caucasian Chalk Circle'' (german: Der kaukasische Kreidekreis) is a play by the German modernist playwright Bertolt Brecht. An example of Brecht's epic theatre, the play is a parable about a peasant girl who rescues a baby and becomes a ...

'' - Grusha Vachnadze, with

Frank Thring Francis William Thring (11 May 1926 – 29 December 1994) was an Australian character actor in radio, stage, television and film; as well as a theatre director. His early career started in London in theatre productions, before he starred in Ho ...

as Azdac (

Melbourne Theatre Company The Melbourne Theatre Company is a theatre company based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Founded in 1953 as the Union Theatre Repertory Company at the Union Theatre at the University of Melbourne, it is the oldest professional theatre com ...

, 1970) *'' Blithe Spirit (play)'' - Ruth (

Thorndike Theatre The Thorndike Theatre is a Grade II listed building in Leatherhead, Surrey, England. Roderick Ham Roderick Thomas Mathieson Ham (September 1925 – 19 January 2017) was a British architect, principally of theatres, who often worked with Ge ...

, 1979) *''Saratoga'' - Virginia Vanderpool (Royal Shakespeare Company, 1978) *''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

'' - Katherine (

Young Vic Theatre The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 201 ...

, 1977) *''

'' - Gwendoline (Bristol Old Vic, 1976) *'' As You Like It'' - Rosalind (Young Vic Theatre, 1975–76) *'' A Midsummer Night's Dream'' - Helena (New Shakespeare Company, 1974) *'' Macbeth'' - Lady Macbeth (Young Vic Theatre, 1974) *'' Two Gentlemen of Verona'' - Sylvia (Young Vic Theatre, 1974) *''

'' - Bianca (

Crucible Theatre The Crucible Theatre (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which opened in 1971. Although it hosts regular theatrical performances, it is best known for hosting professional snooker's ...

, 1972) *''

Charley's Aunt ''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...

'' - Kitty Verdun (

Apollo Theatre The Apollo Theatre is a Grade II listed West End theatre, on Shaftesbury Avenue in the City of Westminster, in central London.

, London, 1971)

Selected Radio Drama Appearances

*'' Doctor Who: Night Thoughts'' (Big Finish Productions) *''

The Big Toe Radio Show ''The Big Toe Radio Show'' was a daily show (seven days a week) for children on the DAB radio station BBC 7 at breakfast time and from 4 to 6pm. It was aimed at children aged nine to eleven. It featured music, games, stories read from well-known ...

'' (BBC 7) *''Waterloo Sunset'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. David Jackson Young) *''The Open Window: Claw Marks on The Curtain'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. Ned Chaillet) *''

Meet Mr Mulliner ''Meet Mr. Mulliner'' is a collection of short stories by P. G. Wodehouse. First published in the United Kingdom on 27 September 1927 by Herbert Jenkins Ltd, Herbert Jenkins, and in the United States on 2 March 1928 by Doubleday (publisher), Dou ...

'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. Ned Chaillet) *''

Woman's Hour ''Woman's Hour'' is a radio magazine programme broadcast in the United Kingdom on the BBC Light Programme, BBC Radio 2, and later BBC Radio 4. It has been on the air since 1946. History Created by Norman Collins and originally presented by ...

Short Stories'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. Pat McLoughlin) *'' A Murder Is Announced'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. Enyd Williams) *''This Love, This Love'' (based on Harriette Wilson's memoirs, BBC Radio 4, dir. David Johnson) *''Dear Brutus'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. Caroline Raphael) *''A Wheel of Fortune'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. Matthew Walters) *''The Other Woman'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. Jane Morgan) *''The Tortoise & The Hare'' (BBC Radio 4, dir. Caroline Raphael)

References

External links

*
Roger Davenport official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCallum, Joanna 1950 births English television actresses English stage actresses Living people British people of Australian descent People educated at Ascham School English film actresses People educated at St Catherine's School, Melbourne National Institute of Dramatic Art alumni English people of Scottish descent English people of Dutch descent Actresses from London