Claire Skinner
Claire Skinner (born 1965) is an English actress, known in the United Kingdom for her television career, particularly playing Sue Brockman from the BBC television series '' Outnumbered''. Early life Claire Skinner was born and brought up in Hemel Hempstead, the youngest daughter of a shopkeeper and an Irish-born secretary, and was shy as a child. Her dream was to be an actress and she immersed herself in her ambition. She acted, neglecting school work at Cavendish School, and "barely scraped through erA-levels". She went on to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and then joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Career Her first role was in ''Hanky Park'', by Walter Greenwood at the Oldham Repertory Theatre, which she describes as a "really traditional start". She is best known as Clare on the British television comedy '' Life Begins'' and as Lucinda, the sous chef in the first series of ''Chef!'' alongside Lenny Henry. From 2007 to 2014, she portrayed Sue Bro ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Hemel Hempstead
Hemel Hempstead () is a town in the Dacorum district in Hertfordshire, England, northwest of London, which is part of the Greater London Urban Area. The population at the 2011 census was 97,500. Developed after the Second World War as a new town, it has existed since the 8th century and was granted its town charter by Henry VIII in 1539. Nearby towns are Watford, St Albans and Berkhamsted. History Origin of the name The settlement was called by the name Henamsted or Hean-Hempsted in Anglo-Saxon times and in William the Conqueror's time by the name of Hemel-Amstede. The name is referred to in the Domesday Book as Hamelamestede, but in later centuries it became Hamelhamsted, and, possibly, Hemlamstede. In Old English, ''-stead'' or ''-stede'' simply meant "place" (reflected in German ''Stadt'' and Dutch ''stede'' or ''stad'', meaning "city" or "town"), such as the site of a building or pasture, as in clearing in the woods, and this suffix is used in the names of o ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Naked (1993 Film)
''Naked'' is a 1993 British black comedy drama film written and directed by Mike Leigh and starring David Thewlis as Johnny, a loquacious intellectual and conspiracy theorist. The film won several awards, including best director and best actor at Cannes. ''Naked'' marked a new career high for Leigh as a director and made the then-unknown Thewlis an internationally recognised star.Jeffries, Stuart"'I got dangerously close to Johnny'".''The Guardian.'' 14 August 2008. Retrieved 12 November 2014. Plot In a Manchester alley, Johnny Fletcher rapes a woman. When her family arrive and chase him away, he steals a car and flees to Dalston, a "scrawny, unpretentious area" in east London. He seeks refuge at the home of Louise, a former girlfriend from Manchester, who is not happy to see him. Louise works as a file clerk and lives with two flatmates, the unemployed Sophie, whom she calls her "hippy-dippy friend", and the primary tenant Sandra, a nurse who is away in Zimbabwe. Johnny sedu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bridget Jones's Diary (film)
''Bridget Jones's Diary'' is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Sharon Maguire and written by Richard Curtis, Andrew Davies, and Helen Fielding. A co-production of the United Kingdom, United States and France, it is based on Fielding's 1996 novel of the same name, which is a reinterpretation of Jane Austen's 1813 novel ''Pride and Prejudice''. The adaptation stars Renée Zellweger as Bridget Jones, a 32-year-old British single woman, who writes a diary which focuses on the things she wishes to happen in her life. However, her life changes when two men vie for her affection, portrayed by Colin Firth and Hugh Grant. Jim Broadbent and Gemma Jones appear in supporting roles. Production began in August 2000 and ended in November 2000, and took place largely on location in London and the home counties. ''Bridget Jones's Diary'' premiered on 4 April 2001 in the United Kingdom and was released to theatres on 13 April 2001 simultaneously in the United Kingdom and in the Uni ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sleepy Hollow (film)
''Sleepy Hollow'' is a 1999 gothic supernatural horror film directed by Tim Burton. It is a film adaptation loosely based on Washington Irving's 1820 short story " The Legend of Sleepy Hollow", and stars Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci, with Miranda Richardson, Michael Gambon, Casper Van Dien, Christopher Lee and Jeffrey Jones in supporting roles. The plot follows police constable Ichabod Crane (Depp) sent from New York City to investigate a series of murders in the village of Sleepy Hollow by a mysterious Headless Horseman. Development began in 1993 at Paramount Pictures, with Kevin Yagher originally set to direct Andrew Kevin Walker's script as a low-budget slasher film. Disagreements with Paramount resulted in Yagher being demoted to prosthetic makeup designer, and Burton was hired to direct in June 1998. Filming took place from November 1998 to May 1999. The film was an international co-production between Germany and the United States. The film had its world premier ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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You're Dead (film)
You're Dead is a 1999 British dark comedy crime film directed by Andy Hurst. Although set in London most of the film was in fact filmed in Germany, and the film was released in German dub as ''You Are Dead'', and in Japan as ''King of UK''. The plot concerns a disastrously fatal bank robbery set up by a gangster's son played by Rhys Ifans, while the emotional centre of the film is built on the relationship between the accomplice in the robbery, a veteran safe-breaker played by John Hurt Sir John Vincent Hurt (22 January 1940 – 25 January 2017) was an English actor whose career spanned over five decades. Hurt was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors. Director David Lynch described him as "simply the greatest actor in ..., and his policewoman daughter.Premiere 1999 Nos 266 to 269 p.34 "Rhys Ifans ... Il a ensuite tourné dans deux films inédits en France: You're Dead, d'Andy Hurst, avec John Hurt, une sorte de Pulp Fiction à la sauce Monty Python; et Dancing at Lu ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Clockwork Mice
''Clockwork Mice'' is a 1995 British drama film directed by Vadim Jean and starring Ian Hart, Catherine Russell and James Bolam. The film score was composed by David Hughes and John Murphy. Plot A teacher manages to bond with a special needs student. Cast * Ian Hart ... Steve * Catherine Russell ... Polly * Rúaidhrí Conroy ... Conrad * Art Malik ... Laney * John Alderton ... Swaney * James Bolam ... Wackey * Claire Skinner ... Fairy * Nigel Planer ... Parkey * Lilly Edwards ... Mrs. Charlton * Robin Soans ... Millwright * Jack McKenzie ... CID Officer * Melissa Simmonds ... CID Officer * Carl Proctor ... Country Policeman * Billy Davey ... Country Policeman * Hormoz Verahramian ... Businessman * Glen Murphy ... Mr. Charlton * Toyosi Ajikawo ... Tanya * Lee Barrett ... Clive Williams * Leon Black ... Burrows Location It was filmed at Great Stony School, Chipping Ongar, Essex. The school was later refurbished as an arts and residential centre, opened by Pr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Rachel Papers
''The Rachel Papers'' is a 1989 British film written and directed by Damian Harris, and based on the 1973 novel of the same name by Martin Amis. It stars Dexter Fletcher and Ione Skye with Jonathan Pryce, James Spader, Bill Paterson, Jared Harris, Claire Skinner, Lesley Sharp and Michael Gambon in supporting roles. Plot Charles (Fletcher) is a confident and intelligent nineteen-year-old, about to attend Oxford University. Charles is a computer nerd and has developed a methodical approach to seduction, and compiles detailed computer files and elaborate plans to seduce the girls he is interested in. His latest target is a beautiful American girl, Rachel (Skye). Charles becomes infatuated with Rachel, and after numerous rebuffs he eventually forms a friendship with her. Rachel already has a boyfriend, control freak DeForest (Spader) who treats her badly. With help from his sister Jenny (Sharp), his eccentric brother-in-law Norman (Pryce), and friend and mentor Geoff (Harris), Ch ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg
A, or a, is the first letter and the first vowel of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''a'' (pronounced ), plural ''aes''. It is similar in shape to the Ancient Greek letter alpha, from which it derives. The uppercase version consists of the two slanting sides of a triangle, crossed in the middle by a horizontal bar. The lowercase version can be written in two forms: the double-storey a and single-storey ɑ. The latter is commonly used in handwriting and fonts based on it, especially fonts intended to be read by children, and is also found in italic type. In English grammar, " a", and its variant " an", are indefinite articles. History The earliest certain ancestor of "A" is aleph (also written 'aleph), the first letter of the Phoenician alphabet, which consisted entirely of consonants (for that reason, it is also called an abjad to distinguish ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Doctor, The Widow And The Wardrobe
"The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe" is an episode of the British science fiction television series '' Doctor Who''. First broadcast on BBC One on 25 December 2011, it is the seventh ''Doctor Who'' Christmas special since the show's revival in 2005. It was written by Steven Moffat and directed by Farren Blackburn. Internationally, the special was shown on BBC America in the United States and on Space in Canada the same day as the British broadcast, with ABC1 in Australia showing it one day later. In the special, alien time traveller the Doctor (Matt Smith) is the caretaker of recently widowed Madge Arwell ( Claire Skinner) and her children Lily ( Holly Earl) and Cyril (Maurice Cole) during their holiday vacation in 1941 Britain. The Doctor plans to take them on a treat to a snowy planet through a portal in a present he has placed under the Christmas tree, but Cyril opens it before Christmas and wanders through. While looking for him, the others learn that the trees of the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-travelling space ship called the TARDIS. The TARDIS exterior appears as a blue British police box, which was a common sight in Britain in 1963 when the series first aired. With various companions, the Doctor combats foes, works to save civilisations, and helps people in need. Beginning with William Hartnell, thirteen actors have headlined the series as the Doctor; in 2017, Jodie Whittaker became the first woman to officially play the role on television. The transition from one actor to another is written into the plot of the series with the concept of regeneration into a new incarnation, a plot device in which a Time Lord "transforms" into a new body when the current one is too badly harmed to heal normally. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Lark Rise To Candleford (TV Series)
''Lark Rise to Candleford'' is a British television costume drama series, adapted by the BBC from Flora Thompson's trilogy of semi-autobiographical novels about the English countryside, published between 1939 and 1943. The first episode aired on 13 January 2008 on BBC One and BBC HD in the UK. In the U.S., the series began airing on select PBS stations in the spring of 2009. A third series began airing in the UK on 10 January 2010. The fourth and final series began on 9 January 2011 on BBC One and BBC One HD, and was filmed during August 2010. It was announced on 22 January 2011 that the show would not be returning for a fifth series. The final series concluded on 13 February 2011. Premise The series is set in the small Oxfordshire hamlet of Lark Rise, and the wealthier neighbouring market town of Candleford towards the end of the 19th century. The series chronicles the daily lives of farmworkers, craftsmen and gentry observing the characters in loving, boisterous and competi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Alan Ayckbourn
Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. He has written and produced as of 2021, more than eighty full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, where all but four of his plays have received their first performance. More than 40 have subsequently been produced in the West End, at the Royal National Theatre or by the Royal Shakespeare Company since his first hit '' Relatively Speaking'' opened at the Duke of York's Theatre in 1967. Major successes include '' Absurd Person Singular'' (1975), '' The Norman Conquests'' trilogy (1973), ''Bedroom Farce'' (1975), ''Just Between Ourselves'' (1976), '' A Chorus of Disapproval'' (1984), '' Woman in Mind'' (1985), ''A Small Family Business'' (1987), '' Man of the Moment'' (1988), ''House'' & ''Garden'' (1999) and '' Private Fears in Public Places'' (2004). His plays have won numerous awards, inc ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |