Gail Grainger is an English actress best remembered for her role as Moira Plunkett, a travel courier, in the 1972 comedy film ''

Carry On Abroad ''Carry On Abroad'' is a 1972 British comedy film, the 24th release in the series of 31 ''Carry On'' films (1958–1992). The film features series regulars Sid James, Kenneth Williams, Joan Sims, Bernard Bresslaw, Barbara Windsor, Kenneth Conno ...

''.

Background

Gail Grainger took up dancing at the age of six and studied at a theatrical school. She had television roles in her teens in the

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’s production of

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which '' H.M.S. ...

’s ''

Iolanthe ''Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri'' () is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, first performed in 1882. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh of fourteen operatic collaborations by Gilbert ...

'' and in

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’s daily serial ''

Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

''.

''Carry on Abroad''

In ''

'' (1972), Gail played Miss Moira Plunkett, an assistant to tour courier Stuart Farquhar (

Kenneth Williams Kenneth Charles Williams (22 February 1926 – 15 April 1988) was an English actor of Welsh heritage. He was best known for his comedy roles and in later life as a raconteur and diarist. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the 31 '' ...

), a character type often played by

Valerie Leon Valerie may refer to: People *Saint Valerie (disambiguation), a number of saints went by the name Valerie *Valerie (given name), a feminine given name Songs *"Valerie", a 1981 song by Quarterflash, from ''Quarterflash'' *"Valerie", a 1982 son ...

in earlier ''Carry On'' films. The couriers led a party that included

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mi ...

Joan Sims Irene Joan Marion Sims (9 May 1930 – 27 June 2001) was an English actress, best remembered for her roles in the ''Carry On'' franchise, appearing in 24 of the films (the most for any actress). On television, she is known for playing Gran i ...

, Charles Hawtrey,

Barbara Windsor Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.Kenneth Connor Kenneth Connor, (6 June 1918 – 28 November 1993) was a British stage, film and broadcasting actor, who rose to national prominence with his appearances in the ''Carry On'' films. Early life Connor was born in Highbury, Islington, London, ...

June Whitfield Dame June Rosemary Whitfield (11 November 1925 – 29 December 2018) was an English radio, television, and film actress. Her big break was a lead in the radio comedy ''Take It from Here'', which aired on the BBC Light Programme in 1953. ...

Sally Geeson Sally Louise Geeson (born 23 June 1950) is an English actress with a career mostly on television in the 1970s. She is best known for playing Sid James's daughter, Sally, in '' Bless This House'' and for her roles in ''Carry On Abroad'' (1972) a ...

Carol Hawkins Carol Hawkins (born 31 January 1949 in Barnet, Hertfordshire) is an English actress, best known for her various comic roles in numerous TV sitcoms and films in the 1970s and 1980s. She played the roles of Sharon Eversleigh in the film of the ...

and

Bernard Bresslaw Bernard Bresslaw (25 February 193411 June 1993) was a British actor. He is best known as a member of the '' Carry On'' film franchise. Bresslaw also worked on television and stage, did recordings and wrote a series of poetry. Biography Bernard ...

on a weekend trip to the Spanish holiday resort of Elsbels. Her phlegmatic and slightly bemused approach to a series of disastrous situations culminated in her extricating the party from a foreign jail by making advances to the local police chief. In some ways this was a stereotypical ''Carry On'' part: a young woman in a uniform who, from time to time, was reduced to a state of semi-undress, as, for example, when the touring party consumed an elixir with pronounced

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al qualities.

Other roles

On stage, Gail played three parts - a fantasy maid, a nurse and a member of a female gang led by

Kate O'Mara Kate O'Mara (born Francesca Meredith Carroll;Michael CoveneObituary: Kate O'Mara ''The Guardian'', 30 March 2014 10 August 1939 – 30 March 2014) was an English film, stage and television actress, and writer. O'Mara made her stage debut in a ...

as Madame Gerda - in a 1971 play entitled ''Dead Duck'' produced by

Leslie Phillips Leslie Samuel Phillips (20 April 1924 – 7 November 2022) was an English actor, director, producer and author. He achieved prominence in the 1950s, playing smooth, upper-class comic roles utilising his "Ding dong" and "Hello" catchphrases. ...

, based on the television series '' The Avengers''. This was first performed in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the We ...

and later at the

Prince of Wales Theatre The Prince of Wales Theatre is a West End theatre in Coventry Street, near Leicester Square in London. It was established in 1884 and rebuilt in 1937, and extensively refurbished in 2004 by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, its current owner. The theatre ...

in London. She subsequently appeared with

, and under his direction, in Joyce Rayburn’s comedy ''The Man Most Likely To ...'', both at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by t ...

in London and on a world tour. ''The Man Most Likely To ...'' opened initially at the

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 ...

, on 4 July 1968, and ran to over 1,000 performances in London. She also appeared in episodes of a number of television series, including ''

Casanova '73 ''Casanova '73'' is a British sitcom broadcast on BBC1 in September and October 1973. Written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson, the series starred Leslie Phillips as wealthy womaniser Henry Newhouse (the English translation of "casa nova"). Backg ...

'' (also with Leslie Phillips, 1973), ''

Warship A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is built and primarily intended for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the armed forces of a state. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are usually faster a ...

'' (as Heather Gardiner in the episode "The Man from the Sea", 1974), ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London. It stars John Thaw as Detective ...

'' (as Carter's girlfriend Jill in the episode "The Sweet Smell of Succession", 1976), ''

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'' (1979) and ''

Rings on Their Fingers ''Rings on Their Fingers'' is a British television sitcom, written by Richard Waring. It ran from October 1978 to November 1980. Plot It concerns a young unmarried couple (Sandy Bennett and Oliver Pryde) played by Diane Keen Diane Keen (born ...

'' (1980).Gail Grainger in the Internet Movie DataBase
/ref> Her last film role to date was as Consuela in the Joe Lewis action film ''

Jaguar Lives! ''Jaguar Lives!'' is a 1979 American action film directed by Ernest Pintoff and starring Joe Lewis, Christopher Lee, Donald Pleasence and Barbara Bach. Its plot follows a secret agent who battles an international drugs ring. Plot Cast * Jo ...

'' (1979).

References

External links

Photographs of ''Dead Duck'' (1971)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grainger, Gail Living people English film actresses English stage actresses People from Chelsea, London 1950 births Actresses from London 20th-century English actresses Actresses from Brighton