Gillian Bevan (born 13 February 1956) is an English actress, best known for her roles in British television shows and

West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes"West End"in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, ...

. In 1988 she played Dorothy in the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

's revival of their version of ''

The Wizard of Oz ''The Wizard of Oz'' is a 1939 American Musical film, musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Based on the 1900 novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' by L. Frank Baum, it was primarily directed by Victor Fleming, who left pro ...

'', also singing the role on the cast album. She also appeared as parapsychologist Dr Lin Pascoe in the controversial BBC drama '' Ghostwatch'' on 31 October 1992. She portrayed Gina Hope in the UK medical drama ''

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a Spin-off (media), spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' ...

''. She played the wife of consultant Elliot Hope in the drama, who was struck with

motor neurone disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, terminal neurodegenerative disorder that results in the progressive loss of both upper and low ...

. Bevan's character made the decision to end her life by euthanasia in Switzerland, and her touching performance won critical acclaim. She also played Clare Hunter, the headteacher in the UK TV series ''

Teachers A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

''. Bevan has also appeared in other UK TV series, including '' Heartbeat'', ''

Doctors Doctor, Doctors, The Doctor or The Doctors may refer to: Titles and occupations * Physician, a medical practitioner * Doctor (title), an academic title for the holder of a doctoral-level degree ** Doctorate ** List of doctoral degrees awarded b ...

'', ''

New Tricks ''New Tricks'' is a British television police procedural comedy drama, created by Nigel McCrery and Roy Mitchell, produced primarily by Wall to Wall (until its final year, when it was handled by Headstrong Pictures), and broadcast on BBC On ...

'', ''

Peak Practice ''Peak Practice'' is a British drama series about a GP surgery in Cardale — a small fictional town in the Derbyshire Peak District — and the doctors who worked there. It originally starred Kevin Whately as Dr Jack Kerruish, Amanda Burton ...

'' and '' The Chief''. In 2016, she appeared in the BBC TV series ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective. He is featured in 53 short stories by English author G. K. Chesterton, published between 1910 and 1936. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuition and ...

'' as Mrs Steele, episode 4.6 "The Rod of Asclepius".

Theatre performances

* Mrs Lovett in ''

Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd is a fictional character who first appeared as the villain of the penny dreadful serial '' The String of Pearls'' (1846–1847). The original tale became a feature of 19th-century melodrama and London legend. A barber from Fleet St ...

'' by

Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...

. Co-production with

West Yorkshire Playhouse Leeds Playhouse is a theatre in the city centre of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It opened in 1990 in the Quarry Hill area of the city as the West Yorkshire Playhouse, successor to the original Leeds Playhouse, and was rebranded in June 2018 ...

directed by James Brining at the

Royal Exchange, Manchester The Royal Exchange is a grade II listed building in Manchester, England. It is located in the city centre on land bounded by St Ann's Square, Exchange Street, Market Street, Cross Street and Old Bank Street. The complex includes the Royal Ex ...

(2013). * Hera in ''The Last Days of Troy'' by

Simon Armitage Simon Robert Armitage (born 26 May 1963) is an English poet, playwright, musician and novelist. He was appointed Poet Laureate on 10 May 2019. He is professor of poetry at the University of Leeds. He has published over 20 collections of poetr ...

. Directed by Nick Bagnall at the

(2014). * Polonia in ''

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

''. Directed by Sarah Frankcom at the

(2014). Winner of the Best Supporting Actress Award, MTA. *Cymbeline in ''Cymbeline'' for the RSC (the first woman to play the title role as a woman) at the RSC 2016. * Maydays ( David Edgar) at The Other Place RSC 2018. * Witch in ''

Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...

'' by

. Directed by

Matthew Xia Matthew Xia (born 1982) is a British theatre director, DJ (under the name DJ Excalibah), composer, broadcaster and journalist. Early life Xia was born to a Scottish and English mother and Jamaican father in Waltham Forest, London, and was ...

at the

(2015). * Jack's Mother in ''

'' by

. Directed by

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam ( ; born 22 November 1940) is an American-British filmmaker, comedian, collage film, collage animator, and actor. He gained stardom as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe alongside John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Pa ...

and Leah Hausman at the

Theatre Royal, Bath 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 audien ...

(2022). * Hazel in ''The Children'', Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, 2023. * Narrator and Pangloss in ''Candide'', Welsh National Opera (first woman to play the parts), 2023. * Lady Bracknell in ''The Importance of Being Earnest'', Colchester Theatre, 2024. * Dorothy Lintott in ''The History Boys'', Bath Theatre Royal and tour, 2024.

Discography

* Jerome Kern: ''Show Boat'', conducted by John McGlinn, EMI 1988.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bevan, Gillian 1956 births English television actresses English stage actresses Living people Actresses from Stockport 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses