Ursula O'Leary (

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands, within the wider West Midlands (region), West Midlands region, in England. It is the Lis ...

, 10 March 1926 – 17 May 1993) was an English stage, radio and television actor.Deaths,

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

, 19 May 1993 O'Leary graduated in stage management from the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, also known by its abbreviation RADA (), is a drama school in London, England, which provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in Bloomsbury, Central London ...

(RADA) in 1948. Her stage performances were broadcast live nationwide; on radio she played siren art teacher Jane Petrie in ''

The Archers ''The Archers'' is a British radio soap opera currently broadcast on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word Radio broadcasting, channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now pr ...

''.

Stage management

In 1948, while still a student, O'Leary starred as Viola/Cesario in ''

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 entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'' directed by Robert Atkins sharing the stage with

Patricia Neal Patricia Neal (born Patsy Louise Neal; January 20, 1926 – August 8, 2010) was an American actress of stage and screen. She is well known for, among other roles, playing World WarII widow Helen Benson in ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' (195 ...

, Robert Shaw,

Peter Sallis Peter John Sallis (1 February 1921 – 2 June 2017) was an English actor. He was the original voice of Wallace in the Academy Award-winning '' Wallace & Gromit'' films and played Norman "Cleggy" Clegg in ''Last of the Summer Wine'' from its 1 ...

and John Neville. Michael Barry, Head of Drama at BBC Television, adapted the performance for broadcast on 21 March 1948 as ''Scenes from Twelfth Night and Macbeth''. The scenes were transmitted live for

BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...

at a time unrecorded other than still photography.

Regional theatre

Having graduated in 1948, O'Leary's was performing at

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and F ...

in 1949 in

Richard Brinsley Sheridan Richard Brinsley Butler Sheridan (30 October 17517 July 1816) was an Anglo-Irish playwright, writer and Whig politician who sat in the British House of Commons from 1780 to 1812, representing the constituencies of Stafford, Westminster and I ...

's ''

The Rivals ''The Rivals'' is a comedy of manners by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in five acts which was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre on 17 January 1775. The story has been updated frequently, including a 1935 musical and a 1958 List of Maverick ...

''. In January 1950, O'Leary was appearing as

Kate Kate may refer to: People and fictional characters * Kate (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or nickname * Gyula Káté (born 1982), Hungarian amateur boxer * Lauren Kate (born 1981), American author o ...

André van Gyseghem André van Gyseghem (18 August 1906 – 13 October 1979) was an English actor and theatre director who also appeared in many British television programmes. Early life Van Gyseghem was born on 18 August 1906 in Eltham, Kent, the son of Georges Em ...

's ''

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 drunke ...

''. Extracts were broadcast on

BBC Radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927. The service provides national radio stations cove ...

on 2 February 1950. She played Thea Elvsted that same year in Ibsen's ''

Hedda Gabler ''Hedda Gabler'' () is a play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The world premiere was staged on 31 January 1891 at the Residenztheater in Munich. Ibsen himself was in attendance, although he remained back-stage.Meyer, Michael Lever ...

''. In 1951 her plays included

W. Somerset Maugham William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...

's ''

Home and Beauty ''Home and Beauty'', known in the US as ''Too Many Husbands'', is a farce in three acts by W. Somerset Maugham. Written in 1919, it was first seen in August of that year at the Globe Theatre, Atlantic City, and subsequently at the Booth Theatr ...

'' and ''

A Murder Has Been Arranged ''A Murder Has Been Arranged'' is a 1930 thriller play by the British writer Emlyn Williams. It ran for 77 performances at the St James's Theatre in London's West End between 26 November 1930 and 31 January 1931. The cast included Henry Kendall ...

'' also at Nottingham. In 1954 O'Leary participated in a long repertoire of plays at the

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, commonly known as The Grand, is a theatre located on Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton. The theatre was designed in 1894 by Architect Charles J. Phipps. It is a Grade II Listed Building with a seating capacity o ...

: ''

Affairs of State ''Affairs of State'' is a 1950 Broadway comedy play written and directed by Louis Verneuil. It opened at the Royale Theatre, then moved to the Music Box Theatre and played for a total of 610 performances. It was the first play Verneuil wrote in E ...

''; '' The Letter''; ''Birthday Honours''; ''Friendly Relations''; ''

The Orchard Walls ''The Orchard Walls'' is a play by the British writer R.F. Delderfield. A drama, it examines the relationship between the daughter of wealthy parents and the car mechanic with whom she falls in love and attempts to elope with. It was first staged ...

''; ''

The Gay Dog ''The Gay Dog'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Maurice Elvey and starring Wilfred Pickles, Petula Clark and Megs Jenkins. The screen-play was by Peter Rogers based on the 1952 play of the same title by Joseph Colton; also starring P ...

''; ''

Someone Waiting ''Someone Waiting'' is a 1953 thriller play by the British writer Emlyn Williams. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool before transferring to the Globe Theatre in London's West End where it ran for 156 performances between 25 Nov ...

''; ''

Jane Steps Out ''Jane Steps Out'' is a 1938 British comedy film directed by Paul L. Stein and starring Diana Churchill, Jean Muir, Peter Murray-Hill and Athene Seyler. There was a television remake on BBC in 1957. It was also remade in India as the Hindi ...

''; ''

The Constant Wife ''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair. A "sparkling comedy o ...

''; ''The Happy Marriage''; '' The Trial of Mary Dugan''; '' Are You a Mason?''; '' Meet Mr Callaghan''; '' The Love of Four Colonels''; '' The Bad Samaritan''; ''Two of Everything''; ''

The Cocktail Party ''The Cocktail Party'' is a verse drama in three acts by T. S. Eliot written in 1948 and performed in 1949 at the Edinburgh Festival. It was published in 1950. It was the most popular of Eliot's seven plays in his lifetime, although his 1935 pl ...

''; '' The First Year''; '' For Better, for Worse''; ''

''; and ''

The Dancing Years ''The Dancing Years'' is a musical with book and music by Ivor Novello and lyrics by Christopher Hassall, set in Vienna, from 1911 until 1938. It follows a Jewish composer and his love for two women of different social classes, with an ending set ...

''. By 1955 O'Leary was at

Gate Theatre The Gate Theatre is a theatre on Cavendish Row in Dublin, Ireland. It was founded in 1928. History Beginnings The Gate Theatre was founded in 1928 by Hilton Edwards and Micheál MacLiammóir with Daisy Bannard Cogley and Gearóid Ó Lochla ...

, Dublin, performing as Frida in

Luigi Pirandello Luigi Pirandello (; ; 28 June 1867 – 10 December 1936) was an Italians, Italian dramatist, novelist, poet, and short story writer whose greatest contributions were his plays. He was awarded the 1934 Nobel Prize in Literature "for his bold and ...

's '' The Masquerade of Henry IV'' O'Leary's performances at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham include the 1959 '' See How They Run''; '' The Cat and the Canary'' (1955); and the 1956 ''Running Wild''

Television

1956 saw O'Leary appear as Karen Holt in the BBC's ''Story Conference'' beside TV debutant,

Leonard Rossiter Leonard Rossiter (21 October 1926 – 5 October 1984) was an English actor. He had a long career in the theatre but achieved his highest profile for his television comedy roles starring as Rupert Rigsby in the ITV series '' Rising Damp'' from 19 ...

. She performed

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

as the fairy Godmother at Alexandra Theatre in January 1956 reprising the role for the

Wolverhampton Grand The Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, commonly known as The Grand, is a theatre located on Lichfield Street, Wolverhampton. The theatre was designed in 1894 by Architect Charles J. Phipps. It is a Grade II Listed Building with a seating capacity o ...

1956/57 production of

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

. O'Leary became best known on television for the role of Mary the anxious wife of manager, Gerry Barford ( David Lodge), in the 1960s BBC

soap opera A soap opera (also called a daytime drama or soap) is a genre of a long-running radio or television Serial (radio and television), serial, frequently characterized by melodrama, ensemble casts, and sentimentality. The term ''soap opera'' originat ...

, ''

United! ''United!'' is a British television series which was produced by the BBC between 1965 and 1967, and was broadcast twice-weekly on BBC One, BBC1. The theme tune was The Tops, a brass band march by Thomas J. Powell. The series followed the fortune ...

''.

Radio

When, on 14 April 1960 the BBC broadcast

John Masefield John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer. He was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom, Poet Laureate from 1930 until his death in 1967, during which time he lived at Burcot, Oxfordshire, near Abingdon ...

's play in verse, ''

Good Friday Good Friday, also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday, or Friday of the Passion of the Lord, is a solemn Christian holy day commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary (Golgotha). It is observed during ...

'', O'Leary performed

Procula The unnamed wife of Pontius Pilate appears only once in the Gospel of Matthew (27:19), where she intercedes with Pilate on Jesus' behalf. It is uncertain whether Pilate was actually married, although it is likely. In later tradition, she becomes k ...

, wife of

Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilate (; ) was the Roman administration of Judaea (AD 6–135), fifth governor of the Judaea (Roman province), Roman province of Judaea, serving under Emperor Tiberius from 26/27 to 36/37 AD. He is best known for being the official wh ...

( William Devlin), to the atmospheric

sound effects A sound effect (or audio effect) is an artificially created or enhanced sound, or sound process used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media. In m ...

of the

BBC Radiophonic Workshop The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was one of the sound effects units of the BBC, created in 1958 to produce Incidental music, incidental sounds and new music for radio and, later, television. The unit is known for its experimental and pioneering ...

. The

Home Service Home Service is a British folk rock group, formed in late 1980 from a nucleus of musicians who had been playing in Ashley Hutchings' Albion Band. Their career is generally agreed to have peaked with the album ''Alright Jack'', and has had a ...

of Hugh Stewart's production used soundware such as the

EMS Synthi 100 The EMS Synthi 100 was a large analogue/digital hybrid synthesizer made by Electronic Music Studios, London, originally as a custom order from Radio Belgrade for what was to be the Radio Belgrade Electronic Studio, largely thanks to contact betw ...

and ARP Odyssey l.

John Masefield Society John Edward Masefield (; 1 June 1878 – 12 May 1967) was an English poet and writer. He was Poet Laureate from 1930 until his death in 1967, during which time he lived at Burcot, Oxfordshire, near Abingdon-on-Thames. Among his best known wo ...

:
Good Friday: A Play in Verse (1916)
' In 1974

Olivia Manning Olivia Mary Manning (2 March 1908 – 23 July 1980) was a British novelist, poet, writer, and reviewer. Her fiction and non-fiction, frequently detailing journeys and personal odysseys, were principally set in the United Kingdom, Euro ...

adapted a further two of Bennett's works (''

The Card ''The Card'' is a comic novel written by Arnold Bennett in 1911 (entitled ''Denry the Audacious'' in the American edition). It was later made into a 1952 movie, starring Alec Guinness and Petula Clark. Like much of Bennett's best work, it is ...

'' and ''The Regent'') into an eight part

play: '' Denry - The Adventures Of A Card''.

Graham Armitage Graham Armitage (24 April 1936 – 6 March 1999) was an English stage, film and television actor. From 1973 he lived and worked in South Africa, where he had spent part of his childhood. Early life and education Armitage was born in Blackpool i ...

portrayed the eponymous Denry with O'Leary as the beautiful Countess of Chell. In 1970 she played Janet Onslow in ''Death in the Family'' for the Midweek Theatre slot on

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

. Other appearances included the

BBC Radio Four BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of Talk radio, spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at B ...

adaption of

Arnold Bennett Enoch Arnold Bennett (27 May 1867 – 27 March 1931) was an English author, best known as a novelist, who wrote prolifically. Between the 1890s and the 1930s he completed 34 novels, seven volumes of short stories, 13 plays (some in collaborati ...

's ''Buried Alive'' on 11 March 1972. In 1972 O'Leary's character was Jane Petrie, an attractive young art teacher from the fictional

Borchester Borchester is a fictional town in the BBC Radio 4 radio series ''The Archers''. It is the county town of the fictional county of Borsetshire. According to series tradition it is located 6 miles north-east of Ambridge in the Am Vale and is a h ...

. Her distractions while running the summer school at

Arkwright Hall ''The Archers'' is a British radio soap opera currently broadcast on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contem ...

gets Tony Archer ( Colin Skipp) the sack from Ralph Bellamy's dairy enterprise.p297, Archers Encyclopaedia, Joanna Toye and Adrian Flynn

Legacy

O'Leary married doctor Donal O'Donovan. They had three children Kate, Rosaleen and Daniel. Ursula O'Leary died unexpectedly on 17 May 1993 and her ashes were interred at Brandwood End Cemetery. Much of O'Leary's work no longer exists in the BBC archives.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:OLeary, Ursula 1926 births 1993 deaths 20th-century English actresses English film actresses English musical theatre actresses English people of Irish descent English radio actresses English Shakespearean actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English soap opera actresses English voice actresses Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Actresses from Birmingham, West Midlands