Moira Redmond (14 July 1928 – 16 March 2006) was an English

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

Biography

Redmond was born in

Bognor Regis Bognor Regis (), also known as Bognor, is a town and seaside resort in West Sussex on the south coast of England, south-west of London, west of Brighton, south-east of Chichester and east of Portsmouth. Other nearby towns include Littleham ...

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, England. Her parents were actors and director managers, although she was also cared for by other relatives. Her grandfather was the actor manager playwright E Hill Mitchelson. As a young actress, she joined the Windmill Girls (evoked in the film ''

Mrs Henderson Presents ''Mrs Henderson Presents'' is a 2005 biographical musical comedy-drama film directed by Stephen Frears and written by Martin Sherman. It stars Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Kelly Reilly, and Will Young (in his acting debut). It tells the true story ...

'') who performed non-stop revues and nude tableaux at the

Windmill Theatre The Windmill Theatre in Great Windmill Street, London, was a variety and revue theatre best known for its nude ''tableaux vivants'', which began in 1932 and lasted until its reversion to a cinema in 1964. Many prominent British comedians of t ...

in the West End. Several years later, she married her first husband and emigrated to Australia, but the marriage did not endure so she returned to Britain in 1957. While in Australia, Redmond became a successful radio actress. She played in the major radio features, Caltex Theatre and General Motors' Hour as well as plays for the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Her best remembered radio drama was Lindsay Hardy's ''Stranger in Paradise'' alongside

Guy Doleman Guy Doleman (22 November 1923 – 30 January 1996) was a New Zealand born actor, active in Australia, Britain and the United States. He is possibly best remembered for being the first actor to play Number Two in the classic cult series ''The Pr ...

, a New Zealand actor who later had a movie career both in the US and Britain. She made her stage debut as an understudy to

Vivien Leigh Vivien Leigh ( ; born Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled as Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress. After completing her drama school education, Leigh appeared in small roles in four films in 1935 and progress ...

Peter Brook Peter Stephen Paul Brook (21 March 1925 – 2 July 2022) was an English theatre and film director. He worked first in England, from 1945 at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, from 1947 at the Royal Opera House, and from 1962 for the Royal Shak ...

's revival of ''

Titus Andronicus ''The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus'', often shortened to ''Titus Andronicus'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1588 and 1593. It is thought to be Shakespeare's first t ...

'' with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier ( ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director. He and his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud made up a trio of male actors who dominated the British stage of the m ...

. In July of that year, she made her London debut at the Stoll in the same production. In 1958, she made her film debut in a thriller, entitled ''

Violent Moment ''Violent Moment'' (U.S. title: ''Rebound'') is a 1959 British second feature ('B') drama film directed by Sidney Hayers and starring Lyndon Brook, Jane Hylton and Jill Browne. It was film editor Hayers' first film as director. It also marked ...

'' (1958), which was followed by several more roles in the films ''

Doctor in Love ''Doctor in Love'' is a 1960 British comedy film, the fourth of the seven films in the ''Doctor'' series, directed by Ralph Thomas and starring James Robertson Justice and Michael Craig. It was the first film in the series not to feature Dirk ...

'' (1960), ''Jigsaw'' (1962), '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) and several B-film thrillers. Meanwhile, her theatrical career had taken off with roles in ''

Verdict In law, a verdict is the formal finding of fact made by a jury on matters or questions submitted to the jury by a judge. In a bench trial, the judge's decision near the end of the trial is simply referred to as a finding. In England and Wales ...

'' (Strand), in which she played Helen Rollander; ''Detour After Dark'' (Fortune Theatre), ''Horizontal Hold'' (Comedy Theatre); ''Patrick Peace Hotel'' (Queen's); ''

The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...

'' (Cambridge Theatre) and ''Flint'' (Comedy Theatre). She was also a founder member of the Actors' Company with

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. He has played roles on the screen and stage in genres ranging from Shakespearean dramas and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. He is regarded as a British cu ...

. Redmond appeared as a page in

Iris Murdoch Dame Jean Iris Murdoch ( ; 15 July 1919 – 8 February 1999) was an Irish and British novelist and philosopher. Murdoch is best known for her novels about good and evil, sexual relationships, morality, and the power of the unconscious. Her fi ...

's ''The Three Arrows'' (17 October – 11 November 1972) along with McKellen. She played at the

Edinburgh Festival __NOTOC__ This is a list of Arts festival, arts and cultural festivals regularly taking place in Edinburgh, Scotland. The city has become known for its festivals since the establishment in 1947 of the Edinburgh International Festival and the ...

Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...

in ''

The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...

'' with

Flora Robson Dame Flora McKenzie Robson (28 March 19027 July 1984) was an English actress and star of the theatrical stage and cinema, particularly renowned for her performances in plays demanding dramatic and emotional intensity. Her range extended from qu ...

, and as ''Hermione'' in ''

'' with

Laurence Harvey Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 192825 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to Union of South Africa, South Africa at an early age, before ...

. Throughout the 1960s, she appeared in London and the provinces in the plays of

Alan Ayckbourn Sir Alan Ayckbourn (born 12 April 1939) is a prolific British playwright and director. As of 2025, he has written and produced 90 full-length plays in Scarborough and London and was, between 1972 and 2009, the artistic director of the Stephen ...

; she was also Lady Sheerwell in

Jonathan Miller Sir Jonathan Wolfe Miller CBE (21 July 1934 – 27 November 2019) was an English theatre and opera director, actor, author, television presenter, comedian and physician. After training in medicine and specialising in neurology in the late 19 ...

's revival of Sheridan's ''

The School for Scandal ''The School for Scandal'' is a comedy of manners written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan. It was first performed in London at Drury Lane Theatre on 8 May 1777. Plot Act I Scene I: Lady Sneerwell, a wealthy young widow, and her hireling S ...

''; Maria 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 ...

''; Mrs Wickstead in ''

Habeas Corpus ''Habeas corpus'' (; from Medieval Latin, ) is a legal procedure invoking the jurisdiction of a court to review the unlawful detention or imprisonment of an individual, and request the individual's custodian (usually a prison official) to ...

''; Brand's mother in ''Brand''; and ''Jocasta'' in

Stephen Spender Sir Stephen Harold Spender (28 February 1909 – 16 July 1995) was an English poet, novelist and essayist whose work concentrated on themes of social injustice and the class struggle. He was appointed U.S. Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry ...

's trilogy ''

Oedipus Oedipus (, ; "swollen foot") was a mythical Greek king of Thebes. A tragic hero in Greek mythology, Oedipus fulfilled a prophecy that he would end up killing his father and marrying his mother, thereby bringing disaster to his city and family. ...

''. She later toured South America for the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

in revivals of ''Habeas Corpus'' and Shaw's ''

Heartbreak House ''Heartbreak House: A Fantasia in the Russian Manner on English Themes'' is a play written by Bernard Shaw during the First World War, published in 1919 and first performed in November 1920 at the Garrick Theatre, New York, followed by a West ...

'' (as

Hesione In Greek mythology and later art, the name Hesione ( /hɪˈsaɪ.əniː/; Ancient Greek: Ἡσιόνη) refers to various mythological figures, of whom the Trojan princess Hesione is most known. Mythology According to the '' Bibliotheca'', the ...

). Film appearances included three of the ''

Edgar Wallace Mysteries The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''Th ...

''. Her television appearances in the 1960s included a role in '' Hot Snow'' (the debut episode of the first series of '' The Avengers'') and in ''

Danger Man ''Danger Man'' (retitled ''Secret Agent'' in the United States for the revived series, and ''Destination Danger'' and ''John Drake'' in other overseas markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again ...

'' and '' The Baron'' among others. By the 1970s, she was increasingly in demand for television series, her theatrical training earning her roles in some of the best known television dramas of the period, including ''

Edward the Seventh ''Edward the Seventh'' is a 1975 British historical drama series, made by ATV in 13 episodes. Based on the biography of King Edward VII by Philip Magnus, it stars Annette Crosbie as Queen Victoria, Timothy West as the elder Edward VII, wit ...

'' (playing Edward's mistress

Alice Keppel Alice Frederica Keppel (''née'' Edmonstone; 29 April 1868 – 11 September 1947) was an aristocrat, British society hostess and a long-time mistress (lover), mistress of King Edward VII. Keppel grew up at Duntreath Castle, the family seat of ...

); '' I, Claudius'' (in which she played Domitia, Claudius's mother-in-law); and Boswell's ''London Journey''. She also appeared in ''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

'', '' Thriller'' (1 episode, 1974), and ''

The Sweeney ''The Sweeney'' is a British police drama television series 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 ...

''. In 1994 she appeared in an adaptation of ''Hand in Glove'' part of a series called ''

The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries ''The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries'' is a British detective television series, broadcast on BBC1, which was adapted from nine of the novels by Dame Ngaio Marsh, featuring the character Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn. The pilot episode was shown ...

''.

Personal life

She was twice married and divorced: firstly to Anthony Hughes and secondly to Austrian-born English actor, producer and director

Herbert Wise Herbert Wise (31 August 1924 – 5 August 2015) was an Austrian-born film and television producer and director. Biography Herbert Wise was born as Herbert Weisz in Vienna, Austria, and began his career as a director at Shrewsbury Repertory Comp ...

(1962–1972). Moira Redmond died of a heart attack on 16 March 2006 at a nursing home in south east London. She had been suffering from senile dementia for some years.Daily Telegraph 23 March 2006

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1959) as Kate Glennon * ''

'' (1960) as Sally Nightingale * ''

'' – ''

Marriage of Convenience A marriage of convenience is a marriage contracted for reasons other than that of love and commitment. Instead, such a marriage is entered into for personal gain, or some other sort of strategic purpose, such as a political marriage. Cases whe ...

'' (1960) as Tina * ''

Pit of Darkness ''Pit of Darkness'' is a 1961 British thriller second feature ('B') film, directed and written by Lance Comfort and starring William Franklyn and Moira Redmond. It is based on the 1960 novel ''To Dusty Death'' by Hugh McCutcheon.The film is ...

'' (1961) as Julie Logan * ''

'' – '' Partners in Crime'' (1961) as Freda Strickland * '' Jigsaw'' (1962) as Joan Simpson * '' Kill or Cure'' (1962) as Frances Roitman (Clifford's Secretary) * '' Freud: The Secret Passion'' (1962) as Nora Wimmer * ''

'' – '' The Share Out'' (1962) as Diana Marsh * ''

Nightmare A nightmare, also known as a bad dream, Retrieved 11 July 2016. is an unpleasant dream that can cause a strong emotional response from the mind, typically fear but also despair, anxiety, disgust or sadness. The dream may contain situations o ...

'' (1964) as Grace Maddox * '' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) as Simone * ''

'' – '' Parallel Lines Sometimes Meet'' (1965) as Maj Nicola Tarasova * ''

The Limbo Line ''The Limbo Line'' is a 1968 British spy thriller film directed by Samuel Gallu and starring Craig Stevens, Kate O'Mara and Eugene Deckers. It is based on the 1963 novel of the same title by Victor Canning. It was made as part of a 1960s boom ...

'' (1968) as Ludmilla

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Redmond, Moira 1928 births 2006 deaths English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses Actors from Bognor Regis Actresses from West Sussex