Niky Wardley
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Nichola Petra "Niky" Wardley (born 11 August 1973) is an English stage and screen actress. Her most notable role is schoolgirl Lauren Cooper's sidekick in the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
's
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
and
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
-nominated sketch series '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2007). She also appeared alongside Catherine Tate in the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
'' Hard Cell'' (2022) and played the lead role in the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
sitcom '' In with the Flynns'' (2011–2012). As a voice actress, she is best known for her role as the Eighth Doctor's companion Tamsin Drew in
audio dramas Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatised, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
based on the BBC's long-running
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
''.


Early life and education

Wardley was born on 11 August 1973 in Luton,
Bedfordshire Bedfordshire (; abbreviated ''Beds'') is a Ceremonial County, ceremonial county in the East of England. It is bordered by Northamptonshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Hertfordshire to the south and the south-east, and Buckin ...
. She started out in acting when she was in
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
. Her drama teacher cast her as Nancy in '' Oliver!'' when she was about 13 years old. Reminiscing on her first ever role, Wardley said: "I knew from the very first moment that I stepped out on stage that this was what I wanted to do with my life." She studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.


Career


Work with Catherine Tate

While doing her first theatre production for 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 ...
, called '' A Servant to Two Masters'' (2000–2001), she met comedian Catherine Tate and shared a dressing room with her for ten months. In 2004, Tate invited Wardley to her
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...
sketch series, '' The Catherine Tate Show'' (2004–2007). Her most notable role in the show was schoolgirl Lauren Cooper's sidekick, Liese Jackson. In November 2005, she performed for
Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
and Prince Philip at the '' Royal Variety Performance'', appearing again in the guise of Liese. During the sketch, Wardley's character remarked: "That old man sitting next to her has fallen asleep." Prince Philip then reportedly complained to the show's executive producer, saying he had been insulted. ''The Catherine Tate Show'' lasted for three series and received critical acclaim and multiple nominations from
BAFTA The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA, ) is an independent trade association and charity that supports, develops, and promotes the arts of film, television and video games in the United Kingdom. In addition to its annual awa ...
, the National Television Awards and the British Comedy Awards. After the show ended, Wardley and Tate continued to work together on other projects, including the show's spin-off series, '' Catherine Tate's Nan'' (2014–2015), and its UK,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n and
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
live tours. She also appeared alongside Tate in the autobiographical
short film A short film is a film with a low running time. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of not more than 40 minutes including all credits". Other film o ...
''My First Nativity'' (2010), the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
series '' Hard Cell'' (2022), which she also co-wrote, the BBC
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
'' Queen of Oz'' (2023), and the feature films '' Nativity 3: Dude, Where's My Donkey?!'' (2014) and '' The Nan Movie'' (2022).


''Doctor Who''

In 2010, she portrayed a companion of the Eighth Doctor ( Paul McGann), failing actress Tamsin Drew, in the audio series ''The Eighth Doctor Adventures'', produced by
Big Finish Productions Big Finish Productions is a British company that produces books and radio drama, audio plays (released straight to compact disc and for download in MP3 and m4b format) based, primarily, on science fiction properties. These include ''Doctor Who'' ...
and based on the BBC's long-running
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
series ''
Doctor Who ''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series, created by Sydney Newman, C. E. Webber and Donald Wilson (writer and producer), Donald Wilson, depicts the adventures of an extraterre ...
''. She felt "really excited" about becoming a ''Doctor Who'' companion, having previously watched the show as a kid and being good friends with fellow companion actress Catherine Tate. Wardley was cast after being recommended to the producers by the Fifth Doctor actor, Peter Davison, with whom she had previously worked in the ITV drama series '' The Complete Guide to Parenting'' (2006). After a period of travelling with the Doctor, Wardley's character became disillusioned with him after he showed coldness in the face of others' deaths whilst favouring the lives of his friends. The Meddling Monk soon convinced her that the Doctor was a destructive force in the universe and took her under his wing. Drew travelled with the Monk for a while, but later came to regret her decision, as he told her countless lies and had sided with Earth's invaders, the Daleks. She helped the Doctor try to stop the Daleks but was eventually killed by them in the story " To the Death" (2011). In November 2013, the Eighth Doctor mentioned Tamsin Drew among his past companions in the BBC iPlayer mini-episode " The Night of the Doctor", making her part of the official television canon. In the same month, Wardley appeared as writer Steven Moffat's receptionist in the one-off comedy homage to ''Doctor Who'', ''
The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot ''The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot'' is a 2013 comedy spoof and homage to the British science fiction television programme ''Doctor Who''. It appeared on the BBC Red Button service after the broadcast of "The Day of the Doctor", the official 50th ann ...
''. Since 2016, she has continued to work with Big Finish and has played several other characters in ''Doctor Who''-related audio adventures, most notably
Donna Noble Donna Noble is a fictional character in the long-running British science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. Portrayed by British actress and comedian Catherine Tate, she is a companion of the Tenth and Fourteenth Doctors (both portr ...
's (Catherine Tate's character) school friend Natalie Morrison in the four-part audio series '' Donna Noble: Kidnapped!'' (2020).


Other work

In 2006, Wardley played Joe Macer's daughter
Megan Megan is a Welsh feminine given name, originally a diminutive form of Margaret. Margaret is from the Greek μαργαρίτης (''margarítēs''), Latin ''margarīta'', "pearl". Megan is one of the most popular Welsh-language names for women in ...
in two episodes of the
BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...
long-running
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 ...
''
EastEnders ''EastEnders'' is a British television soap opera created by Julia Smith (producer), Julia Smith and Tony Holland which has been broadcast on BBC One since February 1985. Set in the fictional borough of Walford in the East End of London, the ...
.'' She also played the lead role in the BBC One
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
'' In with The Flynns'' (2011–2012), followed by appearances in nine episodes of ''
Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...
'' (2012). She was then cast as Miss Brahms in the one-off revival episode of '' Are You Being Served?'' (2016). Her other television appearances include '' Benidorm'' (2007–2008), '' Silent Witness'', '' My Family'' (both 2007), '' Peep Show'' (2008), '' How Not to Live Your Life'' (2008), '' Shameless'' (2010), '' The Spa'', '' Love and Marriage'' (both 2013), '' Asylum'' (2015), '' Home from Home'' (2018) and ''
Call the Midwife ''Call the Midwife'' is a British period drama television series about a group of nurse midwives working in the East End of London in the late 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. The principal cast of the show has included Jessica Raine, Miranda Hart, ...
'' (2019). From 2000 to 2022, she starred in 13 theatrical productions. Her stage work includes Alan Ayckbourn's plays '' Bedroom Farce'' (2009) and '' A Small Family Business'' (2014), as well as
William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
's ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...
'' (2007–2008), starring
Zoë Wanamaker Zoë Wanamaker (born 13 May 1949) is an American-born British actress who has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Wanamaker was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2001 by Qu ...
and Simon Russell Beale as Beatrice and Benedick, and '' Twelfth Night'' (2017), starring Tamsin Greig as Malvolia. Both ''A Small Family Business'' and ''Twelfth Night'' were professionally recorded and broadcast through National Theatre Live. As a voice actress, she has provided the voice of Tamara the Poodle in most episodes of the
CBBC CBBC is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 to 12. Its sister c ...
animated children's series '' The Pinky and Perky Show'' (2008–2009).


Personal life

Born in Luton, Wardley now lives in
Camberwell Camberwell ( ) is an List of areas of London, area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles' Church, Camberwell, St Giles ...
,
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, and has two children. In May 2018, she married Welsh actor Daniel Hawksford, with whom she had previously worked in the National Theatre production of
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
's ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...
'' (2007–2008). In 2022, they both appeared in the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
'' Hard Cell''.


Filmography


Film


Television


Audio


Theatre


References


External links

* *
Niky Wardley
at
British Comedy Guide British Comedy Guide or BCG (formerly the British Sitcom Guide or BSG) is a Great Britain, British website covering British comedy, British comedies. BCG publishes guides to TV and radio situation comedy, sketch shows, comedy dramas, satire, va ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wardley, Niky Alumni of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art English film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses Living people Royal Shakespeare Company members English Shakespearean actresses 1973 births English voice actresses English television writers Actresses from Luton