Sally Davis (born 23 April 1980), known professionally as Sally Bretton, is an English actress. She is best known for appearing as Lucy Adams in the long-running BBC television sitcom ''

Not Going Out ''Not Going Out'' is a British television British sitcom, sitcom created, written by and starring Lee Mack. It has aired on BBC One since 2006 and is the second-longest-running British sitcom, behind ''Last of the Summer Wine'' (1973–2010). Th ...

'' since 2007, and as Martha Lloyd in the BBC crime drama '' Death in Paradise'' between 2016 and 2017, a role she has reprised in the spin-off, '' Beyond Paradise'', since 2023. Other roles include Donna in ''

The Office ''The Office'' is the title of several mockumentary sitcoms based on a British series originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as '' The Office'' in 2001. The original series also starred Gervais as manager and primary charac ...

'' in 2001, Cat Durnford in '' Absolute Power'' in 2003, and Kim Alabaster in '' Green Wing'' between 2004 and 2006.

Early life and education

Bretton trained in

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 ...

at the

Central School of Speech and Drama The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, commonly shortened to Central, is a drama school founded by Elsie Fogerty in 1906, as the Central School of Speech Training and Dramatic Art, to offer a new form of training in speech and drama for ...

, and worked, part time, as a drama teacher at Top Hat Stage and Screen School during her time at speech and drama school. She chose the professional name Bretton as her birth name was already registered, by another, with actors' union Equity.

Career

Film

In "Rogue Landlord", in 2011, Bretton appeared with Sean Lock and Oliver Chris (who she had previously appeared with in Green Wing between 2004 and 2006). The film was part of a Shelter campaign bringing attention to the problem of questionable landlords and their tactics.

Television

Bretton has appeared as Lucy Adams in the BBC television sitcom ''

'' from 2007. She also featured in the TV programmes '' Absolute Power'', '' Green Wing'', and ''

''. She played Martha Lloyd in the BBC crime drama '' Death in Paradise'' between 2016 and 2017, and from 2023 has reprised the role in the spin-off, '' Beyond Paradise''.

Theatre

On stage, she played

Goneril Goneril is a character in William Shakespeare's tragic play ''King Lear'' (1605). She is the eldest of Leir of Britain, King Lear's three daughters. Along with her sister Regan (King Lear), Regan, Goneril is considered a villain, obsessed with p ...

in Shakespeare's ''

King Lear ''The Tragedy of King Lear'', often shortened to ''King Lear'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is loosely based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his ...

'' at

Shakespeare's Globe Shakespeare's Globe is a reconstruction of the Globe Theatre, an Elizabethan playhouse first built in 1599 for which William Shakespeare wrote his plays. Like the original, it is located on the south bank of the River Thames, in Southwark, Lon ...

in 2008. Bretton has made a number of appearances in the theatre. "An Ideal Husband" in 2018 was broadcast from London to cinemas across the country. It was also recorded as a film and is available to view, in the UK, through MarqueeTV (part of Prime Video).

Personal life

Bretton and her husband, Lee, a photographer, have three daughters, including twins. As of March 2025, they live in

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is a ceremonial county in the East of England and one of the home counties. It borders Bedfordshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the north-east, Essex to the east, Greater London to the ...

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Radio

Awards

* Nominated ** 2002 – ''Manchester Evening News'' Theatre Awards – Best Actress (Theatre) – ''Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' ** 2024 – ''TV Times'' Awards – Favourite On-Screen Partnership – '' Beyond Paradise'' with Kris Marshall

References

External links

*
Sally Bretton Interview

Glasgow Times - Dial M for Murder Interview
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bretton, Sally Living people 1980 births Actresses from Hitchin Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama English film actresses English radio actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English Shakespearean actresses Drama teachers 21st-century English actresses 20th-century English actresses