Susan Penhaligon (born 3 July 1949) is a Cornish actress and writer known for her role in the drama series '' Bouquet of Barbed Wire'' (1976), and for playing Helen Barker in the sitcom '' A Fine Romance'' (1981–1984). She appeared in the soap opera ''

Emmerdale ''Emmerdale'' (known as ''Emmerdale Farm'' until 1989) is a British television soap opera that is broadcast on ITV (TV network), ITV. The show is set in Emmerdale (known as Beckindale until 1994), a List of fictional towns and villages, fict ...

'' as Jean Hope in 2006, and her film appearances include ''

Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh people, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The BBC commissioned the play, which was later adapted for the stage. The first public reading was in New York City in 1953. A Under Milk Wood (1972 film), f ...

'' (1972); '' No Sex Please, We're British'' (1973); '' The Land That Time Forgot'' (1974); '' The Uncanny'' (1977);

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...

's '' Soldier of Orange'' (1977) and as

Lucy Westenra Lucy Westenra is a fictional character in the 1897 novel ''Dracula'' by Bram Stoker. She is the 19-year-old daughter of a wealthy family and is Mina Harker, Mina Murray's best friend. Early in the story, Lucy gets proposed to by three suitors, A ...

in ''

Count Dracula Count Dracula () is the title character of Bram Stoker's 1897 gothic horror novel ''Dracula''. He is considered the prototypical and archetypal vampire in subsequent works of fiction. Aspects of the character are believed by some to have been i ...

'' (1977). She has also had a substantial stage career. Tagged the "British Bardot" in the 1970s, she was described by Clive Aslet in ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

'' as "the face of the decade".

Early life and education

Penhaligon was the eldest child of Bill, an engineer for the

Shell Oil Company Shell USA, Inc. (formerly Shell Oil Company, Inc.) is the United States–based wholly owned subsidiary of Shell plc, a UK-based transnational corporation " oil major" which is among the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 18,000 ...

, and Jean Penhaligon who ran a

bed and breakfast A bed and breakfast (typically shortened to B&B or BnB) is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast. In addition, a B&B sometimes has the hosts living in the house. ''Bed and breakfast'' is also used to ...

. Born in

Manila Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...

where her father was working, Penhaligon returned with her family to the UK aged six and spent her formative years living in St Ives and Falmouth in

Cornwall Cornwall (; or ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is also one of the Celtic nations and the homeland of the Cornish people. The county is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, ...

. Aged 11 she was sent to boarding school in

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

where her acting ambitions were encouraged. She has two brothers and a sister in the USA. After her parents

divorce Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganising of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the M ...

d, her father went to live in

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. She was a cousin of the late David Penhaligon, a former Liberal member of parliament in Cornwall. While training at the

Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art The Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, formerly the Webber Douglas School of Singing and Dramatic Art, was a drama school, and originally a singing school, in London. It was one of the leading drama schools in Britain, and offered comprehen ...

, Penhaligon shared a flat with

Peter Hammill Peter Joseph Andrew Hammill (born 5 November 1948) is an English musician and recording artist. He was a founder member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Best known as a singer-songwriter, he also plays guitar and piano and ...

; she is mentioned in the lyrics of the

Van der Graaf Generator Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester by singer-songwriters Peter Hammill and Judge Smith, Chris Judge Smith. They were the first act signed by Charisma Records. They did not experience much ...

song "Refugees" and the Hammill song "Easy to Slip Away".

Acting career

Theatre

Penhaligon's first appearance in the theatre was playing Juliet in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' at the Connaught Theatre, Worthing in a two weekly repertory company. In the West End she appeared in a 1987 production of '' Three Sisters'' at the

Albery Theatre Albery is a name. It may refer to: Given name * Albery Allson Whitman (1851−1901), African American poet, minister and orator Surname * A. S. Albery, British politician * Bronson Albery (1881−1971), English theatre director and impresario * Do ...

. In 1982, she played a leading part in '' The Real Thing'' at the Strand Theatre, Aldwych (now called the Novello). She appeared in ''The Maintenance Man'' at the Comedy Theatre in 1987, and played Curley’s Wife in a 1984 production of ''

Of Mice and Men ''Of Mice and Men'' is a 1937 novella written by American author John Steinbeck. It describes the experiences of George Milton and Lennie Small, two displaced migrant worker, migrant ranch workers, as they move from place to place in California ...

'' at the

Mermaid Theatre The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre encompassing the site of Puddle Dock and Curriers' Alley at Blackfriars in the City of London, and the first built in the City since the time of Shakespeare. It was, importantly, also one of the first new th ...

. She has toured the UK extensively, appearing in productions of ''

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 ...

'' ( Richmond Theatre, 2004), '' Mrs. Warren's Profession'' (Richmond Theatre, 2009), '' Death Trap'' (

Theatre Royal, Norwich The Theatre Royal is a theatre in Norwich, England. It is one of the country's oldest established theatres, founded in 1758. It was rebuilt in 1801 and 1826. It burnt down in 1934 and was bombed during World War II. Peter Wilson ran the theat ...

, 2002), Agatha Christie's ''Verdict'' ( Floral Pavilion Theatre, 2011), '' Dangerous Obsession'' with Simon Ward ( Theatre Royal, Bath, 1989), and '' Lord Arthur Saville's Crime'' by

Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 185430 November 1900) was an Irish author, poet, and playwright. After writing in different literary styles throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular and influential playwright ...

(Richmond Theatre, 2005). She was in '' Time and the Conways'', ''Lower Depths'' and ''

The Cherry Orchard ''The Cherry Orchard'' () is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition later that year in Saint Petersburg, via A.F. Marks Pu ...

'', and played a leading part in

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

's '' Broken Glass'' at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in

Leeds Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...

. In the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as the Edinburgh Fringe, the Fringe or the Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest performance arts festival, which in 2024 spanned 25 days, sold more than 2.6 million tickets and featur ...

she appeared in the premiere of Dario Fo's ''Abduction Diana'' and she appeared in a critically acclaimed production of '' Misery'' at the

King's Head Theatre The King's Head Theatre, founded in 1970 by Dan Crawford, is an off-West End venue in London. The original venue was the oldest operating pub theatre in the UK. In 2024, the pub theatre, and the King's Head Theatre now operates from a purpose-b ...

and ''Keeping Up With the Joans'' with her friend

Katy Manning Catherine Ann Manning (born 14 October 1946) is a British actress. Although she has made many appearances on both screen and stage, Manning is best known for her part as the companion Jo Grant in the BBC science fiction television series ''Doct ...

Television

Her television credits include '' Public Eye'' (1975, as Tuesday Simpson, a lesbian, would-be seductress of Julian Bradley, played by Ronald Lewis), ''

'' (1977) with Louis Jourdan, '' Bouquet of Barbed Wire'', '' Upstairs Downstairs'', '' Tales of the Unexpected'', '' Bergerac'', '' Remington Steele'', '' Wycliffe'', ''

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 ...

'', ''

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 ...

'' by the BBC Shakespeare series, '' Heart of the Country'' and '' A Kind of Loving''. In '' A Fine Romance'', she played Helen Barker. She has been in three episodes of '' Doctors'' and three episodes of '' Casualty''. She also played Jean Hope in UK soap ''

'', for a year. Being a proud Cornish woman, there was one role Penhaligon badly wanted and auditioned for, that of Demelza in Poldark. She lost out to Welsh actress, Angharad Rees for the part of the miner's daughter and servant girl Demelza, who marries her master Ross Poldark.

Film

Penhaligon had roles in films such as '' Say Hello to Yesterday'' (1970); '' Private Road'' (1971); ''

'' (1972) as Mae Rose Cottage; '' No Sex Please, We're British'' (1973); '' The Land That Time Forgot'' (1974); '' House of Mortal Sin'' (1976); '' Nasty Habits'' (1977);

's '' Soldier of Orange'' (1977) as a British military officer; '' The Uncanny'' (1977); '' Leopard in the Snow'' (1978); '' Patrick'' (1978); '' The Masks of Death'' (1984) and '' Top Dog'' (2014). She also played the role of the sole survivor of LANSA Flight 508, Juliane Koepcke in the film '' Miracles Still Happen'' (1974), directed by Giuseppe Maria Scotese.

Writing career

Her novel ''For the Love of Angel'', published in 2008 by Truran Books, is set in Cornwall in the 1880s.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

*
Aveleyman: Susan Penhaligon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Penhaligon, Susan 1949 births Living people Alumni of the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art English film actresses English soap opera actresses English stage actresses British television actresses British people of Cornish descent People from St Ives, Cornwall Actresses from Cornwall Actresses from Manila Actors from Falmouth, Cornwall