Gemma Craven
{{short description|Irish actress|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=January 2010}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gemma Craven
| image =
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = Gemma Craven
| birth_name = Rita Gemma Gabriel
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|6|1|df=y}}
| birth_place = Dublin, County Dublin, Ireland
| occupation = Actress, performer, singer, musician
| years_active = 1972–present
| spouse = {{ubl
| {{marriage|Frazer Hines|1981|1984|end=divorced}}
| {{marriage|David Beamish|1990|1996|end=divorced}}
}}
| awards = Society of West End Theatre Award for Best Actress in a Musical
1980 They're Playing Our Song
}}
Rita Gemma Craven (born 1 June 1950) is an Irish actress.
She is best known for her role as Joan Parker, the frigid wife of Arthur (Bob Hoskins), in the BBC TV drama Pennies From Heaven (1978).
Biography
Craven's family moved from Dublin to Britain in 1960, and she attended the same school as Helen Mirren, St Bernard's Convent High School for Girls in Westcliff-on-Sea in Essex.{{Cite web|url=http://www.thestage.co.uk/news/newsstory.php/6460|title=Trucking on – Gemma Craven|author=Phil Penfold|publisher=The Stage|date=11 February 2005|access-date=10 February 2010}}{{Cite web|date=24 September 2006|access-date=10 February 2010|title=Gemma's second blooming|work=Irish Independent|author=Joe Jackson|url=http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/gemmas-second-blooming-135055.html}}
She appeared as Cinderella in the film The Slipper and the Rose (1976) opposite Richard Chamberlain.{{IMDb name|0186603}} She was cast as an unknown, having been spotted by one of the producers while performing at the Bristol Old Vic in a production of The Threepenny Opera. The local press touted the event as her own "Cinderella" story.
In London's West End, she starred opposite Tom Conti in the musical They're Playing Our Song for which she won a Laurence Olivier Award (at the time known as the Society of West End Theatre Awards SWET) for her performance,Theatre of Comedy productions 1980 the lead role in South Pacific, and in Noël Coward's Private Lives opposite Marc Sinden, Tony Anholt and Anholt's wife Tracey Childs which toured throughout 1991 and into 1992.British Theatre Guide 2001 She also played Josie in Boy George's Taboo and features on the OCR singing "Independent Woman".British Theatre Guide 2006{{cite web |url=http://www.dresscircle.co.uk/product.asp?StockID=24273 |title=Taboo |publisher=Dress Circle |access-date=29 March 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090828015010/http://www.dresscircle.co.uk/product.asp?StockID=24273 |archive-date=28 August 2009 }}
She appeared as Joan Parker, the frigid wife of Arthur (Bob Hoskins), in the original television version of Dennis Potter's Pennies From Heaven (1978); she has since talked about the difficulty the role presented in undertaking a nude scene, which was seen as counter to her public image.{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p009mgjd|title=Desert Island Discs|publisher=BBC Radio 4|date=29 January 1988|access-date=7 May 2015}} She also made guest appearances on Robin of Sherwood (1985), The Bill, The Morecambe and Wise Show, The Two Ronnies, Father Ted (episode "And God Created Woman") and in the popular British drama Midsomer Murders episode, "Shot at Dawn" as Judy Hicks, the wife of Dave Hicks (Brian Capron). She co-starred in the acclaimed 1982 British TV version of East Lynne. On the same Victorian theme she also appeared on BBC TV's long running old time music hall show The Good Old Days.
Her most substantial film role was as Minna Wagner opposite Richard Burton's Richard Wagner, in the 1983 film Wagner. She also appeared in Why Not Stay for Breakfast? (1979), Double X: The Name of the Game (1992), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1993), Words Upon the Window Pane (1994) and The Hole (2001).
On radio, she played the part of Helen in the BBC Radio 4 comedy Clare in the Community.
She appeared on Irish television in the popular medical drama series The Clinic which ran weekly on RTÉ One.
In November/December 2008, Craven appeared in Hollyoaks Later as Erin "Ma" Fisher – Mother to Malachy, Kris and Bernadette.
Personal life
Craven was married from 1981 to 1984 to actor Frazer Hines, and from 1990 to 1996 to financier David Beamish.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0186603|name=Gemma Craven}}
{{Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer}}
{{OlivierAward MusicalActress 1979–2000}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Craven, Gemma}}
Category:Irish stage actresses
Category:Irish television actresses
Category:Laurence Olivier Award winners
Category:Actresses from Dublin (city)
Category:Singers from Dublin (city)
Category:Actresses from Blackpool
Category:Irish radio actresses
Category:20th-century Irish actresses
Category:21st-century Irish actresses
Category:20th-century Irish women singers