Dilys Laye Biography (1934-)

Original name, Dilys Lay; born March 11, 1934, in London, England; daughter of Edward Charles and Margot Catherine (maiden name, Hewitt) Lay; married AlanDowner; children: Andrew.

Gender
Female
Occupation
Actress
Birth Details
March 11, 1934
London, England

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Stage Appearances
  • (Stage debut) Moritz Scharf, The Burning Bush, New Lindsey Theatre, England, 1948
  • (London debut) Lettice, And So to Bed, New Theatre, 1951
  • High Spirits, Hippodrome Theatre, London, 1953
  • Intimacy at 8:30, Criterion Theatre, London, 1954
  • (New York debut) Dulcie, The Boy Friend, Royale Theatre, 1954
  • For Amusement Only, Apollo Theatre, London, 1956
  • Estell Novick, The Tunnel of Love, Her Majesty's Theatre, London,1957
  • Redhead, Make Me an Offer, Theatre Royal, Stratford, England, thenNew Theatre, London, 1959
  • Valerie Pitman, Say Who You Are, Her Majesty's Theatre, 1965
  • Mrs. Shin, The Good Woman of Setzuan, Playhouse Theatre, Oxford, England, 1968
  • Polly Butler, Children's Day, Mermaid Theatre, London, 1969
  • Joan, The Man Most Likely To ... , New Theatre, Bromley, England,1971
  • Theresa Diego, The Bewitched, Royal Shakespeare Company, Aldwych Theatre, London, 1974
  • Brenda, A Bedfull of Foreigners, Hong Kong Festival, Hong Kong, 1976
  • Julie, "The Purging," and Helen, "The Singer," in The Frontiers of Farce (double-bill), Old Vic Theatre, London, 1976 then Criterion Theatre, 1977
  • Ruth, Pirates of Penzance, Manchester, England, 1985
  • Jessica, Beethoven's Tenth, Vaudeville Theatre, 1986
  • Nurse, Romeo and Juliet, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1986-1988
  • Mrs. Needham, The Art of Success, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1986-1988
  • First witch, Macbeth, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1986-1988
  • Irma, The Balcony, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1986-1988
  • Glinda and Aunt Em, Wizard of Oz, Royal Shakespeare Company, 1986-1988
  • Mrs. Lavett, Sweeney Todd, Manchester, 1989
  • Parthy Ann, Show Boat, Royal Shakespeare Company, produced in Leeds and Stratford, 1989-1990
  • Dorothy Brock, 42nd Street, 1991-1992
  • Cannie, Happy Days, Salisbury, England, 1992
  • Connie, Father's Day, West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds, 1993
  • Aunt Ella, Oklahoma, 1994
  • Golde, Fiddler on the Roof, Coventry, England, 1994
  • Mother, Gone to L.A., Hampstead Theatre, London, 2000
  • Major Tours
  • Miriam, The Keep, 1970
  • Hattie, The Grass Is Greener, 1971
  • George and Mildred, 1978
  • Murder in a Bad Light, 1979
  • Film Appearances
  • Trottie as a child, The Gay Lady (also known as Trottie True), General Film Distributors, 1949
  • Violet Crier, Paper Gallows (also known as Torment), Eagle-Lion, 1950
  • Jasmine Hackett, Doctor at Large, Rank, 1957
  • Bridget, Blue Murder at St. Trinian's, British Lion, 1958
  • Isobel, The Bridal Path, British Lion, 1959
  • Renee, Idol on Parade, Columbia, 1959
  • Agency girl, Upstairs and Downstairs, 1959 Twentieth Century-Fox,1961
  • Millicent Jones, Please Turn Over, Columbia, 1960
  • Sue, Petticoat Pirates, Warner Bros., 1961
  • Flo Castle, Carry On Cruising, Anglo-Amalgamated, 1962
  • American lady, On the Beat, Rank/Universal, 1962
  • Lila, Carry On Spying (also known as Agent Oooh!), Anglo-Amalgamated, 1964
  • Saleswoman, A Countess from Hong Kong, Rank/Universal, 1967
  • Mavis Winkle, Carry On Doctor, Rank, 1968
  • Anthea Meeks, Carry On Camping, Rank, 1969
  • Mrs. Heseltine, Voices from a Locked Room (also known as Voices), Voices Productions, 1995
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • Tonight, 1958
  • The Bed-Sit Girl, 1965
  • Irene Furnell, Down the Gate, 1975
  • Dottie Nelson, Chintz, 1981
  • Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married, 1999
  • Isabel Stephens, Coronation Street, 2000
  • Episodic
  • Laura Adams, "An Eye for an Eye," Ghost Squad, 1964
  • Karen, "Up against a Brick Wall," The Man in Room 17, 1965
  • Phyllis, "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul," Fraud Squad, 1970
  • Annette, "Vigil," The Gentle Touch, 1981
  • Poppy Burridge, "The Case of the Late Pig," Mystery!, PBS, 1989
  • Maureen Newton, "First Impressions," Holby City, 2000
  • Also appeared as Poppy Burridge in an episode of Campion.
  • Movies
  • Beatriz de Bobadillo, Bye Bye Columbus, 1991
  • Mrs. Sparsit, Hard Times, PBS, 1994
  • Governess, Alice in Wonderland, ABC, 1999
  • Other
  • Flotsam's Follies, 1950
  • Mrs. Daley, Waters of the Moon (special), 1983 Arts and Entertainment, 1986
  • Marie Blin, "A Hand Witch of the Second Stage," a segment of Spirit ofMan, 1989
  • RECORDINGS
  • Audio Books
  • Lady Montague, Romeo and Juliet, Random House Audiobooks, 1993
  • WRITINGS
  • Writer for the series Chintz.