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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.