Alice Lowe

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Alice Lowe
Alice Lowe DIFF 2012.jpg
Alice Lowe at Sightseers premiere DIFF 2012
Born
Alice Eva Lowe

(1977-04-03) 3 April 1977 (age 46)
Alma mater King's College, Cambridge
Occupation(s)Comedian, actress, writer
Children2

Alice Eva Lowe (born 3 April 1977) [1] is an English actress, writer, and comedian. She is best known for her roles as Dr. Haynes in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Madeleine Wool/Liz Asher in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace . She wrote, directed, and starred in the 2016 film Prevenge and starred in and co-wrote the 2012 film Sightseers . She also starred in the educational children's television series Horrible Histories .

Contents

Early life

Lowe was born in Coventry, West Midlands, England. [2] She attended Kenilworth School and graduated from King's College, Cambridge, where she studied classics. [3] [4] At university she became involved in theatre and comedy. [4]

Career

Lowe began her career in surreal experimental theatre shows including City Haunts, Snowbound and Progress in Flying Machines [5] co-devising and performed along with colleagues such as Robert Webb and David Mitchell. [6]

Lowe worked under the directorship of Paul King, [7] who has since directed her in The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace . [7] She was cast in Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight [7] alongside fellow Cambridge graduates Richard Ayoade and Matt Holness and they were nominated for the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2000. [8] In 2001, she won an award for performing in the sequel to Fright Knight, Garth Marenghi's Netherhead , [7] at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. [4]

Her television credits include Channel 4's spoof horror comedy Garth Marenghi's Darkplace , [7] Beth in the BBC comedy series My Life in Film , David Bowie in the BBC series Snuff Box , [7] and a recurring role in Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive . [7] She was part of the all-female comedy show Beehive [7] along with Sarah Kendall, Barunka O'Shaughnessy and Clare Thomson which was aired on E4, and was a regular cast member of the CBBC show Horrible Histories [7] during the second, third and fifth seasons. Her BBC Three pilot "LifeSpam: My Child Is French" was broadcast in 2009, [8] and she co-wrote and starred in Channel 4's Orcadia . In February 2010, she appeared in and script-edited the pilot for a "sort-of-sketch-show" called Missing Scene. [9]

She has also guest starred in a number of television shows including as Monkey in "The Priest and the Beast" episode of The Mighty Boosh , as Patricia in the "Fifty-Fifty" episode of The IT Crowd , [7] a solicitor in the "Travel Writer" episode of Black Books , Madonna in an episode of Channel 4's Star Stories , [7] as well as episodes of Little Britain , [7] Come Fly with Me , [7] Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul , Beautiful People and This is Jinsy . [7] She appeared in the music video for "Bastardo" by Charlotte Hatherley, directed by Edgar Wright. [7]

Lowe co-wrote and starred in the short film Stiffy, directed by Jacqueline Wright, [7] which premiered at Cannes in 2005 as part of the Kodak Straight 8 competition. Her self-penned short film Sticks and Balls was screened at Cannes in 2007. [7] In 2010 together with Wright she founded the production company Jackal Films, [7] making a short film each month of that year. [10]

Lowe appeared in the action comedy film Hot Fuzz , [8] and took a lead role in the 2012 film Sightseers , [7] the third production from director Ben Wheatley. Sightseers was written by Lowe with Steve Oram, with additional material by Amy Jump. [11] Lowe had a role in the Edgar Wright-directed film The World's End . [12]

On BBC Radio 4 she has written three series of Alice's Wunderland a dark, surreal comedy. [13]

In 2016, she made her directorial debut on the critically acclaimed [14] dark comedy Prevenge , which she directed while pregnant. [15] In 2018, Lowe appeared as Dr Haynes on Netflix's first adult-targeted interactive film, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch . [16]

In February 2021, Lowe's next film, Timestalker, was announced. The film will "chronicl[e] one woman's unrequited love across several centuries [...] from 1680s Western Scotland to the apocalyptic 22nd Century." Lowe stated that "[t]his film is my homage to the most romantic epics. Lavish, lush and overflowing with emotion." [17] Filming began in late 2022 and the production is working towards a 2024 release. [18]

Personal life

Lowe was pregnant while filming Prevenge and later gave birth to her daughter Della with partner Paul Synnott. [19] Della portrayed Ruth's newborn in Prevenge when she was ten days old.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007 Hot Fuzz Tina
2011 Kill List Radio Reporter
2012 Sightseers TinaAlso writer
2013 The World's End Young Lady
2014 Locke Sister MargaretVoice
Paddington Geographer's Receptionist
Electricity Sylvia
2015 Aaaaaaaah! Sitcom Eudora
Burn Burn Burn Davina
Black Mountain Poets Lisa Walker
2016 Adult Life Skills Alice
Stoner ExpressRoxy
Prevenge RuthAlso writer and director
Chubby Funny Susan
The Ghoul Kathleen
2018Wild Honey PieGerry
Solis Commander RobertsVoice
Sometimes Always Never Sue
The Fight Heather
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Dr. Haynes
2019 Eternal Beauty
Dark Encounter Arlene
Days of the Bagnold Summer Carol
2022Paso Doble [20] KarenShort film
TBA Timestalker Also writer and director

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2001–2002
2006
Comedy Lab Various characters3 episodes; also writer of Orcadia
2004 Garth Marenghi's Darkplace Liz Asher / Madeleine Wool6 episodes
2004 Black Books SolicitorEpisode: "Travel Writer"
2004 My Life in Film Beth6 episodes
2005 The Mighty Boosh MonkeyEpisode: "The Priest & the Beast"
2005 Little Britain Mother on Bench / Woman on Bench2 episodes
2006 The IT Crowd PatriciaEpisode: "Fifty-Fifty"
2006 Snuff Box David Bowie Episode: "Matt's Diary"
2006 Star Stories Madonna Episode: "The Wife's Life"
2006 Man to Man with Dean Learner Various rolesEpisode: "Merriman Weir"
2006 Pulling AliceEpisode #1.6
2006–2007 Annually Retentive Various roles3 episodes
2007Angelo'sAlicia6 episodes
2008 Beehive Various roles5 episodes; also writer
2008–2012 Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul Various characters12 episodes
2009LifeSpam: My Child Is FrenchVarious charactersTelevision film; also writer
2009 Beautiful People Stacey BileEpisode: "How I Got My Turner"
2010 Come Fly with Me Young MumEpisode #1.1
2010–2011, 2013 Horrible Histories Various characters12 episodes
2011, 2014 This is Jinsy Soosan Noop16 episodes
2012 Skins JemimaEpisode: "Franky"
2014 Sherlock TessaEpisode: "The Sign of Three"
2015 Inside No. 9 AmandaEpisode: "Séance Time"
2017 Carters Get Rich Sue GoldingEpisode: "Co-Creator"
2018 Flowers PaulaEpisode #2.4
2018 Hang Ups Celia Cain3 episodes
2021 Back JoannaEpisode #2.6
2023 Lockwood & Co. Adelaide WinkmanTwo episodes
Partygate Shelley Williams-Walker [21]

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References

  1. England & Wales births 1837 – 2006
  2. "Coventry-born creator Alice Lowe brings Prevenge preview to Warwick Arts Centre". www.whatsonlive.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  3. "Reporter 7/7/99: Congregations of the Regent House on 25 and 26 June 1999". cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Bromwich, Kathryn (3 April 2016). "On my radar: Alice Lowe's cultural highlights". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  5. "Alice Lowe-EN - Sites Film Festival". womaninfan.com. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  6. "In Conversation: Alice Lowe". clashmusic.com. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Alice Lowe". independenttalent.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 "Classic interview Alice Lowe". beyondthejoke.co.uk. 7 February 2017.
  9. 'Missing Scene' - taster pilot. Vimeo. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  10. "Jackal Films". Archived from the original on 23 February 2015.
  11. Godfrey, Alex (23 November 2012). "Sightseers: Alice Lowe and the secret terrors of caravanning". The Guardian . Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  12. "Ultimate Guide to 'The Worlds End' PART 1 - Easter Eggs, Themes, and Symbolism!". viewerdiscretionadvised.net. 28 August 2013.
  13. "Alice's Wunderland". BBC Radio . Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  14. "Prevenge (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . 24 March 2017.
  15. Puckrik, Katie (14 February 2017). "Alice Lowe: 'It wasn't part of the plan to direct while pregnant'". The Guardian .
  16. "Alice Lowe: Dr. Haynes". IMDb . Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  17. Grater, Tom (19 February 2021). "Sam Riley, Natasia Demetriou & Jacob Anderson Join Rom-Com 'Timestalker' From 'Prevenge' Director Alice Lowe; HanWay Boards Sales – EFM". Deadline. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  18. "Timestalker". empire.
  19. Dean, Rosamund (27 January 2017). "Alice Lowe Talks Pregnancy, Murder And Prevenge". Red Online.
  20. Paso Doble (Short) - IMDb , retrieved 21 April 2023
  21. "Meet the cast of Partygate on Channel 4". Radio Times . 3 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.