Joanna Monro

Last updated

Joanna Munro
Born
Joanna Hale Monro

(1956-07-26) 26 July 1956 (age 69)
Marylebone, London, England
Occupations
  • Actress
  • Presenter

Joanna Monro (born 26 July 1956 [1] ) is a British actress and former television presenter who, in the 1980s, appeared on the BBC show That's Life! with Esther Rantzen.

Contents

Early life

Her father was actor Sonnie Hale (real name Robert John Hugh Monro). She came into this world as a result of his adultery with her mother, actress Frances Bennett (real name Felicité Barnes). [2] [3] Following Hale's death in 1959, Monro was brought up by her stepfather, theatrical agent John McMichael and considered him to be her real father. [4]

Fascinated by her mother's acting career, she was desperate to follow in her footsteps. At nine years old, she got a part in Brown Eye, Evil Eye . Bennett was against her daughter appearing in the film but was pressured by the agent and her daughter's pleading, eventually giving in. Monro went over to Yugoslavia during the summer holidays for filming and afterwards wanted to continue acting but was forbidden by her mother until she was 16 so as to concentrate on schoolwork. However, at 15, Bennett allowed Monro to do television work during the school holidays in order to secure her union card with Equity. Leaving school at 17, the girl went for an audition at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, only to be told that she wasn't properly trained and advised to go to drama school. As a result, she entered the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art but left a few months early after being seen in an end-of-term play by the producer of Vienna's English Theatre, recruiting in Britain. He gave Monro a part in his production of Simon Gray's play Butley , which was followed by roles on television. [5]

Career

In 1974 she appeared in the Doctor Who story Planet of the Spiders , followed by a lengthy spell as 'Anna Newcross' in the BBC soap opera Angels . For three years in the mid-1980s she was a regular in the BBC children's sketch show Fast Forward, and was a member of the BBC's Radio Drama Company. [6]

In the 1990s, she played Mrs Lyons in the musical Blood Brothers in the West End, and was on the 1995 London cast recording as well as The International Cast Album. She also appeared in the episode 'The Photographer' (1999) in the first BBC series of People Like Us (which aired 1999–2001).

Monro appeared as "Rosie" in Mamma Mia! . She was in the International Tour for 2 years then joined the London cast for a period of 5 years at the Prince of Wales Theatre then at the Novello Theatre. [7] She appeared in character on 31 December 2008 in a West End special edition episode of The Weakest Link on BBC One. She was the 'strongest link', winning over £14,000, which she donated to breast cancer research.

In 2017 she played the part of "June" in Sandi Toksvig's play "Silver Lining", which toured the UK. [7]

Personal life

In 1978, Monro became engaged to Andy Secombe. [8] Unfortunately, the following year, they called their wedding off after realising they had rushed into it without proper consideration but remained friends. [9] The wounds were healed while working in fringe theatre at London theatre restaurant, La Bonne Crepe, where she met producer Peter Wise, marrying him in 1982. [10] Subsequent marriages were to Peter Matthews in 1989 and actor Granville Saxton in 2001.

Radio

DateTitleRoleDirectorStation
15 June 1998 Stations of the Cross Ned Chaillet BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
17 March 2003 The Case of the Perfect Carer Jeremy Mortimer BBC Radio 4
10 April 2010 The Believers [11] Toby Swift BBC Radio 4 Saturday Play
30 April 2010 The Weighing Room [12] Steward Toby Swift BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
15 March 2011 Small Acts of Kindness [13] Annie Toby Swift BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
3 May 2011 Lost Property: The Wrong Label [14] Mrs Jones Jessica Dromgoole BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play
17 May 2011 Lost Property: A Telegram from the Queen [15] Ella May Jessica Dromgoole BBC Radio 4 Afternoon Play

References

  1. ↑ "No. 64229". The London Gazette . 13 November 2023. p. 22942.
  2. ↑ "Sonnie Hale's wife gets separation decree". Evening Standard . 27 February 1957. p. 11. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Sonnie Hale and Wife Separated". The Daily Telegraph . 28 February 1957. p. 8. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "'Nurse' Joanna joins Esther". Telegraph & Argus . 16 October 1982. p. 18. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "Joanna couldn't wait to follow in mother's footsteps". North-Western Evening Mail . 23 May 1978. p. 4. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  6. ↑ "Radio and audio book companies", in Lloyd Trott, ed., Actors and Performers Yearbook 2016, pp. 353-354
  7. 1 2 "Cast of Silver Lining". English Touring Theatre.
  8. ↑ "Inview" (PDF). TV Times. 22 June 1978. p. 23. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "Is Joanna set to be an Angel of rock?". Liverpool Echo . 15–16 September 1979. p. 7. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Joanna Finds Her Perfect Role". Torquay Herald Express . 4 September 1982. p. 12. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  11. ↑ BBC – Saturday Play – The Believers
  12. ↑ BBC – Afternoon Play – The Weighing Room
  13. ↑ BBC – Afternoon Play – Small Acts of Kindness
  14. ↑ BBC – Afternoon Play – Lost Property: The Wrong Label
  15. ↑ BBC – Afternoon Play – Lost Property: A Telegram from the Queen


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