Val McLane

Last updated

Val McLane
Born
Valerie Bradford

(1943-02-25) 25 February 1943 (age 81)
Occupation(s)Actress, scriptwriter, director and teacher
TelevisionNorma in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet [1]

Val McLane (born Valerie Bradford; 25 February 1943, in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland) is an English actress, scriptwriter, director and teacher. Her younger brother is actor and musician Jimmy Nail.

Contents

Early life

She grew up in Walker and Benton. She attended the convent direct grant grammar Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Newcastle upon Tyne in Fenham, where she first saw her husband when aged 16. She gained an English degree from the University of Leeds. She completed a post graduate teaching diploma, whilst vice-president of the student union at Leeds.

Career

She taught for six years from 1965 to 1971 at St. Joseph's RC Grammar Technical School. Brendan Foster also taught chemistry there; it was his old school. [2] Six years later she completed a part time Drama in Education course at Durham University. [3]

McLane founded the Live Theatre Company in Newcastle in 1973 with director Geoff Gillham. [4] She has appeared in numerous television roles, including Brookside in 1983 as Maureen Lomax, a friend of regular character, Sheila Grant; When the Boat Comes In , Behind the Bike Sheds, and some Catherine Cookson adaptations for Tyne Tees Television. She appeared as Norma, Dennis' (Tim Healy) sister in the second series of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet . In real life, Val is fellow AWP star Jimmy Nail's sister. Other television roles include a role as a secretary in Our Friends in the North .

Stage roles include Florrie in Andy Capp: The Musical at the Aldwych Theatre. [5] She usually appears in the biannual benefit concert Sunday for Sammy . She appeared in the films Wish You Were Here and Purely Belter . [6] She also appeared in Jane Eyre 1997 and Grace Poole.

She has edited The Prison Plays by Tom Hadaway and released Women in My Past: A Dramatic Monologue, an audio book of dramatic monologue in prose, poetry and song.[ citation needed ] She was drama leader at the University of Sunderland until retiring in 2008. She now teaches the BA Honours Bridging Course at Reid Kerr College on behalf of University of Sunderland. [7]

Related Research Articles

<i>Andy Capp</i> British comic strip

Andy Capp is a British comic strip created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, seen in the Daily Mirror and the Sunday Mirror newspapers since 5 August 1957. Originally a single-panel cartoon, it was later expanded to four panels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gateshead</span> Town in Tyne and Wear, England

Gateshead is a town in the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough of Tyne and Wear, England. It is on the River Tyne's southern bank. The town's attractions include the twenty metre tall Angel of the North sculpture on the town's southern outskirts, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. The town shares the Millennium Bridge, Tyne Bridge and multiple other bridges with Newcastle upon Tyne.

Georgina McKee is an English actress. She won the 1997 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for Our Friends in the North (1996), and earned subsequent nominations for The Lost Prince (2003) and The Street (2007). She also starred on television in The Forsyte Saga (2002) and as Caterina Sforza in The Borgias (2011). Her film appearances include Notting Hill (1999), Phantom Thread (2017), and My Policeman (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathryn Tickell</span> English musician

Kathryn Tickell, OBE, DL is an English musician, noted for playing the Northumbrian smallpipes and fiddle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Nail</span> English actor & vocalist (born 1954)

James Michael Aloysius Bradford, known as Jimmy Nail, is an English singer-songwriter, actor, film producer, and television writer. He played the role of Leonard "Oz" Osborne in the television show Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and the title role in Spender. He also recorded a 1992 number one single, "Ain't No Doubt". His role as Agustín Magaldi, the oily crooner in the 1996 film Evita, gave him international recognition.

James Christopher Bolam is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as Terry Collier in The Likely Lads and its sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, Jack Ford in When the Boat Comes In, Roy Figgis in Only When I Laugh, Trevor Chaplin in The Beiderbecke Trilogy, Arthur Gilder in Born and Bred, Jack Halford in New Tricks and the title character of Grandpa in the CBeebies programme Grandpa in My Pocket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet McTeer</span> English actress (born 1961)

Janet McTeer is an English actress. She began her career training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art before earning acclaim for playing diverse roles on stage and screen in both period pieces and modern dramas. She has received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Olivier Award, a Golden Globe Award and nominations for two Academy Award and Primetime Emmy Award. In 2008 she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to drama.

Jill Halfpenny is an English actress. She first garnered attention with her portrayal of Nicola Dobson in the coming-of-age drama BBC drama series Byker Grove (1989–1992), and became more widely known for her roles as Rebecca Hopkins on the ITV soap opera Coronation Street (1999–2000), Kate Mitchell on the BBC soap opera EastEnders (2002–2005), and Izzie Redpath in Waterloo Road (2006–2007). Other notable credits include Babylon (2014), In the Club (2014–2016), Humans (2015), Three Girls (2017), Dark Money (2019), and The Long Shadow (2023). She won the second series of the television dance contest Strictly Come Dancing in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lauren Laverne</span> English radio DJ, model, television presenter

Lauren Cecilia Fisher, known professionally as Lauren Laverne, is an English radio DJ, model, television presenter, author and singer. She was the lead singer and additional guitarist in the alternative rock band Kenickie. The group's album At The Club reached the top 10, although her greatest chart success came when she performed vocals on Mint Royale's single "Don't Falter". Laverne has presented numerous television programmes, including 10 O'Clock Live for Channel 4, and The Culture Show and coverage of the Glastonbury Festival for the BBC. She has also written a published novel entitled Candypop: Candy and the Broken Biscuits. She presents the breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music, and in 2018 became the host of the long-running radio show Desert Island Discs.

Sacred Heart High School is a secondary school with academy status for girls. It is located on Fenham Hall Drive in Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tyne–Wear derby</span> Long-standing rivalry between Newcastle United and Sunderland AFC

The Tyne–Wear derby, also known as the Wear–Tyne derby or the North East derby, is a local derby between the association football clubs Sunderland and Newcastle United. The derby is an inter-city rivalry in North East England with the two cities of Sunderland and Newcastle upon Tyne just 12 miles (19 km) apart. Sunderland play their home matches at the Stadium of Light whilst Newcastle play their home matches at St. James’ Park. The first meeting of the two sides took place in 1883, with the first competitive fixture being an FA Cup tie in 1888 which Sunderland won 2–0 over Newcastle East End.

Peter John Gibbs is a former BBC Weather forecaster, who appeared regularly on BBC News, BBC World News and BBC Radio, particularly BBC Radio Four. He previously worked on the BBC News at One, BBC News at Six, BBC News at Ten and BBC Breakfast. He left the BBC on 9 December 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Palk</span> English actress (1941-1990)

Anna Palk was an English actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesmond Park Academy</span> Academy converter school in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, England

Jesmond Park Academy is a coeducational secondary school and sixth form located in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne, England.

The following is a list of bands and musicians from the North East and Yorkshire of England, by town or city. Those to have a number one single are shown in bold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jesmond</span> Suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, England

Jesmond is a suburb of Newcastle upon Tyne, situated north of the city centre and to the east of the Town Moor. Jesmond is considered to be one of the most affluent suburbs of Newcastle upon Tyne, with higher average house prices than most other areas of the city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Tyne and Wear</span> Overview of transport in Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan area covering the cities of Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland, as well as North and South Tyneside, Gateshead and Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chelsea Halfpenny</span> English actress

Chelsea Halfpenny is an English actress, known for her roles as Amy Wyatt in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale and Alicia Munroe in the BBC drama Casualty. She played Jenna Hunterson in the 2022 UK Tour of Waitress.

Brendan Healy was a British entertainer from North East England. Beginning as a musician, he worked in television, becoming an actor, theatre writer and producer, and, later, a comedian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrea Wonfor</span>

Andrea Jean Wonfor, also known as Andrea Duncan, was a British television executive and producer. Her successes included The Tube, The Big Breakfast, Byker Grove and The Word.

References

  1. "North Tyneside Council". Northtyneside.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  2. Newcastle Journal Friday 26 August 1983, page 9
  3. Newcastle Journal Friday 8 January 1982, page 6
  4. Profile, northernpublishers.co.uk; accessed 10 June 2016.
  5. "STAGE DOOR RECORDS - ANDY CAPP - Original London Cast (STAGE 9034)". Stagedoorrecords.com. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  6. "Val McLane". Explore.bfi.org.uk. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  7. "Jimmy Nail - Interview". Pennyblackmusic.co.uk. Retrieved 10 June 2016.