Barbara Keogh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Barbara Keogh (21 April 1929 - 25 October 2005) was a British actress who is possibly best remembered for playing Lilly Mattock in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, as well as playing various roles in comedy sketch-show, Little Britain.
She was born in Cheshire, and after the war trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama and then the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
[edit] Career
Like many of her contemporaries she went into weekly repertory, an experience she always valued for the wonderful variety of roles she played, which included characters such as 'Mrs Malaprop' in 'The Rivals' and 'Mrs Danvers' in 'Rebecca'. At 'Kidderminster Repertory Theatre' she acted alongside John Osborne and Ronnie Barker, who she was to work with later in Open All Hours and The Two Ronnies. There followed a tour of 'Teahouse of the August Moon' with Bill Kerr.
In the late fifties and through to the seventies Barbara was a regular on television, making guest appearances on numerous programmes such as Dixon of Dock Green, Z Cars, Crossroads, The Sweeney, Coronation Street and The Newcomers. She also featured in the groundbreaking 'On Giant’s Shoulders' with Dame Judi Dench.
Alongside her television career, her stage career flourished. She performed in 'No One Was Saved' with a young Maureen Lipman at the Royal Court, and with David Hemmings in 'Adventures of the Skin Trade', which was directed by James Roose-Evans at the then newly established Hampstead Theatre. She also played at the Royal National Theatre in three productions - 'John Gabriel Borkman' with Sir Ralph Richardson and Dame Peggy Ashcroft, 'Plunder' with Dinsdale Landen and Frank Finlay, and 'Engaged' with Jonathan Pryce.
Throughout the eighties and nineties, Barbara’s career went from strength to strength. On stage she worked alongside Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren and Pete Postlethwaite in 'Adrian Noble’s' production of 'The Duchess of Malfi' and toured in 'Alan Ayckbourn’s' 'Sisterly Feelings' with Peter Sallis, Trudie Styler, Tessa Peake-Jones and the late Bryan Pringle.
On television she worked with the legendary Alan Clarke in his production of 'Jim Cartwright’s Road' (1987) and made appearances in Juliet Bravo, The Ruth Rendell Mysteries, Heartbeat, Game On, My Family, Casualty and numerous others. She played Aunt Helen in a second series episode of Joking Apart.
She also starred on the big screen, most notably in 'Tai Pan', 'The Virgin Soldiers', 'Princess Caraboo' with Kevin Kline and cult classic 'The Abominable Dr Phibes', alongside Vincent Price and Terry Thomas, playing the latter’s housekeeper.
She was still working (on Little Britain) four days before her sudden death in 2005, aged 76.
[edit] Filmography
- Dark Corners Old Woman (2006)
- Mike Bassett: Manager Margaret (2005)
- .357 Old Woman (2005)
- Bloodlines Soho Bartender (2005)
- Little Britain Mrs. Dawes (2003-2005), Mrs. Craig (2004), Various other roles (2005)
- Ready When You Are Mr. McGill Mrs. Danby (2003)
- The Secret Maureen (2002)
- Tough Love Lady Mayoress (2000)
- EastEnders Lilly Mattock (1998-1999)
- Lost in France Gran (1998)
- Bramwell Landlady (1998)
- The Grimleys Nan Grimley (1997-1999)
- Jane Eyre Miss Abbot (1997)
- Brazen Hussies Ruby (1996)
- Princess Caraboo Mrs. Wilberforce (1994)
- Dead Romantic Mrs. Rankin (1992)
- Murder Being Once Done Mrs. Foster (1991)
- God on the Rocks Nurse Booth (1990)
- One Last Chance Agatha (1990)
- Making Out Sally (1989)
