Jane Freeman
- Thread starter Pearl
- Start date
Marianna
Dedicated Member
The obituary in The Stage got her age wrong by about 15 years, assuming that the Examiner got it right in an article published last year http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/tv/last-summer-wine-what-happened-11279565. For me, that makes the obituary suspect. If Sarabond or Saraband is still her management firm, surely they would have accurate information. The "Sarabond" spelling was given with a post showing an autographed photo, but I've found only the "Saraband" spelling in online listings of talent agencies.
There are two listings for apparently the same agency, so probably one of them is out of date:
Saraband Associates
(Talent Agency)
265 Liverpool Road
Islington
London, N1 1LX
+44 20 7609 5314
SARABAND ASSOCIATES
PO Box 2493
ILFORD
Essex
IG1 8JW
Tel 020 8551 9193
There are two listings for apparently the same agency, so probably one of them is out of date:
Saraband Associates
(Talent Agency)
265 Liverpool Road
Islington
London, N1 1LX
+44 20 7609 5314
SARABAND ASSOCIATES
PO Box 2493
ILFORD
Essex
IG1 8JW
Tel 020 8551 9193
Last edited:
Marianna
Dedicated Member
That fits with the age I've seen given in other sources.
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
I agree Dick although with Brian the report was a genuine mistake by the BBC. Every day ,without fail, someone is announced as having passed away and subsequently you find that someone has taken some perverse pleasure of effectively fakely reporting the demise of someone , without any conscience or consideration for the upset they cause not only to the person and the person's family but in the case of stars all their admirers. It is just criminal what these people will stoop to
me2
Dedicated Member
Stage has posted this obituary making it sound more real.
Obituary: Jane Freeman
Actor Jane Freeman, who has died aged 81
by Michael Quinn - Apr 12, 2017
Although Jane Freeman will forever be associated with the redoubtable cafe owner Ivy in Roy Clarke’s long-running The Last of the Summer Wine – appearing in 274 episodes over a 37-year run and a 1983 stage version – she was also an actor of considerable resources who remained steadfastly committed to the theatre.
If Clarke’s BBC hit comedy overshadowed Freeman’s later career, she was at pains not to be confined by it, appearing in regional rep, national tours and pantomimes throughout its long television life.
Born in London, she moved to Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, when her mother remarried, her father having died in an accident when she was nine. There she developed an early interest in performing at school. After graduating from the City of Cardiff [now Royal Welsh] College of Music and Drama in 1955, she moved to London before joining the Gloucestershire-based all-female Osiris Repertory Theatre touring company.
In 1958 she joined the Arena Theatre, Sutton Coldfield, where she began to attract attention and was seen as Margaret More in the inaugural production of the Welsh Theatre Company, Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons, at the New Theatre, Cardiff in 1962.
With Birmingham Rep between 1968 and 1973, she toured to Chicago and made -notable appearances in Edward Bond’s Saved, the musical Guys and Dolls and as Maggie Hobson in Harold Brighouse’s Hobson’s Choice.
When television filming commitments allowed, she could be found playing a number of strong, usually northern, matriarchs in Billy Liar (Nottingham Playhouse, 1980), touring productions of JB Priestley’s When We Are Married and Michael Frayn’s Noises Off (1987) and Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke’s Situation Comedy (1989).
She scored a personal success as the sharp-tongued Emma Hornett in Philip King and Falkland Carey’s Sailor Beware! at the Lyric, Hammersmith (1991), subsequently touring with it in 1992 and 1993.
Later theatre appearances included Pam Gems’ Deborah’s Daughter (Library -Theatre, Manchester, 1994) and tours of William Ash’s adaptation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights in 1995 and again in 1998.
She made her television debut in Troy Kennedy-Martin and John McGrath’s Marriage, directed by Ken Loach, in 1964. Her Play for Today appearances included Peter Terson’s The Fishing Party (1972) and Alan Bleasdale’s Scully’s New Year’s Eve (1978). Other notable credits included Roy Clarke’s Of Funerals and Fish (1973), The Black Adder (1983) and Mrs Kimble in Silas Marner (1985).
Her few film appearances included Scrubbers (1982), directed by Mai Zetterling.
She was married to Michael Simpson, the former artistic director of Birmingham Rep, from 1971 until his death in December 2007.
Jane Freeman was born Shirley Ann Pithers in Brentford on June 12, 1935, and died of lung cancer on March 9, aged 81.
Obituary: Jane Freeman
Actor Jane Freeman, who has died aged 81
by Michael Quinn - Apr 12, 2017
Although Jane Freeman will forever be associated with the redoubtable cafe owner Ivy in Roy Clarke’s long-running The Last of the Summer Wine – appearing in 274 episodes over a 37-year run and a 1983 stage version – she was also an actor of considerable resources who remained steadfastly committed to the theatre.
If Clarke’s BBC hit comedy overshadowed Freeman’s later career, she was at pains not to be confined by it, appearing in regional rep, national tours and pantomimes throughout its long television life.
Born in London, she moved to Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, when her mother remarried, her father having died in an accident when she was nine. There she developed an early interest in performing at school. After graduating from the City of Cardiff [now Royal Welsh] College of Music and Drama in 1955, she moved to London before joining the Gloucestershire-based all-female Osiris Repertory Theatre touring company.
In 1958 she joined the Arena Theatre, Sutton Coldfield, where she began to attract attention and was seen as Margaret More in the inaugural production of the Welsh Theatre Company, Robert Bolt’s A Man for All Seasons, at the New Theatre, Cardiff in 1962.
With Birmingham Rep between 1968 and 1973, she toured to Chicago and made -notable appearances in Edward Bond’s Saved, the musical Guys and Dolls and as Maggie Hobson in Harold Brighouse’s Hobson’s Choice.
When television filming commitments allowed, she could be found playing a number of strong, usually northern, matriarchs in Billy Liar (Nottingham Playhouse, 1980), touring productions of JB Priestley’s When We Are Married and Michael Frayn’s Noises Off (1987) and Johnnie Mortimer and Brian Cooke’s Situation Comedy (1989).
She scored a personal success as the sharp-tongued Emma Hornett in Philip King and Falkland Carey’s Sailor Beware! at the Lyric, Hammersmith (1991), subsequently touring with it in 1992 and 1993.
Later theatre appearances included Pam Gems’ Deborah’s Daughter (Library -Theatre, Manchester, 1994) and tours of William Ash’s adaptation of Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights in 1995 and again in 1998.
She made her television debut in Troy Kennedy-Martin and John McGrath’s Marriage, directed by Ken Loach, in 1964. Her Play for Today appearances included Peter Terson’s The Fishing Party (1972) and Alan Bleasdale’s Scully’s New Year’s Eve (1978). Other notable credits included Roy Clarke’s Of Funerals and Fish (1973), The Black Adder (1983) and Mrs Kimble in Silas Marner (1985).
Her few film appearances included Scrubbers (1982), directed by Mai Zetterling.
She was married to Michael Simpson, the former artistic director of Birmingham Rep, from 1971 until his death in December 2007.
Jane Freeman was born Shirley Ann Pithers in Brentford on June 12, 1935, and died of lung cancer on March 9, aged 81.
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
Thank you so much for posting Me2 very much appreciated even though it is sad to see yet another of the cast from our wonderful show sadly pass away
I think I have posted this before but the age metioned in The Stage obituary would be right as the link below shows a photo of Jane in a school production in 1955.
Jane is in the middle of the top photo, and the programme has her mothers re-married name of Evans. Her step father Martin Evans was a prominent figure in Merthyr Tydfil as a lawyer.
http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/vaynorandpenderyn_1950s.htm
Jane is in the middle of the top photo, and the programme has her mothers re-married name of Evans. Her step father Martin Evans was a prominent figure in Merthyr Tydfil as a lawyer.
http://www.alangeorge.co.uk/vaynorandpenderyn_1950s.htm
It seems more cast members are saying this is true, such a shame as all that is left from the first original cast is Peter Sallis and little is known about his states of health, even sadder is there has been no media reporting on this the loss of this great actress that bought us so much laughter
captain clutterbuck
LOTSW Fanatic
I am aghast at this Terry . Considering how long she was a stalwart of the show and with the other cast members collectively not only how much pleasure they have brought to millions but also how much revenue they have generated for the BBC coffers they at least should have carried the story , disgraceful.
A Facebook post from Jonathan Linsley tonight:
