Wikipedia

Victoria Wicks

Victoria Wicks (born Beverly Victoria Anne Wicks; 18 April 1959) is a British actress. She is known for her role as Sally Smedley in Channel 4's comedy series Drop the Dead Donkey (1990–1998), Mrs. Gideon in The Mighty Boosh (2004), and the College Director in Skins (2007–08). Her film appearances include The Imitation Game (2014) and High-Rise (2015). She is an associate of Howard Barker's theatre company, The Wrestling School.

Victoria Wicks
Born
Beverly Victoria Anne Wicks

(1959-04-18) 18 April 1959 (age 65)
Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, UK
Alma materRoyal Welsh College of Music & Drama
OccupationActress
Spouse
Peter Williams
​
​
(m. 1984; div. 2004)​
Children1

Biography

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Early life and education

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Wicks was born Beverley Victoria Anne Wicks in Chippenham, Wiltshire, England, to Brian and Judith Wicks. Wicks's mother, Judith Bates, born 1933, was the second child of the writer H. E. Bates. Wicks is the niece of Jonathan Bates, a sound editor who died in 2008, and the television producer Richard Bates, who produced the television adaptation of The Darling Buds of May. Wicks is a director of Evensford Productions Ltd, the company set up in 1955 to protect and promote H. E. Bates's work.[1][2]

Wicks trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama where she was awarded the Pernod and Bisquit Award for the most promising graduate.

Career

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Her first job was as acting assistant stage manager at Northampton Rep for a year, before going to Bristol Old Vic, Regent's Park and then the RSC. In 1988 Wicks was in Andy Hamilton's black comedy Tickets for the Titanic, and then went on to play Sally Smedley in all six series of Drop the Dead Donkey.[3] The Mighty Boosh (a radio, television and stage show created by Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt) featured her in Series 1 as Mrs Gideon, the Head of Reptiles at the Zooniverse. Wicks also played Harriet Lawes, the Head of College in the first three series of Skins.

Wicks joined 'The Wrestling School' in 1996. The company was formed in 1988 for the sole purpose of performing the work of the dramatist Howard Barker. Since joining the company Wicks has appeared in nine plays by Barker, performing in London, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Adelaide and also in Rouen, Grenoble, Le Mans and Paris for the co-production of Les Animaux en Paradis, which was performed in French by four British and five French actors. Wicks is an associate of The Wrestling School. In 2010 Wicks was invited to the Segal Theatre Center in New York as guest of Theatre Minima to celebrate a day-long event on the work of Howard Barker.[4]

Wicks played the high priestess of the Sybillines in The Fires of Pompeii, a 2008 episode of Doctor Who. In 2014, she played Dorothy Clarke in The Imitation Game and Susannah Marshall in the E4 drama Glue (2014).

Personal life

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In 1984 Wicks married Peter Williams (divorced 2004); they have one daughter, Madelaine Rose, born 1985.

Credits

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Work for Howard Barker

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Year Title Role Notes
1996 Uncle Vanya[5] Helena London, Berlin, Stockholm
1998 Ursula; Fear of the Estuary[5] Mother Placida London, Birmingham, Copenhagen
1999 Scenes From an Execution[5] Rivera BITE Festival, Barbican Theatre (London)
2000 The Ecstatic Bible[5] Mrs Golllancz Adelaide Theatre Festival (Australia)
2000 He Stumbled Turner, The Queen Riverside Studios (London) and Samuel Beckett Theatre (Dublin)
2001 The Swing at Night Klatura Marionette Theatre for Puppet Theatre Barge
2002 Gertrude – The Cry[5][6] Gertrude Elsinore Castle (Denmark), Birmingham Rep and Riverside Studios (London)
2003 13 Objects[7] Cruel Cup, Kind Saucer, The Ring, Blue Shoe, The Drum Birmingham Rep, Everyman Theatre (Liverpool) and Riverside Studios (London)
2005 The Fence in Its Thousandth Year[5] Algeria Birmingham Rep, Oxford Playhouse, York Theatre Royal
2005 Les Animaux en Paradis Tenna Théâtre des Deux Rives (Rouen), Paris, Grenoble and Le Mans
2008 I Saw Myself Premiere reading New End Theatre, Hampstead
Unknown Actress With an Unloved Child Premiere reading at Lewis Festival
Unknown Screaming in Advance Premiere readings of Concentration and Dying in the Street at The Print Room (London)
2010 Smack Me Thing, A Searcher Premiere reading at the Purcell Room, Southbank Centre (London)
1997 The Love of a Good Man[8] Mrs Sylvia Toynbee BBC R3 Drama
1999 A House of Correction[9] Lyndsay BBC R3 Drama
2001 Knowledge and a Girl[10] The Queen BBC R4 Drama

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1984 Prisoner of Zenda[11] Princess Flavia episodes: 1-6
1985 Adultery: My Little Grey Home in the West[12] Janet Ch4
1986 Two of Us Jackie
1987 Rumpole of the Bailey[13] Amanda Gleason episode: "Rumpole and the Old, Old, Story"
1987 The Houseman's Tale[14] Allison Quothquan episodes: 1-2
1987 Hold the Dream[15] Sarah Lowther episode: 1
1988 Tickets for the Titanic[16] Arbuthnot episode: "Pastoral Care"
1988 Gems Elinor Whiteside episodes: 3.25, 3.26, 3.27
1989 Storyboard[17] Virginia episode: "Snakes & Ladders"
1989 Snakes & Ladders Hotel receptionist episodes: 2 & 4
1990 Grange Hill Doctor Burton episode: 13.17
1990 Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less[18] Georgina Oakley TV movie
1990 Drop the Dead Donkey Sally Smedley Ch4
1991 Amnesty International's Big 30 As Sally Smedley
1993 Paul Merton: The Series Emily episode: 2.3
1993 Blossom Jacqueline Renaud episode: 4.2 & 4.4 (Blossom in Paris)
1993 Comic Timing Sarah St. John Walderbury episode: "No Worries"
1993 Prince Cinders[19] Princess Lovelypenny (voice) Animation
1993 The Main Event[20] As herself BBC game show
1994 Children in Need[21] As herself BBC
1994 You Bet As herself ITV game show ep: 7.13
1994 Murder Most Horrid[22] Jocasta episode: "We all hate Granny"
1994 Mud[23] Miss Palmer
1995 Smith and Jones episode: 8.3 & 8.6
1995 The Imaginatively Titled Punt & Dennis Show episode: 2.2
1995 Stick with Me Kid Christina Samone
1996 Delta Wave Olga Crick
1996 Testament: The Bible in Animation[24] Jezebel (voice) episode: Elijah
1997 Bright Hair (About the Bone)[25] Miss Montrose TV movie
1997 Snap Jane Taylor
1998 Late Lunch with Mel and Sue[26] As herself Ch4 ep: 2.3
2001 Peak Practice Judy episode: 12.3
2001 Bernard's Watch Aunt Rowena CITV
2002 Casualty[27] Connolly QC
2002, 2007, 2009, 2011–2012, 2015, 2022 Doctors Alison Matthews,
Marjorie Middleton,
Yvonne Diamond,
Jenny Rockman,
Jocasta Rathbone,
Elspeth Manners,
Jenny Nicholson[28] 		7 episodes
2002 My Family[29] Bex's Mother Also in 2003, 2005
2004 The Brief Magistrate episode: "So Long, Samanatha"
2004 The Mighty Boosh[30] Mrs. Gideon BBC 3
2004 Midsomer murders Helen Callaghan episode: "Sins of Commission"
2006 Comedy Connections As herself
2007 M.I. High[31] Head of MI8/MI9
2007 My Family[32] Dinner Guest
2007 Skins[33] Head of College (Harriet) E4
2008 Midsomer murders Sarah Stone episode: 18.6 "Talking to the Dead"
2008 The Object[34] Burlap Mum
2008 Mistresses[35] Gemma Grey
2008 Doctor Who[36] High Priestess of The Sybillines episode: "The Fires of Pompeii"
2009 No Signal episode: 1.8 & 1.9 (You Me 'n' Him)
2009 Roar Mother
2009 Emmerdale Mrs. Conway episode: 1.5420
2009 Collision[37] Angela Reeves episode: 1, 2 & 5
2009 Poirot[38] Mrs Swinburne episode: "The Clocks"
2010 Sherlock[39] Margaret Patterson episode: "A study in Pink"
2010 At Home with the Georgians / Behind Closed Doors Lady Stanley episode: "A Woman's Touch"
2011 EastEnders[40] Sandra Halliday episode: 15 & 16 September
2012 Silent Witness[41] Lizzie Fraser episode: "Death has no Dominion" parts I & II
2013 Wizards v Aliens[42] Chancellor Kooth CBBC
2014 Glue[43] Susannah Marshall E4
2014 Crackanory Mrs. Murray, Head teacher episode: 2.4 (Self Storage & the Obituary Writer)
2016 Sliding Bronwen
2017 Finding your Feet[44] Pru - Swimmer
2018 The Royals Ingrid episode: "Confess Yourself to Heaven"
2019 Welcome to the Powder Keg Lois
2019 Mary in the Mirror Therapist
2021 The Larkins (2021 TV series) Mrs Fothergill Also credited as SCRIPT EDITOR
Unknown The Ward Barbara
Unknown No Worries Sarah
Unknown Streetwise Mrs Daniels

Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1986 Ping Pong[45] Maggie Wong Alan's wife
1990 Strike It Rich Jane Truefit
2003 What A Girl Wants[46] Henry's Secretary (Caroline)
2014 The Imitation Game[47] Dorothy Clarke Joan's mother
2015 High Rise[48] Miriam
2015 Notes on Blindness[49] Sally (Librarian)
2016 The Brother[50] Vendor

Theatre

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Year Title Role Notes
1980 Quartet to Murder Theatre Royal, Northampton
1980 Mother Goose Theatre Royal, Northampton
1981 Whose Life is it Anyway? Theatre Royal, Northampton
1981 Cinderella[51] Bristol Old Vic
1981 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui[52] Bristol Old Vic
1981 The Country Wife[53] Mistress Squeamish Bristol Old Vic
1982 Taming of the Shrew[54] A Haberdasher Regents Park Open Air Theatre
1982 A Midsummer Night's Dream[55] Helena Regents Park Open Air Theatre
1983 From War to War with Love[56] New End Theatre, Hampstead
1983 Twelfth Night Olivia Royal Shakespeare Company
1983 Julius Caesar Portia Royal Shakespeare Company
1983 Measure for Measure[57] Royal Shakespeare Company
1983 A New Way to Pay Old Debts[58] Waiting Woman Royal Shakespeare Company
1984 Space Invaders[59] Shar Royal Shakespeare Company
1985 Chinamen Jo, Bee, and Alex Latchmere, Battersea
1986 Charley's Aunt Amy Spettigue Theatre Royal, Plymouth
1992 As You Like It Rosalind Ludlow Festival
1993 Blithe Spirit[60] Elvira Cheltenham Everyman Theatre
1994 Dilemma for Murder Watermill Theatre, Bagnor
1995 Mind the Gap by Meredith Oakes Ginny Hampstead Theatre
2006 A Woman of No Importance[61] Rachel Arbuthnot Salisbury Playhouse
2008 Quartermaine's Terms[62] Melanie Garth Touring production. Kenwright
2015 The One that Got Away Madame Latour Theatre Royal, Bath
Unknown As You Like It Hymen
2024 Drop the Dead Donkey - Revisited Sally Smedley National tour - multiple venues

Radio

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Year Title Role Notes
Unknown Anything Legal Doreen By Wally K. Daly
1982 The Cask of Amontillado[63] First Lady (BBC R4) By Nick Fisher
1982 It's Disgusting at Your Age[64] Penny (BBC R4) By Jacqueline Wilson
1982 Get Together[65] Susy (BBC R4) By Barbara Clegg
1983 The Cleverest Man at Oxford[66] Gillian (BBC R4) By Geoffrey Parkinson
1984 Riding to Jerusalem[67] Amelia Man (BBC R4) By Elspeth Sandys
1985 Albert's Extra Parliamentary Activities[68] Receptionist (BBC R4) By Nick Fisher
1991 The Cabaret of Dr Caligari[69] Anthrax (BBC R4) By Alan Gilbey
2000 The Secret Parts[70] Rosemary Malcolm (BBC R4) Adapted by David Edgar

References

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  3. ^ James, Caryn (23 July 1995). "TELEVISION VIEW; The News From Britain, Sort Of". The New York Times.
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