Katy Carmichael facts for kids

Katy Jane Carmichael (born 5 March 1970) is a talented English actress and director. She is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows. These include playing Twist Morgan in the Channel 4 sitcom Spaced. She also played Lucy Barlow in the ITV soap Coronation Street. Later, she was Melissa Ryan in Waterloo Road. As a director and producer, Katy has worked on award-winning projects. One notable work is Mayday Mayday, which was shown at the Bristol Old Vic and St Ann's Warehouse in New York.

Early Life and Education

Katy Carmichael grew up in Liverpool, England. Her parents were both architects. She went to Gateacre Community Comprehensive School. For her advanced studies, she attended Liverpool College.

After spending six seasons with the National Youth Theatre, Katy went to the University of Bristol. There, she studied drama, film, and television. She was classmates with future stars like Simon Pegg and Jessica Hynes.

Acting Career Highlights

Katy Carmichael started her professional acting career at 18. Her first role was Connie in the Liverpool sitcom Bread. She filmed this while still at university. Early in her career, she formed a comedy duo. It was called The Liz Hurleys with her friend Jessica Hynes. Jessica later became her co-star in Spaced.

After university, Katy began working in television. She appeared in the 1950s Liverpool drama And The Beat Goes On (1994). She also worked on the Galton and Simpson series with Paul Merton. Other early roles included Wing and a Prayer and Death Of A Salesman. She also appeared in Dennis Potter's Karaoke / Cold Lazarus. Katy played DC Jo McMullen in Liverpool 1.

Starring in Spaced

Katy reunited with Jessica Hynes and Simon Pegg for the BAFTA-nominated sitcom Spaced. She played the character Twist Morgan. The show was very popular and ran for two series. Before Spaced, the three actors also worked together. They appeared in the sketch show Six Pairs of Pants in 1995.

Film and Television Roles

In 2001, Katy Carmichael starred in her first film. It was based on a novel by Martin Amis. She also appeared in Kenneth Branagh's comedy film In the Bleak Midwinter. In this movie, she played a "mad puppetwoman". She also had the main female role, Jane Wells, in the fantasy drama The Infinite Worlds of H. G. Wells.

Katy took on many different roles in comedies and dramas. These included Hex, Scarlett, and One Foot in the Grave. She also appeared in Clocking Off and Cutting It. In 2002, she joined the cast of Coronation Street. She played florist Lucy Richards for two years. Her character was part of an award-winning storyline. This involved Peter Barlow's bigamy.

In 2009, she played Melissa Ryan in the school drama Waterloo Road. Melissa was the sister of the headteacher, Rachel Mason. Katy also played the mother in Danny Stack's short film Origin (2010). In 2014, she was Helen in Jimmy McGovern's series Moving On for the BBC. From 2014 to 2015, she played Hayley Blake in Casualty. Hayley was Connie Beauchamp's rival. In 2015, she played Clarity Winlove in The Living and The Dead.

Stage Performances

On stage, Katy has performed in many plays. She acted opposite Steven Berkoff in Sturm and Drang in 1995. She also played Yseult -Whitehands in Kneehigh Theatre's famous play Tristan and Yseult. This play toured internationally from 2005 to 2006. She has also performed at the Royal Exchange Theatre and the Liverpool Everyman. At the Bristol Old Vic, she met her future husband, Tristan Sturrock. They were both in a play called The Beaux Stratagem.

Directing and Producing Work

In 2010, Katy and her husband Tristan Sturrock started their own theatre company. It is called Theatre Damfino and is based in Bristol. Katy has directed all of the company's projects so far.

Award-Winning Projects

One of their projects is Mayday Mayday. It premiered at the Bristol Old Vic in 2012. This show won the International Fringe Review award in Edinburgh in 2012. It was also chosen to be performed at St Ann's Warehouse in New York. The show was later adapted into a radio play for Radio 4 in 2015. The radio play won the International Third Coast award in the US. It was also nominated for two BBC Drama awards in 2016.

Katy also worked with chef Matt Williamson and food writer Claire Thomson. Together, they created a food-theatre show called The Table Of Delights. This started as a gourmet tasting and performance for adults. It was shown at the Bristol Old Vic from 2013 to 2014. A version for children premiered in 2016. It won the Off West End award for best production for families. Katy is now the creative director for The Table of Delights online. This is a new food entertainment website.

She also directed singer Kate Dimbleby's solo show Songbirds. This show toured the UK in 2017.

Personal Life

Katy Carmichael married actor Tristan Sturrock in 2005. They have three children together. Their son was born in 2004, and their daughters were born in 2006 and 2010. One of their daughters, Bronte Carmichael, is also an actress. She is known for playing Madeline Robin in the 2018 Disney film Christopher Robin.

Film and TV Appearances