Patsy King facts for kids

Patsy King, born on September 16, 1930, is an Australian actress. She is also known as a children's television presenter. Patsy has worked in theatre, radio, and television.

Around the world, she is famous for playing Governor Erica Davidson. This role was in the popular TV show Prisoner. The show was also known as Prisoner: Cell Block H in the UK and USA. In Canada, it was called Caged Women.

Patsy King has also directed plays and written them. She was a voiceover artist too. Her career started in 1951 and lasted until 1995. She even returned to the stage briefly in 2009. On TV, she appeared in shows like Homicide and Bellbird. In Bellbird, she played a character named Kate Andrews.

Early Life and Training

Patsy King was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on September 16, 1930. When she was young, she first wanted to be a dress designer. She spent some of her early years living in the United Kingdom.

After returning to Australia, Patsy decided to become an actress. She trained at the National Theatre, Melbourne. There, she learned to be a classical stage actress. She focused on serious plays and works by Shakespeare.

Patsy King's Career

Theatre Performances

Patsy King started acting on stage in the early 1950s. She later also became a playwright, which means she wrote plays. She performed in many different plays.

Some of her famous theatre roles were in Victoria Regina and Peter Pan. She also acted in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and Blithe Spirit. Patsy won awards for her acting, including the Erik Award. She also received the Melbourne Critics Award for her role in the play Four Poster.

Television Roles

Patsy King began her television career in the early 1960s. She first appeared in TV plays on the ABC. After that, she had many roles in different TV series.

She appeared in several shows made by Crawford Productions. These included Hunter, The Sullivans, and The Box. Patsy also acted in police dramas. Some of these were Matlock Police, Division 4, and Homicide.

Famous TV Roles

Patsy King became a regular character in the series Bellbird. She played Kate Andrews in this show. Her most well-known role was Governor Erica Davidson in Prisoner. This show was also called Prisoner: Cell Block H.

She played the first governor of the fictional Wentworth Detention Centre. Patsy appeared in 351 episodes of Prisoner. After the show ended, she even went on a tour in the United Kingdom. This tour was for a stage play based on the Prisoner TV series.

Children's Television

Patsy King was also a popular children's television presenter. She was one of the early hosts on the ABC show Play School. She also appeared on other children's shows. These included The Magic Circle Club and Adventure Island.

Personal Life

In 1959, Patsy King married John Sumner. He was an English-born Australian theatre director. John Sumner founded the Melbourne National Theatre. Patsy and John divorced in 1967.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre Work

As an Actor

As a Director