kids encyclopedia robot

Patsy King facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Patsy King
Born (1930-09-16) 16 September 1930 (age 94)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Occupation
  • Actress (stage, radio, television, film)
  • television presenter
  • director
  • commercial voiceover
Years active TV and Film: 1961–1984
Theatre (acting, directing, and writing) 1951-1990.
Known for Prisoner (also known internationally as Prisoner: Cell Block H)
Notable work
Spouse(s) John Sumner (1959-1967)

Patsy King (born 16 September 1930) is an Australian actress known for her work in theatre, radio and television.

She is known to international audiences for the cult classic television series Prisoner (known in the UK and USA as Prisoner: Cell Block H and Canada as Caged Women) as Governor Erica Davidson, the original Governess of the "Wentworth Detention Centre". She has been a children's television presenter, theatre director and playwright, and worked in commercials. She has also worked in radio and done voiceover work, particularly during the early stages of her career in the United Kingdom.

King started her career as a radio and classical stage actress, with roles ranging from Shakespeare to Peter Pan. She was active between 1951 and 1990, then came briefly out of retirement, returning to the stage in 2009. Her career in television and children's entertainment started in the early 1960s and extended until 1984. King appeared in several character roles in the police procedural series Homicide., before taking a regular role in the rural series Bellbird as Kate Andrews.

Biography

Early life

King was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia on 16 September 1930. She aspired to become a dress designer and spent her early years in the United Kingdom. Returning to Australia and opting to work in the theatre, she trained as a Shakespearean actress with Melbourne's National Theatre. In 1959, she married English-born theatre impresario John Sumner. They divorced in 1967.

Career

Television

King appeared in teleplays on the ABC in the early 1960s, before featuring in a variety of television serials and guest roles in a range of Crawford Productions series such as Hunter, The Sullivans and The Box as well as in the police procedurals Matlock Police, Division 4, Bluey, Cop Shop, and Homicide, in which she played 14 different character parts. She also acted in Power Without Glory, Chopper Squad, Out of Love and the comedy series Good Morning, Mr. Doubleday.

King became a regular cast member of the TV series Bellbird as Kate Andrews. Internationally she is known as an original cast member of Prisoner, also known as Prisoner: Cell Block H, as the first governor of the fictional Wentworth Detention Centre. She appeared in 351 episodes as well-coiffured Governor/Warden Erica Davidson. The role of Governor was originally offered to Googie Withers, who had played the role in the unrelated but similar British prison series Within These Walls. After the series ended, King toured the United Kingdom in a stage play based on the series.

King wore high heels and an up-style French roll hairstyle when playing the role, as series creator Reg Watson wanted her to tower over the prison inmates. .....

Children's presenter and entertainer

She was an early presenter on the ABC TV show Play School, and also appeared on The Magic Circle Club and Adventure Island.

Theatre

Although best known to TV audiences, King trained and started her early career as a stage actress in the early 1950s, and later worked as a playwright roles in productions ranging from the classic to period piece costumed roles, including Victoria Regina, The Miser, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Richard II, Blithe Spirit, Absurd Person Singular, Half a Sixpence, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Love For Love and Love Letters. King earned awards for her theatre roles, including the Erik Award and Melbourne Critics Award for Four Poster.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Type
1972 The Journey Film short

Television

Year Title Role Type
1961 The Rivals Lydia Teleplay
1962 Suspect (episode of The General Motors Hour) Janet Teleplay
1964 Wind from the Icy Country Ella Teleplay
1965-1975 Homicide Sarah Adams / Helen Taylor / Trin Turner / Shirley Wallace / Kay Loder / Policewoman Burke / Janet Smith / Pat Palmer / Sybil Cochrane / Mary Hamilton / Joan Preston / Carol Long / Betty Nyberg / Joy TV series, 14 episodes
1965 A Time to Speak (episode of Wednesday Theatre) Annie Teleplay
1965 Photo Finish (episode of Wednesday Theatre) Teleplay
1966 The Decision (episode of Australian Playhouse) Sally Peters TV series
1966 Play School Presenter TV series, 10 episodes
1967 Bellbird Kate Andrews TV series, recurring role
1967 Adventure Island Miss Behaviour TV series, regular role
1968 Hunter Jean Gallagher TV series, 1 episode
1969 Good Morning, Mr. Doubleday Bridget O'Connor TV series, 1 episode
1969 Dynasty Kathy Mason TV series, 1 episode
1970-1975 Division 4 Mrs. Carr / Susan Hill / Carol Foster / Marion Dalton / Valerie Fisher TV series, 5 episodes
1970 The Long Arm Naomi TV series, 1 episode
1971-1974 Matlock Police Lily / Joan / Jan Ross TV series, 3 episodes
1974 Marion Mrs. Finnegan TV miniseries, 3 episodes
1974 This Love Affair TV series, episode 2: "Tilting at Windmills"
1974 The Box Gloria TV series, 2 episodes
1974 Out of Love TV series, episode 2: "It Will Never Work"
1976 Power Without Glory Vera Maguire TV miniseries, 4 episodes
1977 Bluey Tina Golding TV series, episode 33: "Final Devotion"
1977 Hotel Story TV series, 1 episode
1977 The Sullivans Beryl Fletcher TV series, 4 episodes
1978 Cop Shop Sara Fitzsimmons / Julie Gibbons TV series, 2 episodes
1978 Chopper Squad Iris Deacon TV series, episode 5: "8:52 A.M."
1979 The Franky Doyle Story Erica Davidson TV film
1981 Prisoner in Concert Erica Davidson TV special
1979-1984 Prisoner Regular role: Governor Erica Davidson / Erica TV series, 353 episodes

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue / Co.
1951 Victoria Regina National Theatre, Melbourne
1952 National Theatre Festival of the Arts 1952: Season Six Princess Theatre, Melbourne
1955 The Lady from the Sea National Theatre, Melbourne
1956 Summer and Smoke University of Melbourne
1956 The Miser National Theatre, Melbourne
1957 The Wind of Heaven University of Melbourne
1957 Our Town Rebecca Webb University of Melbourne
1957 The Queen and the Rebels Peasant University of Melbourne
1957 The Matchmaker Ermengarde University of Melbourne
1957 Tonight in Samarkand University of Melbourne
1957 Ring Round the Moon University of Melbourne
1957 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof Margaret Wolfie Dixie University of Melbourne
1957 A View from the Bridge Neighbour University of Melbourne
1957 Peter Pan (pantomime) Princess Theatre, Melbourne
1957–60 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Bubba Ryan Darwin Town Hall, Australian regional tour, His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, Opera House, Wellington, Theatre Royal, Adelaide
1960 See How They Run Penelope Toop University of Melbourne
1961 The Mystery of a Hansom Cab Madge Frettleby Russell Street Theatre, University of Melbourne
1961 The Importance of Being Ernest Cecily Cardew University of Melbourne
1961 Romanoff and Juliet Juliet Moulsworth University of Melbourne
1962 Dracula Lucy Seward University of Melbourne
1963 The Good Ship Walter Raleigh Josephine University of Melbourne
1963 Richard II University of Melbourne
1963–65 The Fourposter Agnes Russell Street Theatre
1963 The Happy Invalid University of Melbourne
1965 The Glazed Look St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1966 The Cavern St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1967 Half A Sixpence Helen Walsingham Comedy Theatre, Melbourne
1968 See How They Run /Charley’s Aunt St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1969 Marching Song St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1969 Love for Love Angelica St Martins Theatre, Melbourne
1974 The Slaughter of St Theresa's Day Monash University
1976 Absurd Person Singular Margaret Theatre Royal, Hobart
1978 Innocent Bystanders Lilith Playbox Theatre, Melbourne
1983 A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur Helena Playbox Theatre, Melbourne
1984 Farewell Brisbane Ladies Universal Theatre, Melbourne
Blithe Spirit Elvira
1989 Love wiih the Lights Out Director Carlton Courthouse
1990 A Constant Lover Director Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne
1990 An Office Romance Director Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne
1995 Prisoner Cell Block H: The Stage Play
2009 Love Letters (charity performance)
kids search engine
Patsy King Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.