Patsy King facts for kids

Patsy King was born on September 16, 1930, in Melbourne, Australia. She is a famous Australian actress and children's television presenter. Patsy King is known for her work in theatre, radio, and television.

Around the world, she is most famous for playing Governor Erica Davidson. This role was in the popular TV series Prisoner. This show was also known as Prisoner: Cell Block H in some countries.

Patsy King has also worked as a theatre director and writer. She was a children's TV host and did voiceovers for commercials. She started her career in the 1950s as a radio and stage actress. She performed in many plays, including those by Shakespeare and Peter Pan. Her career lasted from 1951 to 1995. She even returned to the stage for a short time in 2009.

Patsy King's Early Life

Patsy King was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. When she was young, she wanted to be a dress designer. She spent some of her early years living in the United Kingdom. Later, she came back to Australia.

She then 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 Shakespeare. In 1959, she married John Sumner. He was an important person in Australian theatre. They later divorced in 1967.

Patsy King's Acting Career

Theatre Performances

Patsy King started acting on stage in the early 1950s. She later also wrote plays. She acted in many different theatre shows. Some of these included Victoria Regina and The Miser. She also performed in Summer of the Seventeenth Doll and Richard II.

Her acting in plays earned her several awards. She won the Erik Award and the Melbourne Critics Award. These were for her role in the play Four Poster.

Television Roles

In the early 1960s, Patsy King started her TV career. She appeared in TV plays on the ABC. After that, she had many roles in different TV series. She was in shows like Hunter and The Sullivans. She also appeared in police shows such as Matlock Police and Division 4.

Patsy King became a regular actress on the show Bellbird. She played the character Kate Andrews. Her most famous role was Governor Erica Davidson in Prisoner. This show was also known as Prisoner: Cell Block H. She was the first governor of the fictional Wentworth Detention Centre. She appeared in 351 episodes of the show. After the series ended, she even toured the United Kingdom in a stage play based on Prisoner.

Patsy King was also a well-known children's TV presenter. She was one of the first hosts on the ABC show Play School. She also appeared on other kids' shows. These included The Magic Circle Club and Adventure Island.

Patsy King's Film and TV Appearances

Film

Television

Theatre Performances by Patsy King