Dorothea Phillips

Dorothea Melisande Elizabeth Gwenllian Phillips (born 5 September 1928), known as Dottie, is a Welsh actress, best known for her roles in the radio, theatre and film versions of Under Milk Wood and 102 Dalmatians. She appeared in the first stage production of T. S. Eliot's 1958 play The Elder Statesman, at the Edinburgh Festival.

Early life and education Dorothea Phillips was the daughter of Canon W D Phillips, vicar of Cwmtillery. She had one sister. She studied English at Aberystwyth University followed by law, with the intention of becoming a barrister, about which she said, "I found law lessons so tedious that I spent most of my time in the university dramatic society." She was vice-chair of Abertillery Council's Entertainments Committee and vice-chair of the Students' Representative Council.

Career After graduation her first position in theatre was as an assistant stage manager, after which she joined a repertory company as an actor. She went on to appear in theatre, radio, film and television.

Theatre

Radio 1963: Under Milk Wood (BBC) with Richard Burton, about which Phillips said "Some people said there was a melancholy to Richard's voice but the Welsh are melancholy by nature. It's the quality of hwyl – a word which doesn't quite translate into English. At times Richard had it." 1966: This Little Piggy (BBC) 1967: The White Sparrow (BBC)

Film

Television

Also Dixon of Dock Green, No Hiding Place and Danger Man.

Soho, London In the 1960s, because of her legal qualification, Phillips held the licence to various bars in London's Soho, including the Irving, the Iron Lung, the Buckstone and the Kismet, where patrons included Terence Stamp, Albert Finney, David Hockney and Francis Bacon.