Fenella Fielding

Fenella Fielding (born Fenella Marion Feldman; 17 November 1927 – 11 September 2018) was an English stage, film and television actress who rose to prominence in the 1950s and 1960s, and was often referred to as "England's first lady of the double entendre". She was known for her seductive image and distinctively husky voice. Fielding appeared in two Carry On films, Carry On Regardless and Carry On Screaming! (1966).

Early life and education Fenella Marion Feldman was born on 17 November 1927 in Whitechapel, London, to a Romanian Jewish mother, Tilly ( Katz; 1902–1977), and a Lithuanian Jewish father, Philip Feldman.

She was the younger sister of Basil, later Baron Feldman. She grew up in Lower Clapton and later Edgware where she attended North London Collegiate School. She attended Madame Behenna’s dance school in Stamford Hill. Her father at one time managed a cinema in Silvertown, east London.

Career Fielding began her acting career in 1952, concentrating on stage productions, including the Bromley Little Theatre. She was given her first break when she accompanied the then-unknown actor Ron Moody to an audition (they had met in an amateur production at the London School of Economics). Her performance in Sandy Wilson's musical version of Valmouth made her a star in 1958. By 1959, she was appearing with Kenneth Williams in the comedy revue Pieces of Eight, written by Harold Pinter and Peter Cook. Between 1960 and 1962 Fielding played Janet Harris, a liberated secretary at an advertising firm, in the BBC radio sitcom Something to Shout About. In 1960, Fielding appeared as the Contessa in the final episode of the TV series The Four Just Men ("Treviso Dam").

Fielding later starred in her own television programme Izeena (1966). (after being passed over as Patrick Macnee's regular partner in favour of Honor Blackman) and in Danger Man. She appeared in four episodes of Morecambe and Wise Show between 1969 and 1972. She interspersed these with performances in plays by Ibsen, Shakespeare and Henry James, reputedly keeping an edition of Plato's writings by her bed.

Fielding was the uncredited Village announcer in The Prisoner (1967–68), and co-starred with Tom Poston and Robert Morley in the remake of The Old Dark House (1963). In Dougal and the Blue Cat, based on The Magic Roundabout, she voiced the character of the Blue Voice, referred to as "Madam" by both Buxton (the blue cat of the title) and Dougal at various stages throughout the film. In the late 1960s, Fielding was approached by Federico Fellini to work on one of his films, but turned the work down because she was already booked to perform on stage at the Chichester Festival Theatre. In 2011, Fielding appeared at the Jermyn Street Theatre, London in an English Chamber Theatre presentation of Jane McCulloch's Dearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn, the dramatised letters of Nancy Mitford and Evelyn Waugh. was published in both audio and book form in 2017 and led to a number of appearances on stage reading extracts from it in places all over the UK.

Voice work Fielding voiced “The Blue Voice” in the 1972 English adaptation of the 1970 French film ‘Dougal And The Blue Cat’, 'MOOD', the quirky supercomputer in the video game Martian Gothic in a script written by science fiction author Stephen Marley. After 2000, she recorded with Savoy, a book publishing and recording company. Her work with them includes readings of Colette, J. G. Ballard's Crash and T. S. Eliot's Four Quartets. In the following years, Fielding was a regular guest contributor on BBC Radio 4's PM and Broadcasting House.

Death Fielding suffered a stroke on 25 August 2018 and died two weeks later at Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, on 11 September 2018, aged 90. She never married nor had children.

Filmography Film

Television

Selected stage credits

Year Production Role Venue / notes 1951 What's New — Ciro’s Nightclub (cabaret) 1951 Around the Town — Washington Hotel (cabaret) 1952 The High Bid — Bolton’s Theatre – walk-on role 1952 Still Waters — Understudy 1952 Constant Lover Evelyn — 1952 Swing Back the Gate — Irving Theatre – revue 1958 Valmouth Lady Parvula de Panzoust Saville Theatre, West End 1959 Pieces of Eight — Apollo Theatre – revue with Kenneth Williams 1960s The Rivals Lydia Languish Various productions 1960s A Doll’s House Nora Various productions 1960s Hedda Gabler Hedda Various productions 1960s The Importance of Being Earnest Gwendolen Fairfax Various productions 1960s Let’s Get a Divorce Cyprienne Various productions 1960s Fallen Angels Jane Banbury Various productions 1960s An Ideal Husband Lady Markby Various productions 1970 Colette — Off-Broadway 1982 Valmouth (revival) — London 1999 Lady Windermere’s Fan — Touring production 1990s–2000s Blithe Spirit Madame Arcati Revival productions 2011 Dearest Nancy, Darling Evelyn — Jermyn Street Theatre 2012– Readings of Greek classics Performer Various venues 2010s Do You Mind If I Smoke? Solo performer Touring autobiographical show