Georgina Hale

Georgina Hale (4 August 1943 – 4 January 2024) was a British actress. In a career spanning six decades, her credits include work in stage, film, and television. She was a British Academy Film Award winner and a Laurence Olivier Award nominee. In 2010, she was listed as one of ten great British character actors by The Guardian.

Early life and education Georgina Hale was born in Ilford, Essex, to publicans Elsie (née Fordham) and George Robert Hole. She later said that she had:

As a teenager, she worked as an apprentice hairdresser and studied Stanislavski's method approach to acting at a fledgling studio, the Chelsea Actors' Workshop, in London, and subsequently was accepted into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she graduated in 1965.

Acting career

Stage Hale made her professional debut playing unnamed parts with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1965. She appeared in repertory theatre at Canterbury, Windsor and Ipswich, then at the Liverpool Playhouse, in 1967, where her parts included the title role in Gigi and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. At the Thorndike Theatre in Leatherhead in October 1975, she played Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion.

She appeared as Nina in Chekhov's The Seagull at the Derby Playhouse in July 1976, making her West End debut in the production when it transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre in August 1976.

Hale played Marie Caroline David in The Tribades by Per Olov Enquist (Hampstead Theatre Club, May 1978); Melanie in Boo Hoo by Philip Magdalany (Open Space Theatre, July 1978); and Bobbi Michele in Last of the Red Hot Lovers by Neil Simon (Royal Exchange, Manchester, April 1979 – transferring to the Criterion Theatre in November 1979).

In 1982, she appeared with Annette Crosbie and Richard O'Callaghan in a production of Noël Coward's Star Quality at the Theatre Royal, Bath.

Other stage appearances include The Guardsman at the Noël Coward Theatre (2000), Semi-Monde at the Lyric Theatre (2001), Britannicus (2002), The Cherry Orchard (2002) and Chéri (2003) at the Glasgow Citizens Theatre, and Take a Chance on Me at the New End Theatre (2003).

Hale's final stage role was as Nell in Charles Sturridge's production of Endgame by Samuel Beckett at the Gate Theatre, Dublin and then the Barbican, London, as part of the Beckett Centenary Festival in May 2006. The cast also featured Kenneth Cranham, Peter Dinklage and Tom Hickey.

Film In 1971, Hale made her film debut as Betsy Balcombe in the historical drama Eagle in a Cage. Roger Greenspun of The New York Times noted that, at age 24, Hale displayed "a kind of mature intensity that argues for at least 30 years' experience on the stage".

Hale appeared as Alma Mahler in Ken Russell's Mahler (1974), opposite Robert Powell as Gustav Mahler. Her performance earned her the 1975 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. Stephen Farber of Film Comment wrote:

Hale also made appearances in a number of Russell's other films, with roles in The Devils (1971), The Boy Friend (1971), Lisztomania (1975), Valentino (1977), and Treasure Island (1995). Russell later referred to Hale as "an actress of such sensitivity that she can make the hair rise on your arms".

Hale played a supporting role in the romantic drama The World is Full of Married Men (1979), based on the novel of the same name by Jackie Collins. Variety noted that Hale was "effective as a laconic wife who's come to terms with the sexcess scene".

Hale had a small role in the film The Watcher in the Woods (1980), starring Bette Davis. Hale took the role of the younger version of Davis' character largely because of her admiration for Davis.

Her other film appearances included supporting roles in Butley (1974), Sweeney 2 (1978), McVicar (1980), Castaway (1986), Preaching to the Perverted (1997), Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont (2005), and Cockneys vs Zombies (2011).

Television Hale's television career spanned six decades. Her first major television appearances were supporting roles in plays filmed for The Wednesday Play, ITV Playhouse and ITV Play of the Week. Recurring roles in primetime series followed, first opposite Adam Faith in Budgie (1971) as his wayward wife, and then as Lili Dietrich in the miniseries The Strauss Family (1972).

In 1973, she starred in A.D.A.M. as a physically disabled woman who develops an unusual relationship with the sentient computer system that controls her home. Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, the drama was broadcast as part of the ITV Sunday Night Drama anthology strand. In 1975, Hale appeared in two television plays written by Simon Gray, broadcast as part of the BBC series Play for Today. These were Plaintiffs and Defendants and Two Sundays. In 1978, Hale appeared with Michael Gambon in the BBC Play of the Month adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The Seagull. In 1980, Hale portrayed Ruth Ellis, the last woman to be hanged in the UK, in an episode of the drama series Lady Killers.

In 1990, Hale succeeded Elizabeth Estensen in the eponymous role of T-Bag, the villainous, tea-drinking sorceress in a succession of children's adventure series produced by Thames Television. Hale played the role in four series and two Christmas specials broadcast between 1990 and 1992.

In December 1992, Hale appeared in two television plays produced by Simon Curtis, broadcast as part of the anthology series Performance. These were Luigi Pirandello's Six Characters in Search of an Author and Terence Rattigan's After the Dance.

In 1994, Hale appeared in the sitcom pilot The Honeymoon's Over, written by Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson, broadcast as part of the Comic Asides anthology strand on BBC Two.

In 2007, Hale made a guest appearance in the crime drama The Commander. Television critic Nancy Banks-Smith noted in The Guardian that Hale "was able to do wonders with a mere sliver of a scene".

Other television appearances include guest starring roles in Upstairs, Downstairs (1975), Minder (1980), Hammer House of Horror (1980), the Doctor Who (1988), One Foot in the Grave (1990), Murder Most Horrid (1994), The Bill (2002), Emmerdale (2006), Hollyoaks (2010–2011), Crime Stories (2012) and Holby City (2016).

Personal life and death Hale married actor John Forgeham in 1964, but they later divorced.

She died on 4 January 2024, aged 80.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role

1966 Way off Beat Jill The Wednesday Play

Cross My Heart and Hope She'll Die Ruth Drama '67 Strike Pay Maud Wharmby ITV Play of the Week: Stories of D.H. Lawrence

The Judge Pat Dean ITV Playhouse Camille 68 Nanine ITV Playhouse

The Back of Beyond Enid Clarke W. Somerset Maugham (BBC series) Men of Iron Mary Ann Play of Today (BBC)

Special Branch Lisa Episode: "Love from Doris" Menace The Girl Episode: "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed?" 1971–1972 Budgie Jean 3 episodes 1972 The Strauss Family Lili Dietrich Episode: "Lili"

A.D.A.M. Jean Empson ITV Sunday Night Theatre Only Make Believe Sandra George Play for Today (BBC)

Electra Chrysothemis Play of the Month (BBC) Notorious Woman Solange Dudevant-Sand 2 episodes Occupations Polya Affairs of the Heart Lola Skinner Episode: "Adela"

Plaintiffs and Defendants Joanna Play for Today Two Sundays Hilary Play for Today Children of the Sun Fran Play for Today Upstairs, Downstairs Violet Marshall Episode: "An Old Flame" Affairs of the Heart Daisy Miller Episode: "Daisy"

The Author of Beltraffio Beatrice Ambient East Lynne Afy Halljohn 1976–1977 Yes, Honestly Georgina 2 episodes

The Late Wife Andrea ITV Sunday Night Drama Jubilee Alice Moore Episode: "Street Party" 1978 The Seagull Masha Play of the Month

Minder Renee Episode: "The Beer Hunter" Lady Killers Ruth Ellis Episode: "Lucky, Lucky Thirteen" Hammer House of Horror Stella Episode: "The Mark of Satan'" 1981 Eden End Lilian Kirby Celebrity Playhouse 1987 Boon Alison Episode: "A Fistful of Pesetas"

Doctor Who Daisy K The Happiness Patrol, episodes 1, 2 and 3 Gems Lynne 36 episodes South of the Border Joan Hartley Episode 1.3 1989 Murder by Moonlight Allison Quinney TV film

T-Bag and the Pearls of Wisdom Tabatha Bag 10 episodes One Foot in the Grave April Bluett Episode: "Love and Death" T-Bag's Christmas Ding Dong Tabatha Bag

T-Bag and the Rings of Olympus Tabatha Bag 10 episodes Magic Andrea Watson T-Bag's Christmas Turkey Tabatha Bag

The Count of Solar Countess Solar Screen Two T-Bag and the Sunstones of Montezuma Tabatha Bag 10 episodes After the Dance Moya Lexington Performance Take off with T-Bag Tabatha Bag 10 episodes Six Characters in Search of an Author Leading Actress Performance 1993 The Detectives Irene Mazola Episode: "Strangers in Paradise'"

Murder Most Horrid Lady Jamieson Episode: "A Severe Case of Death" The Bill Julie Stone 2 episodes The Honeymoon's Over Norma Sitcom pilot for BBC Two

Treasure Island Mrs. Hawkins TV film Crown Prosecutor Maureen Sherman 1 episode 1998 A Rather English Marriage Sabrina's Maid TV film 2000 Casualty Janet Henbury Episode: "Choked"

Trial & Retribution V Tammy Delaney Episode: "Part 1" The Bill Marilyn Costello 3 episodes Hell on Earth: The Desecration and Resurrection of 'The Devils''' Herself Documentary 2005 Murder Investigation Team|Woman Episode: "Professional'"

Emmerdale|Beryl Chugspoke 8 episodes Budgie's Birds|Herself Documentary

The Commander|Vivienne Littlewood Episode: "The Devil You Know" T-Bag: The Reunion Documentary|Herself Documentary 2010–2011 Hollyoaks|Blanche Longford 7 episodes 2012 Crime Stories|Sally Woods Episode: "Family" 2016 Holby City|Serephina Moore Episode: "On the Ropes"

Stage

Awards and nominations