Jane Lowe

Jane Lowe (born 5 June 1943) is an English actress. She is best known for portraying the roles of Aunt Blodwen in Lizzie Dripping (1973–1975), Mam in the BBC children's programme Jonny Briggs (1985–1987) and Monica Lindsey in the ITV drama Bad Girls (1999–2001). Throughout her career on stage and screen that has spanned over five decades, she has appeared in Coronation Street, The Bill and Doctors on numerous occasions as various characters and co-starred in the horror film The Creeping.

Life and career Lowe was born on 5 June 1943 in Wigan, Lancashire. She began her acting career in 1967, appearing in six episodes of the ITV soap opera Crossroads as Mrs. Coburn, before making her stage debut the same year appearing in productions of The Heir and Bread and Butter at the Castle Theatre in Farnham. Over the next five years, she had minor roles in drama series such as Mr. Rose, Crime Buster, Fraud Squad and Who-Dun-It. In 1972, Lowe portrayed Aunt Blodwen in an episode of Jackanory Playhouse which spawned into a spin-off series Lizzie Dripping the following year, and became Lowe's first regular acting job, portraying the character between 1973 and 1975. In 1985, Lowe began portraying Mam in the BBC children's television series Jonny Briggs, starring in both series before the show's cancellation in 1987. In 1990, Lowe appeared in Perfect Scoundrels as Mrs. Frobisher and portrayed Toni Spuhler in an episode of the BBC2 anthology series Performance in 1992. In 1993, she made guest appearance in series' such as Gallowglass, May to December and Lovejoy. She also appeared in Cracker (1995) and Hetty Wainthropp Investigates (1996).

In 1999, Lowe joined the cast of the ITV drama Bad Girls as Monica Lindsey, a middle-aged, middle-class woman who had been sentenced to five years imprisonment for handling stolen money. The character was released on appeal in the final episode of the first series, however Lowe briefly returned as Monica during the third series, in which she is seen having opened a halfway house for other prisoners.

Lowe has since made regular appearances in television soap operas. She has appeared in the BBC medical soap opera Doctors on seven occasions in various roles, as well as appearing in The Bill five times and Coronation Street four times. She also appeared in an episode of the BBC sitcom Not Going Out in 2013. In 2022, Lowe co-starred in the horror film The Creeping. For her portrayal of Lucy Blakeley, she won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the Houston Horror Film Festival.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1967 Crossroads Mrs. Coburn 6 episodes 1968 Mr. Rose First woman Episode: "The Unlucky Dip" 1968 Crime Buster Episode: "Howzat" 1969 Fraud Squad Rose Episode: "Anybody Here Seen Kelly?" 1969 Who-Dun-It Phillipa Best Episode: "Crime at the Panto" 1969 ITV Playhouse Bucky Branch Episode: "Ancient and Modern" 1971 Coronation Street Barbara Bromley 3 episodes 1972 ITV Sunday Night Theatre Mrs. Boyle Episode: "Whose Life Is It Anyway?" 1972 Jackanory Playhouse Aunt Blodwen Episode: "Lizzie Dripping and the Orphans" 1973–1975 Lizzie Dripping Aunt Blodwen Main role 1975 Play for Today Norma Episode: "Wednesday Love" 1975 Daft as a Brush Factory worker's wife Television film 1975 Angels Beryl Episode: "Off Duty" 1975 The Nearly Man Phyllis Episode: "Casualties: August 1975" 1976 Westway Paula Harvey Main role 1976 Coronation Street Doreen Thornley 1 episode 1977 Play for Today Public relations girl Episode: "Spend Spend Spend" 1977 Jubilee Hilde Episode: "Wind of Change" 1977 Rooms Aunt Rose Recurring role 1978 Z-Cars Mrs. Thomas Episode: "Quilley on the Spot" 1978 Disraeli Charlotte de Rothschild Episode: "The Great Game 1858–1872" 1979 Telford's Change Mary Episode: "The Philistines Of Sussex/Situation Vacant" 1979 Crown Court Sarah Fine 3 episodes 1979 The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris Mrs. Harris 5 episodes 1979 Leave it to Charlie Dora Rickenbacker Episode: "Ole Brown Eyes" 1969 ITV Playhouse Joanna Episode: "Casting the Runes" 1980 Ladykillers Edna Baker Episode: "Lucky, Lucky Thirteen!" 1980 ITV Playhouse Janice Episode: "Hands" 1980 Life for Christine Headmistress Television film 1982 Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House Mrs. Cunliffe Main role, 7 episodes 1984 Cockles Mabel Gutteridge Main role 1985 One by One Mrs. Younger Episode: "Pride of Place" 1985 I Woke Up One Morning Maureen 1 episode 1985 Late Starter Jean 3 episodes 1985–1987 Jonny Briggs Mam Main role 1986 The Bill Mrs. Simpson Episode: "Ringer" 1986 The Practice Miriam Raintree 2 episodes 1989 The Bill Debbie's mother Episode: "Street Games and Board Games" 1989 Boon Amelia Woods Episode: "All in a Day's Pork" 1990 Perfect Scoundrels Mrs. Frobisher Episode: "The Day of Jubilo" 1992 Performance Toni Spuhler Episode: "Tales from Hollywood" 1993 Gallowglass Iris 1 episode 1993 May to December Snooty customer Episode: "Baby Love" 1993 Lovejoy Camilla Episode: "A Going Concern" 1995 Casualty Alice Munton Episode: "When All Else Fails" 1995 Cracker Landlady Episode: "True Romance: Part 1" 1996 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Alice Baynes Episode: "Safe as Houses" 1996 The Bill Jean Booth Episode: "Minding" 1997 Wokenwell Alma Watling 1 episode 1997 EastEnders Brenda 1 episode 1998 The Bill Carol Houghton Episode: "The Parent Trap" 1998 Peak Practice Jayne Swift Episode: "Once in a Lifetime" 1999 The Blonde Bombshell Millicent Lake 1 episode 1999 Four Fathers Mrs. Pagel 1 episode 1999–2001 Bad Girls Monica Lindsey Main role 2000 Heartbeat Mrs. Edna Bostwick Episode: "Child's Play" 2001 Lies... In Love Nancy's mother Film 2001 Down to Earth Lady Wharton 3 episodes 2001 Doctors Maeve Ripley Episode: "Sleeping Beauty" 2002 Crime and Punishment Landlady Television film 2002 Judge John Deed Mary Hay Episode: "Nobody's Fool" 2003 Silent Witness Enid Parkin Episode: "Beyond Guilt: Part 1" 2004 Doctors Barbara Martin Episode: "Cuckoo in the Nest" 2005 Holby City Joyce Harris Episode: "Thinking Outside the Box" 2005–2007 Cold Blood Mary Osbourne 2 episodes 2005 Spooks Fiona's mother Episode: "The Russian" 2006 Housewife, 49 Mrs Higham Television film 2007 Doctors Cecily Langer Episode: "Up, Up and Away" 2008 Holby City Kate Pervis 2 episodes 2008 The Royal Mrs. Smythe Episode: "Against All Odds" 2009 Hustle Miriam Episode: "Politics" 2009 Doctors Elsa Scott 3 episodes 2010 The Bill Margaret Cooper Episode: "Time Bomb" 2010 Moving On Maureen Episode: "Losing My Religion" 2011 7 Lives Mary's mum Film 2011 Doctors Mrs. Zelda Smith Episode: "Night Thoughts" 2013 Doctors Evelyn Bowe Episode: "Sweet Sixteen" 2013 Casualty Georgina Melbury Episode: "What You Believe" 2013 Not Going Out Carol Episode: "The House" 2015 Emmerdale Mrs. Biggs 1 episode 2015 Doctors Eileen Grant Episode: "Injecting a Little Spice" 2017 Doctors Alice Lawson Episode: "Magpie" 2017 Loose Ends Biddy Short film 2018 Casualty Valerie Clerk Episode: "Rage in Resus" 2018 Coronation Street Bertha Plumtree 1 episode 2020 Coronation Street Margaret Newsome 3 episodes 2022 The Creeping Lucy Blakeley Film Sources:

Stage Year Title Role Venue 1967 The Heir Margherita Castle Theatre, Farnham 1967 Bread and Butter Miriam (butter) Castle Theatre, Farnham 1970 What the Butler Saw Mrs Prentice Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch 1970 Dead Silence Mrs Masters Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch 1970 Someone Waiting Vera Nedlow Hippodrome, London Palace Theatre, Manchester 1971 Barefoot in the Park Mrs Banks Liverpool Playhouse 1971 The Woman in White Marian Halcombe Castle Theatre, Farnham 1974 Candida Candida Morell Watford Palace Theatre 1979 Saturday Sunday Monday Royal Lyceum Theatre 1984 Mandragola Sostrata Royal National Theatre 1985 A Man for All Seasons Lady Alice More Nottingham Playhouse 1985 Me Mam Sez Mam Nottingham Playhouse 1987 A Cuckoo in the Nest Mrs Spoker Redgrave Theatre, Farnham 1988–1989 The Beaux' Stratagem Lady Bountiful 1989 Death of a Salesman Mrs Spoker Redgrave Theatre, Farnham 1990 Rebecca Churchill Theatre 1990 The Entertainer Phoebe Rice Redgrave Theatre, Farnham 1991 Steel Magnolias M'Lynn New Wolsey Theatre 1991 Hay Fever Judith Bliss New Wolsey Theatre 1992 Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Martha New Wolsey Theatre 1992 Medea Woman of Corinth Almeida Theatre 1993 The Belle of Belfast City Vi Orange Tree Theatre 1994 The Card Mrs Machin Regent's Park Open Air Theatre 1993–1994 Medea Woman of Corinth Liverpool Playhouse Wyndham's Theatre 1996 Romeo and Juliet New End Theatre 1996 The Verge Adelaide Orange Tree Theatre 1997 My Mother Said I Never Should Margaret The Young Vic Theatre 2000 Venecia Rita Gate Theatre 2002 Long Time No See Freda Stratford Circus 2003 True West Mom Bristol Old Vic 2006 Hedda Gabler Aunt Juli West Yorkshire Playhouse Liverpool Playhouse 2011 Notes to Future Self Daphne Birmingham Repertory Theatre 2011 Buried Child Halie Curve Theatre 2012 Calcutta Kosher Mozelle Arcola Theatre 2013 The Summer House Tatiana Soho Theatre 2013 As Is Hospice worker Trafalgar Studios Sources: