Shani Wallis

Shani Wallis (born 14 April 1933 and made her first stage appearance at the age of four. She studied ballet and dance before gaining a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

She made her theatrical debut in a lead role as young princess Maria in Call Me Madam at the London Coliseum in March 1952. starring alongside Oliver Reed as Bill Sikes, Ron Moody as Fagin, Jack Wild as the Artful Dodger, and Mark Lester as Oliver. the couple have one daughter and two granddaughters.

Wallis made a surprise appearance at a recording of Britain's Got Talent at the age of 92, singing "As Long as He Needs Me". Her performance was cut from the broadcast, but was widely viewed on YouTube and the show Britain's Got Talent Unseen.

Selected credits Features YearTitleRoleNotes1956 Ramsbottom Rides Again Joan Ramsbottom The Extra Day Shirley 1957 A King in New York Cabaret Singer 1968 Oliver! Nancy 1973 Arnold Jocelyn Terror in the Wax Museum Laurie Mell 1986 The Great Mouse Detective Lady Mouse (voice) 1992 Round Numbers Binky 1995 The Pebble and the Penguin narrator 2006 Mojave Phone Booth Greta (voice)

Television films YearTitleRole 1957 A Santa for Christmas 1964 Once Upon a Mattress Lady Larken 1976 Mayday at 40,000 Feet Terry Dunlanp 1995 Columbo: Strange Bedfellows Gwen

Selected TV YearTitleRoleNotes 1959 Frankly Howerd The Pianist 1960 Val Parnell's Spectacular Episode: "Johnnie Ray Sings" 1961 Two of a Kind Performer 1963–1964 The Garry Moore Show 1965 The Dean Martin Show Performer singing "I'm a Girl" and "How Are Things in Glocca Morra?" 1965 The Red Skelton Hour Performer episode singing "I'm Old Fashioned" and singing/dancing "Pass Me By" 1966 Mickie Finn's Herself 1968 The Harry Secombe Show 1969-1970 This Is Tom Jones 1971 Night Gallery Miss Danton Segment: "The Doll" 1973 Gunsmoke Stella Silks 2 episodes 1975 Police Story Janet Stiles Episode: "Headhunter" 1977 Charlie's Angels Ellen Jason Episode: "Angels in the Wings" 1981 Fantasy Island Wife in towel Episode: "Cyrano/The Magician" 1989 Murder, She Wrote Olivia Waverley Episode: "Night of the Tarantula" 2000 One World Ms. Cosgrove Episode: "Roots" 2004 The Young and the Restless Frances the Governess 2026 Britain's Got Talent Contestant

Theatre

Call Me Madam, (1952), London Coliseum (as Princess Marie) Wish You Were Here, (1953), London Casino (as Fay Tomkin) Happy As a King, (1953), Princes Theatre, London (as Juliet) Wonderful Town (1954), London Casino Irma La Douce (1961), Lyric Theatre (title role) Fine Fettle (1959), Palace Theatre Green Room Rags (1954), Princes Theatre The Dave King Show, (1956), London Hippodrome Aladdin, (pantomime), (1955), Streatham Hill Theatre (as Aladdin) King Cole (pantomime, 1962), Palace Manchester (as Miranda) Bells Are Ringing (1958), Princess Theatre, Melbourne Bus Stop (1958), Golders Green Hippodrome (as Cherie) You'll Be Lucky, (1954), Adelphi Theatre with Lauri Lupino Lane Cowardy Custard (1989), Theatre Royal Bath A Time for Singing (1966), Broadway Theater Finian's Rainbow (1958), New Shakespeare Theatre 42nd Street, (1985), Drury Lane Theatre Follies (1990), Long Beach Civic Light Opera, 20th Anniversary Revival (as Sally Durant Plummer) Always (1997), Victoria Palace Theatre

Recordings Call Me Madam – original London stage recording (1952) Wish You Were Here – original London stage recording (1953) Shani! EP (1960) – Philips BBE 12337 ("Personality", "Please Don't Say No", "Don't Take Your Love Away from Me", "There Goes My Heart") A Time for Singing (1966) – original Broadway cast recording I'm a Girl! LP (1967) – Kapp Records KS-3472 Look to Love LP (1967) – Kapp Records KS-3527 Oliver! (1968) – original film cast recording As Long As He Needs Me LP (1968) – Kapp Records KS-3573 The Girl from Oliver LP (1969) – Kapp Records KS-3606