Polly James

Polly James
Born	Blackburn, Lancashire, England
Years active	1966–2001
Spouse	Clive Francis
Children	One son

Polly James, (born as Pauline Devaney), is an English actress with a career in theatre, film, television and radio.

Biography

Born in Blackburn, Lancashire, after graduating from RADA, James's TV career began in BBC2's Thirty-Minute Theatre, followed by the role of a drug addict in Z-Cars in 1967. She played Audrey Hargreaves in Coronation Street in 1967.

She is best known for her role as Beryl Hennessey in the first four series of the British sitcom The Liver Birds (1969–74), mostly alongside Nerys Hughes. She played Cicely Courtneidge in the biographical musical of the actress Once More with Music in 1976, appeared as a soubrette in Alan Clarke's 1982 production of Baal, and in Doctor Who in 1984. She appeared, too, in the West End musicals I and Albert and Anne of Green Gables. In 1971, James appeared with the Royal Shakespeare Company in The Merchant of Venice with Judi Dench.

She is married and has one child.

Television roles

Comedy

Year	Title	Role
1969 to 1974	The Liver Birds	Beryl Hennessey
1996	The Liver Birds	Beryl Fenning, née Hennessey

Children's

Year	Title	Role
2000 to 2001	The Worst Witch	Miss Lavinia Crotchet

External links

• Polly James at IMDb