Sheila Mary Mitchell (born 1925) is a British actress and author.

Sheila Mitchell
Born
Sheila Mary Mitchell

1925 (age 98–99)
Spouse
(m. 1953; died 2011)
Children4

Early years

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Born in 1925, Sheila Mitchell was a teenager during the Second World War and spent the last two years of that time in the WRNS (Women's Royal Navy Service) working at Bletchley Park. She then trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Lucky enough to work for BBC Radio while she was still a student, broadcasting remained a substantial part of her work, moving into recording Audio Books.[1]

Career

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She found employment both in theatre – The Royal Shakespeare Company, Prospect at the Old Vic, West End productions working with stars like Donald Sinden, John Mills and Derek Jacobi as well as in TV – among other programmes, Jeeves and Wooster, All Creatures Great and Small and countless sitcoms. Writing has been a late addition and she was very nearly 95 before appearing in print for the first time with the publication of H.R.F. Keating: A Life of Crime.[2]

Personal life

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On leaving drama school she spent a few years working in theatre and it was while she was a member of the Swindon repertory company that she met H.R.F. (Harry) Keating who was employed by the local newspaper not only as a reporter and sub-editor but also as their theatre reviewer. They married in 1953 and after the birth of their first child in 1955 her career was put on hold and not resumed until the 1970s by which time they had four children.

Awards

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At the Mystery Readers International, she won Macavity awards[3] in 2020/21 in the Best Mystery Critical/Biography category for H.R.F. Keating: A Life of Crime published by Level Best Books of America.[4]

Filmography

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TV Shows & Films
Year Title Role Note
2017 Witless Old Lady 1 episode
1996 Strange But True? Reconstruction Cast 1 episode
1995 A Mind to Murder Mrs. Fenton TV movie
1992 Jeeves and Wooster Charlotte 1 episode
1989 Capital City Alex's Companion 1 episode
1989 All Creatures Great and Small Mrs. Blackwood 1 episode
1989 The Bretts Gladys 1 episode
1986 King & Castles Secretary 1 episode
1986 No Place Like Home Miss Stanforth 1 episode
1984 Shine on Harvey Home Mother 1 episode
1983 Jemima Shore Investigates Guest at Wine-Testing 1 episode
1982 Whodunnit? SJ Banks TV movie
1982 Grange Hill Mrs. Harvey 1 episode
1981 Present Laughter Miss Erikson TV movie
1980 The Waterfall Hospital sister 3 episode
1980 The Gentle Touch Usher 1 episode
1979 The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris Mrs. Bostock 1 episode
1978 Lillie Charlotte Knollys 3 episode
1964 Z Cars Mrs. Connolly 1 episode
1963 Dr. Finlay's Casebook Telephone Operator 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ The Armchair Detective. Armchair Detective, Incorporated. 1997.
  2. ^ Hamilton, Alex (2012). Writing Talk. Troubador Publishing Ltd. ISBN 978-1-78088-339-7.
  3. ^ "Macavity Awards – Mystery Readers International". Retrieved 2022-08-23.
  4. ^ Mitchell, Sheila (2020-04-28). HRF Keating: A Life of Crime. Level Best Books. ISBN 978-1-947915-52-7.