Claire Nielson

Claire is an actor, writer and director who is well know for her many television appearances with The Two Ronnies and for creating the part of Mrs Hamilton in the famous ‘Waldorf Salad’ episode of Fawlty Towers. She also played Edith Rankin opposite Richard Briers in Monarch of the Glen and Amy McSwan in A is for Acid with Martin Clunes. Other TV appearances include leading roles in Taggart, Doctors, Holby City, The Jury, London’s Burning, Upstairs Downstairs, Just William, Angels, Z Cars, Crown Court, Dixon of Dock Green, Dr Finlay’s Casebook, The Dick Emery Show, Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?; and the BAFTA-nominated BBC series The Crow Road. In the cinema, she appeared in the film version of Arnold Wesker’s The Kitchen and played Barbara Grant in Kidnapped opposite Michael Caine and Trevor Howard.

Claire’s London appearances include: Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare’s Globe); Brian Rix’s Don’t Just Lie There, Say Something! (Garrick Theatre); Threads (Hampstead); Desdemona in Othello and Lydia Languish in The Rivals opposite Fay Compton (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith); and Maggie in Sparrers Can’t Sing (Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop). In repertory, Claire’s credits include seasons at: Bolton; Hornchurch; Canterbury; Perth; Glasgow Citizens; Birmingham Rep; Theatre Royal, Stratford East; Theatre Royal, Plymouth; and Theatre Royal, Windsor as Ruth in Ayckbourn’s trilogy The Norman Conquests. At international festivals she played leading roles with Theatre Workshop at the Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt in Paris and the Maxim Gorki Theatre in East Berlin.

For BBC Radio, her credits include: Ripples; Mademoiselle Pearl; Dr Finlay: Adventures of a Black Bag; The Light of Heart; Wives and Daughters; and Lucy Bailey’s award-winning Radio 3 production of The Leopard. She has directed plays in London at the Riverside Studios and the Gate Theatre, and in Stratford-upon-Avon at the Other Place and the Swan Theatre for the RSC Fringe Festival. Also for the RSC she has devised and led many workshops including a prestigious series in Italy for Ferrara University.

Claire read English at King’s College, Cambridge. As a writer, her books include: Your First Grandchild (Harper Collins); The Spirit of Beardsley (Gramercy Books); Buddhism for Bears (St Martin’s Press); and The Tao of Babies (Random House). Her latest novel, The House at Strone, was published in 2022 and she is currently working on the sequel.

Plays authored

On the Grapevine

Past productions

Olivia, Twelfth Night, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Shakespeare’s Coming Home 1^st March 2022, The Ballroom, Stratford-upon-Avon Town Hall,.
Contributing Writer / Ensemble Company, An Actor’s Life for Me, Shakespeare Revue Company 2016, Bloxham Literary Festival, RAC Club, Camden Fringe Festival, Normansfield Theatre Twickenham.
Ensemble Company, Come Rain, Come Shine, Hiss and Boo Company and Shakespeare Revue Company 1999 – 2016, Tour – International.
Ensemble Company, An Actor’s Life for Me, Shakespeare Revue Company 2^nd January 2014, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, An Actor’s Life for Me, Shakespeare Revue Company 2011 – 2014, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company / Writer, On the Grapevine, Shakespeare Revue Company 29^th December 2013, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, Crackers & Spice, Shakespeare Revue Company 26^th December 2013, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, Love etc, Shakespeare Revue Company 22^nd December 2013, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, Love etc, Shakespeare Revue Company 21^st July 2013, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company / Writer & Director, On the Grapevine, Shakespeare Revue Company 17^th July 2013, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, An Actor’s Life for Me, Shakespeare Revue Company 13^th July 2013, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, Come Rain, Come Shine, Shakespeare Revue Company 8^th July 2013, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, Love etc, Shakespeare Revue Company 30^th September 2009, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, Vicarage Allsorts, Shakespeare Revue Company 25^th September 2009, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Ensemble Company, Come Rain, Come Shine, Shakespeare Revue Company 22^nd September 2009, Swan Hellenic Cruises.
Nurse, Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare’s Globe 2006, Shakespeare’s Globe, London.
Ensemble Company / Writer & Director, On the Grapevine, Shakespeare Revue Company 2^nd October 2005, Heart of England Vineyard.
Ellen Metcalf (replacement), The Shell Seekers, Kenneth H Wax Ltd and Nick Brooke Ltd 1^st September 2003 – 20^th March 2004, Theatre Royal, Bath, Civic Theatre, Darlington, and other locations.
Director, Dancing in the Dark, Royal Shakespeare Company 15^th – 20^th September 2000, The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Director, The Second Best Bed, Royal Shakespeare Company 26^th July 1998 (press night), The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Mrs Allen, Northanger Abbey, Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch 24^th April – 17^th May 1997, Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch.
Director, Abiding Passions, Beltane Theatre Company 10^th October – 2^nd November 1996, Riverside Studios, London.
Lucy Fitton, The Family Way, Octagon Theatre Bolton 24^th March – 22^nd April 1995, Octagon Theatre, Bolton.
Director, Creditors, Alexander Racolin, Annette Moskowitz, Fusion Theatre Company, and Play Producers Inc 8^th – 26^th February 1995, Gate Theatre, Notting Hill Gate, London.
Director, A Bucket of Eels, Royal Shakespeare Company 14^th January 1994 (press night), Buzz Goodbody Studio, The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Elizabeth Rock, The Doctor and the Devils, Plymouth Theatre Royal Productions 4^th – 13^th November 1993, Theatre Royal, Plymouth.
Miss Walkinshaw, Threads, Hampstead Theatre Company 24^th March – 26^th April 1980, Hampstead Theatre, London.
Ruth, The Norman Conquests, Windsor Theatre Company 31^st May – 9^th July 1977, Theatre Royal, Windsor.
Gisele Parkyn (temporary replacement), Don’t Just Lie There, Say Something!, Brian Rix Theatre of Laughter 16^th August 1971 – 3^rd March 1973, Garrick Theatre, London, Theatre Royal, Brighton, and other locations.
Liz, Let Sleeping Wives Lie, Brian Rix Enterprises 7^th April – 13^th September 1969, Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (now The Alexandra), and other locations.
Miss Firminger, Beat the Retreat, Brian Rix and Richmond Theatre Productions Ltd 17^th February – 1^st March 1969, Richmond Theatre, London.
Desdemona, Othello, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith 1968, Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith), London.
Lydia Languish, The Rivals, Lyric Theatre Hammersmith 1967, Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith), London.
Mrs Laughlin, Progress to the Park, Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop 16^th November 1960 – 21^st January 1961, Theatre Royal, Stratford East.
Maggie Gooding, Sparrers Can’t Sing, Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop 24^th August – 5^th October 1960, Theatre Royal, Stratford East and Maxim Gorki Theatre, East Berlin.
Dame Kitely, Every Man in His Humour, Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop 2^nd – 30^th July 1960, Theatre Royal, Stratford East.
Rita Sherritt, Ned Kelly, Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop 23^rd May – 8^th June 1960, Theatre Royal, Stratford East.
Ann Moon, Sam the Highest Jumper of Them All by William Saroyan, Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop 6^th – 30^th April 1960, Theatre Royal Stratford East.
Titania, the Queen's daughter, The Enchanted Forest, Birmingham Repertory Company 23^rd December 1959 – 13^th February 1960, Birmingham Repertory Theatre (1971 onwards).
Alice Sycamore, You Can’t Take It with You, Birmingham Repertory Theatre 1^st – 19^th December 1959, Birmingham Repertory Theatre (1971 onwards).
Emily Brent, And Then There Were None, Citizens Theatre Glasgow 26^th May – 7^th June 1958, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.
Alison Porter, Look Back in Anger, Citizens Theatre Glasgow 10^th – 22^nd March 1958, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.
Margot Frank, The Diary of Anne Frank, Citizens Theatre Glasgow 28^th October – 9^th November 1957, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.
Olivia, Twelfth Night, Citizens Theatre Glasgow 14^th – 26^th October 1957, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.
Chambermaid, An Italian Straw Hat, Citizens Theatre Glasgow 16^th – 28^th September 1957, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow.

Tools

Photographs

If you have a photograph of this person, please sign in to upload it, or add it to Flickr and tag it with .

Claire Nielson

Plays authored

Past productions

Tools

Photographs

Photo credits