Kay Adshead

Acting

Kay Adshead

Born May 10, 1954 · Cheetham Hill, Manchester, Lancashire, England, UK (age 72)

Kay Adshead is a British actress best known for playing Cathy in the BBC's 1978 adaptation of Wuthering Heights. She is also a poet, playwright, theatremaker, and producer.

Known For

Soft TargetsSoft Targets · 1982
Soft Targets
10.01982
MovieComedyThriller
Stephen Poliakoff's parody of the spy-thriller genre. A Russian diplomat becomes convinced that he is at the centre of a Foreign Office plot.
Operation JulieOperation Julie · 1985
Operation Julie
3.51985
MovieCrimeDrama
A TV movie directed by Bob Mahoney. Based on the book by Dick Lee & Colin Pratt it tells the true story of a long running Police investigation which resulted in the arrests of 120 people and jail sentences of 170 years for the manufacture and distribution of £100M of LSD.
Acceptable LevelsAcceptable Levels · 1983
Acceptable Levels
7.01983
MovieDrama
A BBC film crew is interviewing a ‘typical Catholic family’ in the Divis Flats area of Belfast, when news comes in that a child, known to the family, has been hit by a stray plastic bullet fired by a British soldier – a version of events contested by the army. Back in London, editing the footage, the producer and researcher on the project wrestle with how to present the incident, and with their responsibility to the people in the film.
The Kiss of DeathThe Kiss of Death · 1977
The Kiss of Death
6.51977
MovieDramaRomance
Trevor is an extremely shy undertaker's assistant. He always tags along with his good friend Ronnie, when he goes to the pub with his girlfriend Sandra. Sandra introduces Trevor to her more forward friend Linda. Linda has a difficult time getting Trevor to go out with her, but she finally gets him to go to a disco; he won't dance, so Linda dances with Ronnie.
Oranges and LemonsOranges and Lemons · 1991
Oranges and Lemons
8.01991
Movie
Nigerian Ola has a passion for English history, but her vision of England and the English gets a new perspective when she gets a casual job at the Tower of London, leaving her disillusioned.
Family AffairsFamily Affairs · 1997
Family Affairs
3.71997
SeriesDramaSoap
Focuses on the lives of residents in the fictional London suburb of Charnham.
The BillThe Bill · 1984
The Bill
6.81984
SeriesCrimeDrama
The daily lives of the men and women at Sun Hill Police Station as they fight crime on the streets of London. From bomb threats to armed robbery and drug raids to the routine demands of policing this ground-breaking series focuses as much on crime as it does on the personal lives of its characters.
One Foot in the GraveOne Foot in the Grave · 1990
One Foot in the Grave
7.71990
SeriesComedy
One Foot in the Grave is a BBC television sitcom series. The series features the exploits of Victor Meldrew and his long-suffering wife, Margaret. The programmes invariably deal with Meldrew's battle against the problems he creates for himself. Living in a typical household in an unnamed English suburb, Victor takes involuntary early retirement. His various efforts to keep himself busy, while encountering various misfortunes and misunderstandings are the themes of the sitcom. Despite its traditional production, the series supplants its domestic sitcom setting with elements of black humour and surrealism.

Filmography

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Victoria WoodVictoria Wood · 1989
Victoria Wood
8.01989
SeriesComedy
Victoria Wood was a series of six one-off situation comedies written by and starring Victoria Wood in 1989, who took a break from sketches, two years after her very successful and award winning series Victoria Wood As Seen on TV. Wood appeared as "Victoria", a fictionalised version of herself, in all six episodes - in The Library it was said that she "worked in TV" and in Over To Pam characters appeared to recognise her celebrity and in the final episode, Staying In, she was taken to a party to perform as a comedienne and was expected to go through her stand-up 'routine'. Her character often broke the 'fourth wall' of TV and spoke directly to the camera, but not in every episode. Bored with the sketch format and with a yearning to recapture previous success as a playwright, Wood came up with six individual sitcoms as a compromise. She admitted to finding the writing difficult. Though Wood was written as the central character, other lead parts were written with specific actresses in mind, like Julie Walters and Una Stubbs. "I want people to like me and the people who play my friends, and not everybody else" she said. Screenonline says of the shows "Modest in ambition and scale but rich in wit and acuity, the six playlets showcase Wood's eye for human foibles and her distinctively eccentric characters.".

Lorraine Spence