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Gay Soper
Born
Gay Soper

1945 (age 78–79)[citation needed]
Sanderstead Surrey[1]
NationalityEnglish
Alma materLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Occupation(s)Actress and singer
Years active1965 - present
Known forActing in Godspell (1971 play)

Narrating The Flumps (children's television)

Singing of Les Misérables (symphonic recording)
Spouse(s)Barry Stokes (actor) 1975 - ? (divorced, 1 child)[2]
Websitewww.gaysoper.com

Gay Soper is an English actress and singer. Her career includes singing Turn Back, O Man in the original 1971 London production of Godspell. She sang the role of Madam Thenardier on the complete symphonic recording of Les Misérables and she narrated and voiced all the characters in the children's television show The Flumps.[3]

Education

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Soper was trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art between 1963 and 1965.[4]

Theatrical career

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Soper was an alternate Eliza Doolittle on the original UK tour of My Fair Lady in 1965. She was later cast in the original 1971 London production of the musical Godspell, alongside Jeremy Irons, David Essex, Julie Covington and Marti Webb.[5] The production opened at The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm and later transferred to Wyndhams Theatre.

In 1974 she appeared as one of the two girlfriends in the original London production of the musical Billy, with lyrics by Don Black and music by John Barry, based on the story of Billy Liar. Billy was played by Michael Crawford and the other girlfriend by Elaine Paige.

Her other theatre work includes the second production of Good;[6] Mother Courage (National Theatre); and Sunday in the Park with George,[7] Jorrocks, The Canterbury Tales, Side by Side by Sondheim, The Mitford Girls, Les Misérables, Which Witch, and Salad Days (West End).[8] She was in the original cast of the 1970s musical Betjemania based on the poems of John Betjeman.[9][10] In 2010, she appeared with Opera della Luna as Little Buttercup in Gilbert and Sullivan's H.M.S. Pinafore.

In 2011 at the Brighton Festival she played Rattigan’s mother Vera in The Art of Concealment, a new play; and toured the UK as Norah in Star Quality by Noël Coward, as Matron in Doctor In The House, as Verity Carr in Morse, in House of Ghosts, and as Helena in Maurice’s Jubilee by Nichola MacAuliffe. She was Mrs Pearce in My Fair Lady at Kilworth House Theatre, 2013; Gay later played Mrs Higgins in the musical on a tour of Denmark. At the Birmingham Rep she was the Storyteller in Stiles and Drew’s new musical version of Peter Pan,[11] and Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret at Frankfurt; played in Cole in Hong Kong, Betjemania and Narnia in New York, and Ruth in Blithe Spirit in Stockholm, and Cherry May Waterton in Coward's Nude with Violin at the Royal Exchange Manchester for Marianne Elliott.

In 2008, Soper performed the lead role of Sister Wendy Beckett in Postcards from God - The Sister Wendy Musical at Hackney Empire Studio and reprised the role for the concept cast recording in 2010.[12]

In 2012 she received plaudits for her performance in The Busy Body at the Southwark Playhouse in London.[13]

Soper appeared in the original production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Gielgud Theatre in London.[14]

Recorded musical career

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Soper sung the role of Madam Thenardier on the complete symphonic recording of Les Misérables.[15] Her solo album, Flying Fish and Fallen Angels, was released on the Dress Circle label and featured special guest Barry James.[16]

Film and television career

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Soper's film roles include an appearance as "blond girl in bed" in Love Is a Splendid Illusion (1970) and a lead role as "Maisie" in The Ups and Downs of a Handyman (1975).[17]

She appeared in the third and fourth series of Romany Jones.[18] She also appeared alongside Sid James as Angela "hot pants" in Bless This House.[19]

Selected filmography

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Personal life

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Soper is married to actor Barry Stokes. They had a son, Matthew Stokes (1976–2009), who was also an actor.[21]

Bibliography

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  • Simon Sheridan (2011) Keeping the British End Up: Four Decades of Saucy Cinema (Titan Books; 4th edition)
  • Simon, Sheridan (2007) [2004]. The A to Z of Classic Children's Television (Reprint ed.). Reynolds & Hearn Books. ISBN 978-1-903111-27-7.

References

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  1. ^ "Gay Soper | Actress". IMDb.
  2. ^ "Gay Soper | Actress". IMDb.
  3. ^ Storey, Neil R. (31 January 2012). The Little Book of Great Britain. The History Press. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-7524-8245-3. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  4. ^ "About". Gay Soper. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. ^ Shenton, Mark (11 March 2014). "Original London Cast Members of Godspell, Including Marti Webb, Gay Soper, to Join David Essex for Concert Production". Playbill. Archived from the original on 13 January 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  6. ^ Taylor, C. P. (3 January 2014). Good' & 'A Nightingale Sang'. A&C Black. ISBN 978-1-4081-6204-0. Archived from the original on 27 April 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  7. ^ Billington, Michael (1 December 2005). "Review - Sunday in the Park with George". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  8. ^ Phil Hewitt, Happy memories as Gay Soper returns to Chichester Festival Theatre Archived 11 January 2023 at the Wayback Machine, Sussex Express, Aug 8 2022
  9. ^ Dietz, D. (2010). Off Broadway Musicals, 1910-2007: Casts, Credits, Songs, Critical Reception and Performance Data of More Than 1,800 Shows. Ukraine: McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.
  10. ^ Stewart, J. (2012). Broadway Musicals, 1943-2004. United States: McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers.
  11. ^ Gardner, Lyn (7 December 2007). "Review - Peter Pan". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  12. ^ Bates, Stephen (20 February 2008). "People". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  13. ^ Billington, Michael (18 September 2012). "The Busy Body – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  14. ^ Limited, London Theatre Direct (4 April 2014). "Casting Announcement: The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time". www.londontheatredirect.com. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 6 March 2020. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ Miletich, L. N. (1993). Broadway's Prize-winning Musicals: An Annotated Guide for Libraries and Audio Collectors. United Kingdom: Haworth Press. p129
  16. ^ "Gay Soper Flying Fish and Fallen Angels". Dress Circle. Archived from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  17. ^ "Gay Soper". BFI. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  18. ^ Guide, British Comedy. "Romany Jones Cast and Crew Credits". British Comedy Guide. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  19. ^ "The Generation Gap (1971)". BFI. British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  20. ^ Mallett, M. (2012). The Primary English Encyclopedia: The Heart of the Curriculum. United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis.
  21. ^ Maxford, Howard (2019). Hammer Complete The Films, the Personnel, the Company. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 767. ISBN 9781476629148. Archived from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
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