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Lori Wells
Wells as Kath Goodwin in Coronation Street, 1984
Born
Lorraine A Burns

October 1942 (age 82)
Bradford, West Yorkshire, England
Other names
  • Lori Wells Keefe
  • Lori Keefe
Occupation(s)Actress, singer
Years active1970–present
TelevisionGet Some In!
Spouses
Jack Wells
​
​
(m. 1965, divorced)​
Allan Keefe
​
(m. 1982)​
Children2
Signature

Lorraine A Keefe (née Burns; born October 1942), known professionally as Lori Wells, is an English actress and singer. She is best known for her role of Alice Marsh in the ITV sitcom Get Some In! (1975–1978).

Early life

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Lorraine A Burns was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England in October 1942,[1] as the younger child to Cyril Burns (1915–1991)[2][3] and his wife,[4] Annie (née Hamer; 1916–2012).[5] She had an elder sister, Pauline A Burns, who was born and died in January 1941.[6][7]

Career

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Wells made her television debut in 1970. She performed as a singer, with The Brothers, on the BBC light entertainment programme, The Good Old Days.[8] Her debut album, I Gotcha!, was self-released and consists of 16 songs. Mike Berry, The Peter Husband Sound, Mike Ibbetson, her former husband Jack Wells, and Brian Ibbetson are credited on the album.[9]

Wells portrayed Brenda, a check-out assistant at Harrison's Supermarket, for one episode of the ITV soap opera Coronation Street, in 1972.[10][11]

Wells as Brenda in Coronation Street

Wells was praised for her performance as Sandra, the battleaxe daughter, in Kisses at Fifty, a 1973 episode of the BBC television anthology drama series Play for Today.[12][13] Kisses at Fifty was repeated on BBC Two in 1993, as part of the BBC One anthology series The Wednesday Play, and again in 2024.[12] She portrayed Sadie in Leeds United!, in 1974.[14]

Wells portrayed Brenda in the BBC police procedural series Z-Cars, in an episode, "Bowman", broadcast in 1973.[15]

Wells portrayed Alice Marsh in the ITV sitcom Get Some In! from 1975 to 1978. The series focused on National service life in the Royal Air Force. Her character, Alice, is constantly irritated by her husband's lack of advancement in the RAF, but she is a kind-hearted woman and is good to the recruits, much to the irritation of Corporal Percy Marsh (Tony Selby). Alice left her husband during the fourth series, only to return to him in the end. The series was written by [John] Esmonde and [Bob] Larbey, regularly attracted 15 million viewers and was one of a number of shows from that decade to have never been repeated.[16]

Wells as Alice Marsh in Get Some In!

Wells made her radio debut in the BBC Radio 2 programme, Variety Club, in 1979.[17]

Wells made a second appearance in Coronation Street, when she portrayed Pauline Jarvis, a customer of Ray Langton's building firm, for two episodes in 1982.[10][11]

Wells as Pauline Jarvis in Coronation Street

Wells made her final appearance in Coronation Street, when she portrayed Kath Goodwin, a relief barmaid at the Rovers Return Inn, for six episodes in 1984. She was credited as Lori Wells Keefe in this role.[10][11]

Wells as Kath Goodwin in Coronation Street

Wells portrayed Jean Denton in the BBC One police procedural drama series Juliet Bravo. The episode, "Reasons for Leaving", was broadcast in 1985.[18]

Wells appeared as herself in the 1991 television film, Classic Coronation Street.[10][11]

Wells portrayed Belle in the BBC sitcom Last of the Summer Wine. The episode, "Magic and the Morris Minor", was broadcast in 2000.[19]

Wells voiced Shirley in the BBC Radio 4 radio drama, Afternoon Play: Coming down the Mountain, as part of Drama.[20]

Personal life

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Burns married her first husband, Jack R Wells (born 1942),[21] in Bradford, Yorkshire West Riding in January 1965.[22] They had two children together; Lee Roger Wells (born 1966)[23] and Samantha Anne Wells (born 1967).[24] The couple later divorced. She married her second husband, Allan Keefe (born 1936),[25] in Macclesfield, Cheshire in April 1982.[26]

Filmography

[edit]
Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1970 The Good Old Days Performer Episode: "Episode #18.6" [8]
1972, 1975, 1984 Coronation Street Brenda, Pauline Jarvis, Kath Goodwin 9 episodes, credited as Lori Wells Keefe in 1984 [11]
1973 Z-Cars Brenda Episode: "Bowman" [15]
1973–1974 Play for Today Sandra, Sadie 2 episodes [12][14]
1975 Couples Jean 4 episodes [10]
1975–1978 Get Some In! Alice Marsh 21 episodes [16]
1975 The ITV Play Betty Pratt Episode: "A House in Regent Place: Mrs Tycoon" [10]
1978 Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt Cafe Cashier 2 episodes [27]
1979 Variety Club BBC Radio 2 [17]
1979 Chalk and Cheese Dot Episode: "Strangers in the Night" [27]
1979, 1982, 1984 In Loving Memory Daisy Plummer, Gladys, Annie Dawson 3 episodes, credited as Lori Wells Keefe on "Cuckoo in the Nest" [27]
1981 The Gaffer Rose Episode: "The Trouble with Women" [27]
1982 Young at Heart Barmaid Episode: "On the Move" [27]
1983 The Dresser Barmaid [28]
1985 Them and Us Mrs. Cartwright Episode: "Wagging It" [10]
1985 Juliet Bravo Jean Denton Episode: "Reason for Leaving", credited as Lori Wells Keefe [18]
1991 Classic Coronation Street Herself Television film [11]
1993 The Wednesday Play Sandra Episode: "Kisses at Fifty" [12]
1995 Heartbeat Mrs. Clegg Episode: "Toss Up" [28]
2000 Last of the Summer Wine Belle Episode: "Magic and the Morris Minor" [19]
2000 Between Two Women Mrs Britchenor [10]
2003 Drama Shirley (voice) Episode: "Afternoon Play: Coming down the Mountain" [20]

References

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  1. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: OCT 1942 9b 96 BRADFORD — Lorraine A Burns
  2. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915: APR 1915 9b 346 BRADFORD — Cyril Burns
  3. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: DEC 1991 (aged 76) 4 462 BRADFORD — Cyril Burns
  4. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: OCT 1936 9b 233 BRADFORD — Cyril Burns = Annie Hamer
  5. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: APR 1916 9b 204 BRADFORD — Annie Hamer
  6. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1941 9b 63 BRADFORD — Pauline A Burns
  7. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1941 (aged 0) 9b 141 BRADFORD — Pauline A Burns
  8. ^ a b "The Good Old Day". BBC. 12 May 1970. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  9. ^ "Lori Wells – I Gotcha". Discogs. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h "Lori Wells". IMDb. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "Lori Wells". Discogs. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d "Play for Today: Kisses at Fifty". BBC. 22 January 1973. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  13. ^ May, Tom (17 November 2020). "Play for Today: Kisses at Fifty". Forgotten Television Drama. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  14. ^ a b "Play for Today: Leeds - United!". BBC. 31 October 1974. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Z Cars: Bowman". BBC. 12 April 1973. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Get Some In!". Nostalgia Central. 27 June 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Variety Club". BBC. 24 April 1979. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Juliet Bravo". BBC. 21 December 1985. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  19. ^ a b "Last of the Summer Wine: Magic and the Morris Minor". BBC. 16 April 2000. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
  20. ^ a b "Afternoon Play: Coming down the Mountain". BBC. 25 March 2003. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  21. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1942 9b 75 BRADFORD — Jack R Wells
  22. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: JAN 1965 2d 277 BRADFORD — Lorraine A Burns = Jack R Wells
  23. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JUL 1966 2b 247 BRADFORD — Lee Roger Wells
  24. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1967 2b 248 BRADFORD — Samantha Anne Wells
  25. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: APR 1936 8d 124 MANCHESTER SOUTH — Allan Keefe
  26. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: APR 1982 35 0824 MACCLESFIELD — Lorraine A Wells = Allan Keefe
  27. ^ a b c d e "Lori Wells". British Comedy Guide. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Lori Wells". TVGuide.com. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
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