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Rita May (actress)

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Rita May
Born (1942-05-09) 9 May 1942 (age 82)
OccupationActress
Years active1977–present
Known forCoronation Street
Children's Ward
Trollied
Ackley Bridge

Rita May (born 9 May 1942) is an English actress. She is known for her roles as Mags in the ITV children's drama Children's Ward, Margaret in the Sky One sitcom Trollied, as well as Julie "Nana" Booth in the Channel 4 drama Ackley Bridge.[1]

Career

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May began her career as a singer on the working men's club circuit in and around South Yorkshire. She featured in the television adaptation of Barry Hines's The Price of Coal, a Play for Today first broadcast in 1977, and as Jimmy Kemp's mother in Hines's scripted nuclear war drama Threads in 1984.

She has also appeared in television series such as Early Doors and Drop Dead Gorgeous, and radio programmes including Ed Reardon's Week and The Blackburn Files. In 2005, she appeared in one episode of Heartbeat. In March 2009, it was announced that May would appear as Connie Rathbone, a new love interest of Jack Duckworth, in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street.[2]

From 2011 to 2018, she appeared in the Sky One sitcom Trollied, in which she played Margaret, a supermarket assistant pharmacist.[3] In 2017, May appeared in Channel 4 drama Ackley Bridge as Julie "Nana" Booth. Her character died in the fourth episode of the series.[4] She later appeared in an episode of the third series of Ackley Bridge in 2019, as part of a scene with Missy Booth (Poppy Lee Friar).

Filmography

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Film
Year Title Role Notes
1980 The Gamekeeper Mary
1981 Looks and Smiles Receptionist
1996 When Saturday Comes Mabel
1999 Fanny and Elvis Rick's Mother Minor role
2009 In the Loop Mrs. Michaelson
2014 Martha Old Lady
2018 Walk Like a Panther Mabel Higgens
2020 Fargate Ethel Badger Short film
Everybody's Talking About Jamie Mrs. Cardwell
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1977 Play for Today Kath Storey 2 episodes
1978 Fallen Hero Molly 1 episode
Coronation Street Marjorie Pitts 2 episodes
1979 Crown Court Zoe Grimshaw 1 episode
1981 Coronation Street Freda 1 episode
1982 Play for Today Pat 1 episode
1983 The Gathering Seed Martha Kilbride 5 episodes
1984 Juliet Bravo Audrey Mason 1 episode
Threads Mrs. Kemp Television film
Mitch Enid 1 episode
1985 Edge of Darkness Tea Lady Mini series
1988 Wish Me Luck Marguerite 1 episode
1989–2000 Children's Ward Mags Main role
1991 The Bill Doreen Noakes Minor role
1994 Heartbeat Junk Shop Owner Minor role
1996 Hetty Wainthropp Investigates Supermarket Shopper Cameo role
1998 The Cops Pauline's Neighbour Cameo role
Sharpe's Justice Mrs. Trent Television film
Casualty Marion Copes 1 episode
1999 My Wonderful Life Mrs. Newell 1 episode
2000 City Central Betty Sharples 1 episode
Fat Friends Joan Kirk Recurring role
Coronation Street Mrs. Wilberforce 1 episode
2001 In Deep Joan Jameson 2 episodes
Clocking Off Brenda Sleight 1 episode
Coronation Street Brenda Kelly 1 episode
Doctors Eileen Neville 1 episode
2002 Blood Strangers Pat Beresford Television film
2003 The Royal Aunt Mary Graham Minor role
Last of the Summer Wine Celia Minor role
2003–2004 Early Doors Jean Main role
2004 Holby City Queenie Taylor 1 episode
The Bill School Secretary Minor role
Doctors Sadie O'Malley 1 episode
2005 No Angels Mrs. Clemence Minor role
Bodies Judith Bailey 1 episode
2005, 2007 Heartbeat Mrs. Sneddon 2 episodes
2006 The Street Margie's Friend Cameo role
Casualty Eileen Slater 1 episode
2006–2007 Drop Dead Gorgeous Nana Howard Recurring role
2008 Trexx and Flipside Edna 1 episode
Sunshine Doreen Minor role
Doctors Maggie Wilson 1 episode
2009–2010 Coronation Street Connie Rathbone Recurring role
2009 Red Riding: In the Year of Our Lord 1974 Aunty Win Television film
This Morning Herself Guest
2010 Casualty Eileen Thompson 1 episode
Doctors Phyllis March 1 episode
2011–2018 Trollied Margaret Main role; 68 episodes
2011 Doctors Mary Roberts 1 episode
2012 The Argument Maureen Television film
2014 Remember Me Mavis Minor role
2017, 2019 Ackley Bridge Julie "Nana" Booth Recurring role; 5 episodes
2018 Casualty Matilda Dunford 1 episode
2019 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Emelia Merchent 1 episode
2020 Tea for Three Gran 1 episode
Baby Zoomers Valerie 1 episode

References

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  1. ^ "Ackley Bridge: Who's who in Channel 4's latest drama". Royal Television Society. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  2. ^ Green, Kris (17 March 2009). "First Pics: Jack's new lover Connie in Corrie". Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  3. ^ "Reasons to get Trollied". Radio Times. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
  4. ^ Hegarty, Tasha (28 June 2017). "Ackley Bridge viewers left in tears as Missy's nan dies". Digital Spy. Retrieved 12 February 2019.
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