Judy Matheson
Judy Matheson is a British actress.
Career
After drama school, Matheson began her career in 1967 with the Bristol Old Vic Theatre Company with whom she toured the United States, which included a season on Broadway, followed by Europe and Israel, in three of Shakespeare's plays, the highlight of which was Sir Tyrone Guthrie's production of Measure for Measure.
Her early television work was in several Granada TV productions, including The Shooting War, directed by Michael Apted, and Spindoe, directed by Mike Newell.
In 1971 she starred opposite Freddie Jones in Charles Wood's experimental drama The Emergence of Anthony Purdy esq directed by Patrick Dromgoole for Harlech Television It was chosen that year as ITV's entry in the Monte Carlo TV Festival though it was not widely networked. Nancy Banks-Smith, The Guardian 's TV critic, said it was 'largely incomprehensible to anyone east of Somerset.'
Her first film was The Chairman [The Most Dangerous Man in the World],with Gregory Peck. She was chosen to star in the Spanish film The Exquisite Cadaver ('Las Crueles) with Capucine, directed by Vicente Aranda, in 1969, which was showcased as the Spanish entry at the San Sebastian Film Festival . In the 1970s, she appeared in the Hammer Horror films Lust for a Vampire and Twins of Evil. Her other films include Pete Walker's The Flesh and Blood Show, The House that Vanished ( AKA Scream and Die) directed by Jose Larraz, Crucible of Terror, Confessions of a Window Cleaner, and Percy's Progress.
On television she appeared in Coronation Street, Blake's 7, Z Cars ( lead female role, twice), The Professionals, The Adventurer, The Sweeney, Harriet's Back in Town, Citizen Smith, Dead of Night,and for several months she starred in Crossroads, playing Sandy's girlfriend and Hugh Mortimer's secretary, Vicky Lambert. She played the poet Shelley's lover, Jane Williams, opposite Robert Powell in the BBC's film of the life of Shelley directed by Alan Bridges.
Her stage work includes starring opposite Richard O'Sullivan in a British tour of the comedy Boeing-Boeing with Yootha Joyce & Sally Thomsett, Ray Cooney's Chase Me Comrade, Stage Struck by Simon Gray, Hugh & Margaret William's The Flip Side, Funny Peculiar by Mike Scott and Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce.
In 1981 she became a TV continuity announcer for TVS (ITV for the South of England) and in 1990 she was part of the launch team for British Satellite Broadcasting, later to become BSkyB She also worked as a continuity announcer for Carlton Television and London Weekend Television.
She does occasional voice-over and narration work, and sometimes attends film conventions and Hammer Film events, as a guest.
Filmography
- Las Crueles (1969) as Esther
- Crucible of Terror (1971) as Marcia
- Lust for a Vampire (1971) as Amanda
- Twins of Evil (1971) as Woodman's Daughter
- The Flesh and Blood Show (1972) as Jane
- Percy's Progress (1974) as Maria
- Confessions of a Window Cleaner (1974) as Elvie
- Scream... and Die! (1974) as Lorma Collins
Television appearances
- Spindoe ( 1968)
- Coronation Street ( 1969)
- The Emergence of Anthony Purdy esq (1971)
- Dead of Night (1 episode, 1972)
- Shelley (1972) as Jane Williams (BBC)
- Harriet's Back in Town (4 episodes, 1973)
- [The Sweeney (1 episode, 1976)
- Crossroads (1977)
- The Professionals (1 episode, 1978)
- Z-Cars (2 episodes, 1976–78)
- Citizen Smith (1 episode, 1978)
- Blake's 7 (1 episode, 1980)