Valerie Lilley

Valerie Lilley: 

Joan Littlewood’s Arts Workshop in London was a groundbreaking theatre in the early sixties, taking talented people from far outside the traditional drama-school system and setting them on careers on the stage. Northern Irish actress Valerie Lilley passed through those doors and worked with a number of budding actors including Stephen Rea.

After a few small roles on TV, she got a big break with Stewart Parker’s 'Iris in the Traffic, Ruby in the Rain', starring Frances Tomelty. Also in 1982, Lilley appeared in two other televised plays, 'Potato Head Blues' and the troubles rooted 'Billy Boy' with 'Z-Cars' star James Ellis. Lilley was also a regular in ITV's ill-fated soap opera 'Albion Market'. She went on to appear in a wide variety of television, from 'Minder', the 2009 adaptation of 'Emma' and 'Hetty Wainthrop Investigates', to 'Grange Hill', 'The Famous Five' and 'The Catherine Tate Show'.



In the 1983 Agatha Christie adaptation 'The Man in the Mist' 

In the young women offenders drama  'Scrubbers' (1983)

Film work has included 'Scrubbers' (1982), 'Ascendancy (1983), 'Priest' (1994), and 'The Terence Davies Trilogy' (1983). 

Her biggest recent TV role has been as Patty Croker in the Mancunian drama 'Shameless', but she was also excellent in my very good friend Vic Templar's 2006 radio play 'Good Morning Mr Borg' about the long hot summer of 1976 and a Wimbledon Championship played out in a suburban back garden.


Valerie Lilley - imdb



Brian Murphy

Brian Murphy: 

† Sep 25 1932 – Feb 2 2025

Best known even today as George Roper, the neck-scratching ne plus ultra of hen-pecked TV husbands – vainly attempting to stand his ground against the formidable Mildred, played by the late Yootha Joyce – in 'Man About The House' and its spin-off 'George & Mildred'. Like many of the most distinctive actors of the '60s he came from a non-theatrical background via the enabling force of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop in the East End. He appeared in 'Sparrers Can't Sing' (1960) an eccentric, authentic jewel of kitchen sink drama directed by Littlewood, and went on to roles in Ken Russell films 'The Devils' (1971) and 'The Boyfriend' (1971). Between those outings he found a reasonable amount of work in television which was to lead to his eventual place in British culture, these included 'The Avengers',  'Z Cars' and the satirical sketch show 'Not So Much A Programme, More A Way Of Life'. Footnotes include another post G&M series, 'The Incredible Mr Tanner' - with his old pal Roy Kinnear - where Murphy played a hapless escapologist, and 'L For Lester' where he played a driving instructor. 

In recent years he has fallen into the cosy nightmare world of 'Last Of The Summer Wine' as a regular character, Alvin, but his cultural icon credentials have seen a few modern and alternative comedy writers calling on his services. See, for example: 'Benidorm', 'Monkey Trousers', 'The Catherine Tate Show' and the trying-very-hard-to be-a-cult 'This Is Jinsy'. 

And would you be Mr Roper? 

Not for a big clock    

Brian Murphy - imdb profile