Diane Fletcher

 

Diane Fletcher:

Diane Fletcher's first feature film was Roman Polanski's 'Macbeth' (1970), in which she appears in the brief but pivotal role of Lady Macduff. By that time she had already been in an episode of 'Boy Meets Girl' (great theme tune), and perhaps more importantly, played Lady Blakeney in 'The Elusive Pimpernel', and Queen Isabella in the BBC's production of 'Edward II' with a young Ian McKellen. Which all suggests that she came out of RADA in '66 already invested with much of the imperious manner that became something of a hallmark of later roles.     

Fairly Secret Army

She was fantastic as Nancy in 'Fairly Secret Army' as the surprising love interest of Geoffrey Palmer's hapless reactionary, as well as being seen in 'Inspector Morse', 'Agatha Christie's Poirot', 'Within These Walls', 'Midsomer Murders' and appearing in 'Coronation Street' as Derek's first wife, much to the consternation of Mavis. To these we might add 'The Irish RM', 'The Borgias' and the Robert Hardy-starring 'Winston Churchill: The Wilderness Years'

With Jonathan Pryce in 'Roger Doesn't Live Here Anymore'
a quality, but rather laugh-free, effort by John Fortune 

One of her other defining roles was as the wife of cunning Tory politician Francis Urquhart in Michael Dobbs 'House of Cards' and its two sequels 'To Play the King' and 'The Final Cut'. 

In the Poirot episode 'Death On The Links'

In the BBC televised theatrical performance of
'The Tragedy of  Macbeth' screened in 2023 

And in a rather nice bit of synchronicity harking back to Polanski's movie, she also features in the refreshingly staged 2023 BBC production of 'The Tragedy of Macbeth' as one of the wyrd sisters.    

Diane Fletcher- imdb

Roger Ashton-Griffiths

Roger Ashton-Griffiths:

The name might mean nothing to you, but pale and jowly Roger Ashton-Griffiths has appeared in a number of high-profile films, including Terry Gilliam's 'The Brothers Grimm' and 'Brazil', Martin Scorsese's 'Gangs of New York' (playing Phineas T Barnum), Roman Polanski's 'Pirates', Peter Greenaway's 'The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover' and Woody Allen's 'You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger'.

Originally trained as a singer, he was a member of the ENO before making his TV debut as a red-painted demon in an episode of 'The Young Ones' alongside the late David Rappaport. This seems to have led directly into a steady stream of work from the mid-'80s onwards.  

As Orgo the Demon in 'The Young Ones'

As well as the big cinema names listed above, he was seen in a roll-call of some of the most popular, if not always primetime, television of the last three decades: ' Young Indiana Jones Chronicles', 'Cadfael', 'The Darling Buds of May', 'C.A.T.S. Eyes', 'Lovejoy', 'Grange Hill' and inevitably, 'The Bill'. Recent interesting parts have included 'Torchwood' and that great salvation for the British character actor,  'Game of Thrones' in which he plays high lord something-or-other Mace Tyrell.

In the Matthew Holness short 'A Gun for George' (2011)

As Dr Johnson in 'Samuel Johnson: The Dictionary Man'

 Other appearances include the very dark comedy short (by 'Garth Marenghi's Darkplace' maverick Matthew Holness) 'A Gun For George'. He is also cast as Alfred Hitchcock in Olivier Dahan's forthcoming 'Grace of Monaco' (2014), which sounds interesting, not least for having Robert Lindsay playing Aristotle Onassis.

Roger Ashton-Griffiths-imdb