The Lady from the Sea

Eileen Atkins (Actor) .. Ellida

Best Known For: Co-creating Upstairs, Downstairs.

Early-life: Eileen June Atkins was born on June 16, 1934, in Clapton, east London. She has two older siblings. At the time of her birth, Eileen's mother was 46 and working as a barmaid; her father was a gas meter reader. A fortune teller told her mother that little Eileen would one day be a famous dancer, so she was immediately enrolled in lessons - which she hated. However, during the Second World War, she did perform professionally. After failing to get into Rada, Eileen completed a three-year teaching course at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Career: Atkins' post-Guildhall career began on the stage, but for nine years she struggled to gain decent roles. She's now one of the theatre's most in-demand actresses, having appeared in numerous acclaimed productions. On TV she has appeared in the likes of Smiley's People, Cold Comfort Farm, Wit, Bertie and Elizabeth, Psychoville and Cranford, as well as co-creating (with Jean Marsh) both The House of Eliott and Upstairs Downstairs (she appeared in the latter when it returned to TV in 2010). Her films include Gosford Park, Cold Mountain and Robin Hood. She was made a Dame in 2001.

Quote: "All through my career I have tried to do new work, but there is a problem in the West End as far as new work is concerned. As a theatregoer, I get bored with seeing the same old plays again and again."

Trivia: Atkins was married for nine years to actor Julian Glover; she wed Bill Shepherd in 1978. She also claims that Colin Farrell propositioned her shortly before she turned 70.

Denholm Elliott (Actor) .. Dr Wangel

Born: May 31, 1922 in London

Best Known For: Playing eccentric English gentlemen.

Early-life: Denholm Mitchell Elliott was born in London on May 31, 1922. He attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada) but was asked to leave after only one term. While flying in a Halifax bomber during the Second World War in 1942, his aircraft was hit by flak and ditched in the North Sea near Germany. He spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp in Silesia.

Career: Elliott made his film debut in Dear Mr Prohack (1949) and went on to play a wide range of parts, usually in a supporting role. He won Bafta TV awards for BBC2 Playhouse (1974), Tales of the Unexpected (1979) and Blade on the Feather (1980). For his work on the big screen, he won Bafta film awards for Trading Places (1983), A Private Function (1985), A Room with a View (1985) and Defence of the Realm (1986). Other notable credits included the films Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and the TV miniseries Codename: Kyril (1988) and Bangkok Hilton (1989). He died at his home in Spain on October 6, 1992 at the age of 70.

Quote: "I've been always very careful in my career to do theatre, it takes you out of the TV eye and people are glad to see you back again."

Trivia: Elliott was nominated for an Academy Award for A Room with a View and lost out to fellow Brit Michael Caine (Hannah and her Sisters).

Carole Nimmons (Actor) .. Bolette

Lynne Frederick (Actor) .. Hilde

Clifford Rose (Actor) .. Arnholm

Michael Feast (Actor) .. Lyngstrand

John Kidd (Actor) .. Ballested

James Laurenson (Actor) .. The stranger

Basil Coleman (Director)

Henrik Ibsen (Writer)

Cedric Messina (Producer)

Michael Meyer (Adapted by)

9:55 pm - 11:45 pm, Sunday, February 1 on BBC Four HD (106)

About this Broadcast

Cast & Crew

More Information

Did You Know..

Before / After