Jean Warner
Jean is an extremely versatile actress. She is equally successful in comedy playing leading roles in Ayckbourn's Chorus of Disapproval, A (1989) and Man of the Moment (1994) as she is in dramatic characters: De Touvel in Les Liaison Dangereuses and Catherine in View from the Bridge, A.
In addition she has a fine singing voice which featured strongly in Chicago and Guys and Dolls.
After her appearance was in Billy! in 1998 she moved away ~ but we were delighted when, in 2007, she returned to sing in our musical tribute to Brian Walters ~ Life of Brian - a Celebration of the life of Brian Walters. The following year scored another great musical success with her endearing leading role performance in Mack and Mabel. She featured strongly in our production of All that JazZ - an A - Z of Musicals. Her great gifts for comedy were displayed in her wonderfully fruity performance as the colonial lady in Alan Bennett's Habeas Corpus. The following year she created the eccentric Judith Starkadder in Cold Comfort Farm.
The role of the exuberant Mrs Peachum in The Beggar's Opera displayed all Jean's talent for spirited singing and great comic timing. She went on to bring great comedy to the role of the garrulous Mrs Cedar in For Services Rendered. Perhaps her most challenging role was playing the Queen in our popular comedy Handbagged - a performance which was both devastatingly accurate and hugely funny. In complete contrast but equally funny was her performance as the downtrodden garrulous Mercy in our 2019 comedy Humble Boy.She ended the year by giving a notable performance as the Mother Superior in Sister Act - a role which happily combined her fine singing voice with her gift for comic timing. After the long pandemic hiatus in 20020/1 the first RDG production was Madonna Della Media which won the award for the best new script at the Maidenhead Drama Festival. The play was written by own Caroline Ross. In 2022 Jean made a delightfully maternal Nana in our production of the classic Uncle Vanya - followed by a remarkable performance as Florence in the musical Chess where once again her beautiful singing voice featured strongly. In Under Milk Wood she gave a several delicious village characters and at the 2023 Woking Drama Festival she featured in our award-winning production of Albertine in Five Times. The following year she play a very suspect matron in our award winning festival play To Know When My Time Will Come.