Elizabeth Morton
This article's lead section may be too long. (August 2022) |
Elizabeth Morton | |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 January 1961 Liverpool, England |
| Occupation(s) | Actress, screenwriter |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives |
|
| Website | elizabethheery |
Elizabeth Heery (born 8 January 1961) is a British actress, screenwriter and novelist. As an actress and author she works under the name Elizabeth Morton and Eliza Morton. She played Madeline Bassett in ITV series Jeeves and Wooster. Since 2016, she has been an ambassador for the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond.[1] She trained at the Guildhall School of Drama and The Royal Court Young Writers Group.
She is a short story writer and has written for BBC Radio 4, Channel 4, ITV and BBC Films and TV. In 2018, she secured a two book deal with Ebury Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. Her novel A Liverpool Girl was published in 2019, followed by in August 2020, A Last Dance in Liverpool. The books reached Number 1 and Number 3 respectively in The Bookseller's Heatseekers Charts. In August 2020 she secured a book deal with Pan Macmillan for two more Liverpool sagas. Angel of Liverpool was published in 2021 and was a number 3 Heatseeker, People’s Friend Recommendation and reached the Top 10 WHSmith bestsellers. The Girl From Liverpool was published July 2022 and also made Top 10 Booksellers Heatseekers chart and No 5 Amazon Historical Romance Bestsellers. Elizabeth narrates all her books for audio. In 2022, Angel of Liverpool was shortlisted for RoNA Best Saga award.
In August 2022 she received a three book deal from Pan for her ‘Orphans of The Living’ trilogy.
Life and education
[edit]Heery was educated at Seafield Convent School in Liverpool. She studied at the Guildhall School of Drama. She is married to actor Peter Davison. The couple have two sons, Louis Davison who is an actor, starring in Netflix Vikings Valhalla, and Joel Davison, also an actor and a musician. She also has a step-daughter, actress Georgia Tennant.[2]
Career
[edit]Television and film
[edit]Heery's first TV role under the name Morton was playing Papagena in BBC sci-fi series The Tripods. As well as playing a regular in ITV series Jeeves and Wooster and Watching, she starred in BBC's Rockliffe's Folly, playing Hester Goswell, and was in seasons four and five of London's Burning, playing Helen Field.
She guest starred in British TV series Spender, The Brothers McGregor, Brookside, Capital City, and Dear John.[3] In 1988 she starred in Philip Ridley's film The Universe of Dermot Finn, which was officially selected for The Cannes Film Festival. In 1995, she starred in Gurinder Chadha's BBC film Rich Deceiver, playing Gabriella de Courtney. On PBS America, she played Miss Jessel in the film The Haunting of Helen Walker. She was in Tobe Hooper's Life Force, Franc Roddam's Lords of Discipline, and Alan Clark's Billy the Kid and The Green Baize Vampire. She appeared as herself in the Doctor Who 50th anniversary film, The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot.
Stage and Audio
[edit]She is a voice actor known for the film Faeries, starring Kate Winslet[4] and her work with Big Finish audio drama. In 2016, she voiced Mary Westerna in Dracula, starring Mark Gatiss.[5] In 2015, she voiced the role of Teldak in The Waters of Amsterdam, starring Peter Davison, and Stella Preston in The Avengers, the Lost Episodes. She was a member of Toby Robertson's company at Theatr Clwyd, alongside actors Ralph Fiennes and Nathaniel Parker. She was in the original casts of Howard Goodall's Girlfriends and The Hired Man. She played Linda in the second cast of Blood Brothers in the West End directed by Bill Kenwright.[6]
Writing
[edit]Heery began using her birth name for writing after winning The London Writer's Competition sponsored by Time Out Group. She was a member of The Royal Court Young Writers Group and took up a bursary at ITV on the New Writer's Initiative scheme. She has written for the BBC Radio 4 drama series Brief Lives.[7][8] and episodes of BBC Doctors, C4 Film Series Coming Up, BBC Brief Encounters mentored by Andrew Davies,[9] and CBeebies[ Topsy and Tim.[10] She is a short story writer, having been shortlisted and won prizes in 2016 Margery Allingham CWA writer's award,[11] 2012 Bath Short story award,[12] Exeter Short story award, Trisha Ashley Award, Fish short story award 2015.[13]
In 2012, she formed Twotreeisland films and won first prize in Southend-On-Sea film festival for the film Beached.[14] She wrote the plays Feeding the Troll, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival,[15] Clip which ran at Battersea Arts Centre, First Kiss and Lauren The Brave at the Landor Theatre, and Sophie in Wonderland, which was produced by Theatre 503.[16]
She has written two books; A Liverpool Girl was published in 2019 and A Last Dance in Liverpool was published in 2020.[17] Two more books will follow published by PanMacMillan. [18]
Filmography
[edit]| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | The Lords of Discipline | Girlfriend | |
| 1985 | Life Force | Second Radar Technician | |
| 1985 | The Tripods | Papagena | |
| 1986 | The Brothers McGregor | The Girl | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire | Vidkid | |
| 1987 | Dear John | Karen | 1 episode |
| 1987 | Brookside | Sizzler's Girlfriend | 1 episode |
| 1988 | Rockliffe's Folly | WPC Hester Goswell | 5 episodes |
| 1988 | The Universe of Dermot Finn | Pearl | Short |
| 1989 | Capital City | Sophie | 1 episode |
| 1991 | Spender | Rose | 1 episode |
| 1991–1992 | London's Burning | Helen Field | 9 episodes |
| 1991–1993 | Watching | Lucinda Stoneway | 15 episodes |
| 1992–1993 | Jeeves and Wooster | Madeleine Bassett | 5 episodes |
| 1995 | Rich Deceiver | Gabriella de Courtney | TV movie |
| 1995 | The Haunting of Helen Walker | Miss Jessel | TV movie |
| 1999 | Faeries | Princess Brigid | Voice |
| 2013 | The Five(ish) Doctors Reboot | Maternity Nurse |
References
[edit]- ^ Hutchison, David (28 September 2016). "Orange Tree appoints stellar line-up of theatre ambassadors". The Stage. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "Peter Davison's revival was just what the Doctor ordered". Sunday Post. 20 December 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "1987. Comedy.co.uk". British Comedy Guide.
- ^ "Faeries cast 1999".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Dracula Big Finish". Starburst (magazine).[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Blood Brother's Cast: 1987". Archived from the original on 2012-01-26. Retrieved 2017-10-23.
- ^ "Episode 3, Brief Lives - Series 4, Afternoon Drama - BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "Brief Lives episode guide". Radio Times.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Thomas, Liz (1 March 2005). "Afternoon drama for the BBC". The Stage. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "Old Toys". BBC.
- ^ "CWA Margery Allingham Short Story 2016".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Guest Interview: Michelle Elvy". Bath Flash Fiction Award. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "Creative Writing Matters. Trisha Ashley award".
- ^ "Award-winning film was real family affair". The Echo (Essex). 3 June 2012. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "Feeding the Troll". Edinburgh Festival. Retrieved 23 October 2017.
- ^ "Funny Women: 2013". 6 August 2013.
- ^ "Elizabeth Morton". www.penguin.co.uk. Penguin Books. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
- ^ "Morton follows Gillian Green to Pan Mac". The Bookseller. Retrieved 2024-09-27.