Sarah Crowden
Born (1955-05-08) 8 May 1955
Edinburgh, Scotland
Years active1974–present
Parent

Sarah Crowden (born 8 May 1955) is a Scottish actress. She is best known for playing the role of Lady Manville in the British television series Downton Abbey, as well as Miss Thimble in the detective series Sister Boniface Mysteries.[1]

Early life and education

Crowden was born on 8 May 1955 in Edinburgh, the daughter of actor Clement Graham Crowden (1922–2010) and actress Phyllida Hewat. She attended The Open University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree as well as a diploma in Literature. In 2010, she was awarded a Foundation Certificate in Bricklaying.[1][2]

Career

Crowden started her acting career in 1974 when she joined The Actors' Company as a Student Assistant Stage Manager. One of her first notable role was as Helen in the movie adaption of Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery (1981).[3] She has played supporting roles in numerous television series and movies such as A Dance to the Music of Time, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Downtown Abbey and The Sister Boniface Mysteries. She received favourable reviews for her portrayal of Dame Hilda in the 2010 production of If So, Then Yes by N. F. Simpson with critic Michael Billington calling her performance as "a Thatcherite supervisor" shining and Dominic Maxwell of The Times praising her ability to "work wonders in restricted circumstances".[4][5]

In 2017, Crowden started performing stand-up comedy on the London circuit as her self-created character Dame Theresa Thomson's-Gazelle.[6]

Apart from her acting career, Crowden is also a professional writer. She has written pieces for The Lady, TLS, Geographical Review and Literary Review, amongst others, and regularly contributes to Slightly Foxed.[1]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Agatha Christie's Seven Dials Mystery Helen movie
1983 The Fourth Arm A.T.S. Sgt. Brookes 1 episode
1983 Pig in the Middle Trish 1 episode
1984 Cockles Miss Ida Findlesham 1 episode
1984 Swallows and Amazons Forever: Coot Club Livy (Hullabaloo) movie
1985 Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire uncredited movie
1986 Harem Charlotte movie
1986 David Copperfield Jane Murdstone 3 episode
1986 The Oldest Goose in the Business Miss Debenham movie
1987 Screen Two Cub Mistress movie
1987 A Dorothy L. Sayers Mystery Hotel Receptionist 1 episode
1987 Father Matthew's Daughter Ms. Wright 1 episode
1988 The Storyteller Queen 1 episode
1988 The Rainbow Catherine Phillips 1 episodes
1989 Mystery!: Campion Sadie 1 episode
1989 Great Expectations (1989 TV series) Miss Skiffkins 1 episode
1989 Erik the Viking Grimhild Housewife movie
1991 Poirot Receptionist 1 episode
1991 Lovejoy Rosemary Blake 1 episode
1992 Orlando Queen Mary movie
1992 ScreenPlay Sarah 1 episode
1994 Smokescreen Miss Chittock 1 episode
1995 Julia Jekyll and Harriet Hyde Miss Print 1 episode
1996 Rab C. Nesbitt Phoebe 1 episode
1996 The Detectives Head Teacher 1 episode
1996 The Wind in the Willows Samantha movie
1997 A Dance to the Music of Time Miss Orchard 1 episodes
1997 The Man Who Knew Too Little Sylvia movie
1998 Our Mutual Friend First Guest 4 episodes
1998 Vanity Fair Lady Blanche 3 episodes
1999 ChuckleVision Mrs. Fiona Fortescue-Smythe 1 episode
2000 Brotherly Love Morag Ranloch 1 episode
2001 Love in a Cold Climate Third Twitterer 3 episodes
2002 Tipping the Velvet Woman with Pipe 2 episodes
2003 My Hero Mrs Clark 1 episode
2004 He knew He Was Right Mrs. MacHugh 2 episodes
2004 Perfect Strangers Angry Opera Lover movie
2006 The Afternoon Play Lady-in-Waiting 1 episode
2006 Longford Lady Tree movie
2006 Miss Potter Lady Clilfford movie
2007 The Sarah Jane Adventures Mrs Gribbins 2 episodes
2007 Joe's Palace Middle-aged woman movie
2008 The Oxford Murders Shop Assistant movie
2008 Brideshead Revisited Lady Guest movie
2008 Affinity Ada movie
2009 The Green Green Grass Antiques Expert 1 episode
2010 Upstairs Downstairs Instructress 1 episode
2012 Quartet Felicity Liddle movie
2013 Endeavour Miss Thornhill 1 episode
2013 Quartet: Deleted Scenes Felicity Liddle uncredited
2013 Doctors Mrs. Hilary Warton 1 episode
2012–2014 Downtown Abbey Lady Manville 2 episode
2014 The Riot Club Elderly Woman movie
2015 Cockroaches The Old Crone 3 episodes
2015 Wolf Hall Lady Exeter 2 episodes
2015 Jupiter Ascending Bureaucrat movie
2015 New Tricks Flora Fox 1 episode
2015 Doc Martin Mrs. Kelleher 1 episode
2015 Mr. Holmes Mrs. Hudson movie
2015 Queen of the Desert Lady Ascot movie, uncredited
2016 The Last Dragonslayer Pritchett Lane House Owner movie
2018 The Little Stranger Miss Dabney movie
2018 Peterloo Lady at Races movie
2019 The Durrells Melanie Countess De Torro 2 episodes
2019 Grantchester Mrs. Bennett 4 episodes
2021 Cruella Beehive Lady movie
2022–present Sister Boniface Mysteries Miss Thimble 12 episodes
2023 All the Light We Cannot See Jacqueline / Madam Blanchard 2 episodes

Stage

Year Title Role Venue
2002 20,000 Leagues under the Sea Lady Snide-Worthington Stratford East Theatre
2005 Little Women Aunt March Duchess Theatre (West End)
2006 A Resounding Tinkle Nora Royal Court
2010 If So, Then Yes Dame Hilda Jermyn Street Theatre
2011 Flare Path Mrs Oakes Playful Productions / Theatre Royal Haymarket
2015 The Trial Mrs Barrow The Young Vic
2017 Bang Bang The Countess Mercury Theatre, Colchester
2018 Hilda & Virginia Virginia Woolf and Hilda of Whitby Jermyn Street Theatre
2018 The Chalk Garden The Third Lady Applicant Chichester Festival Theatre
2019 Handbagged 'T' Salibsury Playhouse, York Royal & Oldham Coliseum

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Sarah Crowden". IMDb. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  2. "Sarah Crowden". Moviefone. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  3. Wharmby, Tony, Seven Dials Mystery (Adventure, Mystery, Romance), John Gielgud, Harry Andrews, Cheryl Campbell, London Weekend Television (LWT), retrieved 19 May 2023
  4. Maxwell, Dominic (14 June 2023). "If So, Then Yes at Jermyn Street Theatre, SW1". ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  5. Billington, Michael (12 September 2010). "If So, Then Yes". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  6. "Sarah Crowden - YouTube". youtube.com. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
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