Wendy van der Plank
Encyclopedia
Wendy van der Plank is a British
actress best known for playing Wizadora
in the ITV
series of the same name.
Born in Hampton near Leeds
in Yorkshire
, her first television
appearance was in the BBC
comedy series Spin Off. After appearing in one episode of Casualty
, she played the role of Hilly in the ITV drama Forever Green
before being cast as Wizadora.
In addition she appeared as Sharon in the radio sitcom All That Jazz, in which the creator commented that he was "...knocked out by Wendy van der Plank", and that "She'd never done any radio before and was largely unknown, but she came close to stealing the show. She really threw herself into it and I thought she was hilarious... She was just great!".
She has also appeared in various theatrical shows, including The King and I
in 1987, and Quasimodo the Hunchback of Notre Dame
in 1988, both at the Queen's Theatre
in Hornchurch
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
actress best known for playing Wizadora
Wizadora
Wizadora was a children's television programme broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom from 1993 to 1998. However, it was first used as a language teaching tool for children to learn the English language, by Oxford University Press in 1991. The series was created by Don Arioli and Carolyne Cullum. ...
in the ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
series of the same name.
Born in Hampton near Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, her first television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
appearance was in the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
comedy series Spin Off. After appearing in one episode of Casualty
Casualty (TV series)
Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
, she played the role of Hilly in the ITV drama Forever Green
Forever Green
Forever Green is a television programme originally broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom from 1989 to 1992. It was made for London Weekend Television by Picture Partnership Productions, now named Carnival Films.-Cast:*Pauline Collins - Harriet Boult...
before being cast as Wizadora.
In addition she appeared as Sharon in the radio sitcom All That Jazz, in which the creator commented that he was "...knocked out by Wendy van der Plank", and that "She'd never done any radio before and was largely unknown, but she came close to stealing the show. She really threw herself into it and I thought she was hilarious... She was just great!".
She has also appeared in various theatrical shows, including The King and I
The King and I
The King and I is a stage musical, the fifth by the team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. The work is based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon and derives from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who became governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in...
in 1987, and Quasimodo the Hunchback of Notre Dame
Quasimodo
Quasimodo is a fictional character in the novel The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo. Quasimodo was born with a hunchback and feared by the townspeople as a sort of monster but he finds sanctuary in an unlikely love that is fulfilled only in death. The role of Quasimodo has been played by...
in 1988, both at the Queen's Theatre
Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch
The Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch is a 500-seat theatre located in Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering, east London.The theatre opened in its current purpose-built site on Billet Lane, Hornchurch in 1975....
in Hornchurch
Hornchurch
Hornchurch is a large suburban town in England, and part of the London Borough of Havering. Hornchurch is in North-East London .It is located east-northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the locally important district centres identified in the London Plan. It comprises a number of shopping...
.
Selected filmography
- WizadoraWizadoraWizadora was a children's television programme broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom from 1993 to 1998. However, it was first used as a language teaching tool for children to learn the English language, by Oxford University Press in 1991. The series was created by Don Arioli and Carolyne Cullum. ...
(1993–1997) - Forever GreenForever GreenForever Green is a television programme originally broadcast on ITV in the United Kingdom from 1989 to 1992. It was made for London Weekend Television by Picture Partnership Productions, now named Carnival Films.-Cast:*Pauline Collins - Harriet Boult...
(1989–1992) - CasualtyCasualty (TV series)Casualty, stylised as Casual+y, is a British weekly television show broadcast on BBC One, and the longest-running emergency medical drama television series in the world. Created by Jeremy Brock and Paul Unwin, it was first broadcast on 6 September 1986, and transmitted in the UK on BBC One. The...
episode Charity (1989) - Spin Off (1988)
- Trains (2010)