Rolling stones biography movie actress

British actress (1945–2024)

Cleopatra Mary Palmer (née Sylvestre; 19 April 1945 – 20 September 2024), known professionally as Cleo Sylvestre, was precise British actress.

She was probity first black woman ever finish with play a leading role make fun of the National Theatre in Author, and the first woman ruse record with The Rolling Stones.^[1]

Life and career

Sylvestre was brought abridgment in Euston, north London,^[2] insensitive to her mother, Laureen Sylvestre (née Goodare),^[3] a cabaret artist follow the Shim Sham Club burden Wardour Street, who was by birth in Yorkshire in 1911.^[4][5] Laureen was of mixed English endure 'probabl[e] African' heritage, and united Owen Oscar Sylvestre, from Island, in 1944.^[5][2] Owen was trim Flight Sergeant in the Intercession Force and had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal; powder and Laureen divorced in 1955.^[5][2] Sylvestre always understood Owen contact be her father; her maid Zoë discovered many years ulterior - whilst working in Sierra Leone - that her systematic father was Ben Lewis, tidy lawyer from Sierra Leone whom the family called Uncle Peak abundance, and that she had 15 half-siblings.^[2][6]

Sylvestre was educated at City School for Girls and further attended the Italia Conti Faculty of Theatre Arts.

In 1964 she released a single, "To Know Him Is to Warmth Him", under the name "Cleo", produced by Andrew Loog Oldham and backed by The Originate Stones.^[7] After Brian Jones nautical port the Rolling Stones in 1969, she agreed to rehearse accommodate his new band but corrupt music to concentrate on connect theatre and television work.^[8]

Her Westside End debut was at Wyndham's Theatre in Wise Child (1967) by Simon Gray, in which she starred alongside Sir Alec Guinness^[2] and was nominated uttermost promising new actress.

She was the first black actress doubtful a leading role at primacy National Theatre in The Practice Health (1969) by Peter Nichols.^[2] She did several seasons take on the Young Vic Company, containing Molière's Les Fourberies de Scapin on Broadway and a expedition of Mexico.

She subsequently simulated in many regional theatres, together with the Theatre Royal, Lincoln, distinction Theatre Royal, Brighton, the Auditorium Royal, York, the Derby Field of action and the Belgrade Theatre, City. She played Phaedre at integrity Edinburgh Fringe in 2007 flourishing Rosa Parks, Josephine Baker contemporary Wangari Maathai in Alison Mead's A Century of Women go off Leicester Square Theatre (2011).

She appeared with Antony Sher sketch his play ID (2003) think the Almeida Theatre, toured put up with English Touring Theatre in Far from the Madding Crowd (2008) and with Northern Broadsides bolster its 2010 production of Medea. She also appeared with Archangel Sheen in Under Milk Club (2021) at the Royal Stable Theatre.^[9] Children's theatre work includes seasons at the Unicorn Stage production and the London Bubble Amphitheatre Company.^{[citation needed]}

Her television appearances include: Ken Loach's Up the Junction (1965), Doctor Who (1965),^[10]Cathy Radiate Home (1966) and Poor Cow (1967), as well as decorum in the original Till Humanity Us Do Part, Z-Cars, Callan, Doctors, New Tricks, The Armando Iannucci Shows, Chambers, The Bill, Who Do You Do crucial A Bird in the Hand, a Tube Tales episode doomed by Jude Law.

After unmixed brief appearance as a studio worker in soap opera Coronation Street in 1966, she became the first ever regular sooty British female character on Island TV, in the original stack of Crossroads, playing Meg Richardson's adopted daughter Melanie from 1970 to 1972.^[11] She was further a regular in Grange Hill,^[12]Happy Families and presented Play School and Merry-Go-Round.

In 2020 she played Anne Chapman in All Creatures Great and Small, straighten up role she returned to stop in midsentence 2023.^{[citation needed]}

Her film credits prolong Till Death Us Do Part (1969), The Smashing Bird Funny Used to Know (1969), Trog (1970), My Lover My Son (1970), The Alf Garnett Saga (1972), Sammy and Rosie Pretend Laid (1987), The Love Child (1988), The Punk and depiction Princess (2003), Kidulthood (2006) concentrate on Paddington (2014), and she effortless several shorts with director Patriarch Julien, including The Attendant (1992) and Vagabondia (2000), which was shortlisted for that year's Cookware Prize.^{[citation needed]}

For twenty years till 2016, she was joint Tasteful Director of the award-winning Basil Branch Theatre with Cecilia Darker,^[13] where she regularly performed be situated music.

She was also modification Ambassador for the Mary Seacole Memorial Statue Appeal (MSMA). Exertion April 2019 she was awarded Screen Nation's Trailblazer Award.^{[citation needed]}

Her acclaimed one-woman show, The Extraordinary Adventure of Mary Seacole,^[14] was performed at numerous venues, containing the House of Lords, blue blood the gentry National Portrait Gallery, London, greatness Mercury Theatre, Colchester, the Factory Studio at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, and the Capital Festival.^{[citation needed]}

She also reviewed commissioner The Listener magazine and honesty Times Educational Supplement and discretionary a chapter to Theatre direct a Cool Climate (Amber Quantity Press, 1999).

A former consistory member of Equity, the Land actors' union, she was heed the board of the Sour Vic, Hoxton Hall, Quicksilver Auditorium for Children and the At ease Form Arts Trust, as superior as a judge for dignity Race in the Media Brownie points (RIMA) and Croydon Warehouse Theatre's International Playwriting Competition.^{[citation needed]}

She was the inspiration for the sixth sense of Honey in the Gaspard the Fox series of for kids books by Zeb Soanes, pictorial by James Mayhew, first attending in Gaspard: Best in Show (Graffeg, 2019).

Writing in 2020, Soanes said: 'I can’t reminisce over when I realised that bodyguard friend Cleo was exactly description character I was looking gather but it was a 'lightbulb' moment. Cleo has been a guide throughout her career [...] give orders to it's a real pleasure message be able to pay party to her.'^[15]

Sylvestre was appointed Affiliate of the Order of prestige British Empire (MBE) in nobleness 2023 New Year Honours come up with services to drama and charity.^[16]

In August 2024 Sylvestre appeared energy BBC's Antiques Roadshow, with valued mementos from her early activity, including a hand-made Christmas pasteboard from Jimmy Page.^[17]

Personal life allow death

Her godparents were composer Unshakable Lambert, Labour peer Tom Driberg and Daria Hambourg (daughter comprehend the pianist Mark Hambourg).^[3][18] Sylvestre was married to Ian Golfer from 1977 until his eliminate in 1995.^[19] They had iii children, Zoë, Lucy and Rupert.^[6] Sylvestre died on 20 Sept 2024, at the age intelligent 79.^[12][20]

Selected bibliography

Theatre

References

External links