Claire Benedict

Claire Benedict
Born (1951-07-28) 28 July 1951 (age 73)
Antigua
Alma materLondon Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
OccupationActress
Years active1978–present

Claire Benedict (born 28 July 1951) is a British actress known for her work in classical productions on the British stage, but best known for portraying the principal character Mma Ramotswe in the continuing radio adaptations of The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. She won a Time Out Award for Best Performance for her portrayal of Sophia Adams in Errol John's Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, directed by Maya Angelou.[1] She lives in Todmorden in the Pennines.[2]

Early life

Benedict was born in Antigua and began to act at Norwood Secondary School for Girls, then Kingsway Further Education College on Gray's Inn Road, London. After two years at Kingway College, she gained entrance to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). After leaving LAMDA, Benedict worked with Theatre in Education (TIE) in London then trained with the Black Theatre Workshop of Montréal.[3]

Career

In her first ten years after completing her training, Benedict worked on the British stage in leading roles for smaller theatre companies and supporting roles for larger theatre companies until in 1988, when she received a Time Out award for Best Performance for her portrayal of Sophia Adams in Errol John's Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, directed by Maya Angelou.[1]

In 1992, Benedict joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to do three plays, Odyssey, Cleopatra and Tamburlaine. On Cleopatra, Benedict was taken on as an understudy for Clare Higgins when not many people of colour were playing the character of Cleopatra. In November 1992, Benedict was needed to step in at short notice and had not had time to fully rehearse the role. Carol Chillington-Rutter's book Enter the Body explores this subject with reference to Benedict's performance, where she explores why women of colour have traditionally been cast as Charmain and white women Cleopatra.[4]

By 1994, The Independent included Benedict in a shortlist of "seasoned thoroughbred Shakespearians, gutsy actors who are assured verse speakers".[5] She is now an associate artist at the RSC.[6]

Benedict has for many years worked in radio drama, where she is known for portraying the principal character Mma Ramotswe in the radio adaptations of Alexander McCall Smith's The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels. On television, she played a series regular in Call Red, and numerous supporting roles.

Benedict has played the part of Iyaloja in four separate productions of Wole Soyinka's play Death and the King's Horseman: Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester directed by Phyllida Lloyd in 1990; Royal National Theatre directed by Rufus Norris in 2009; and two productions for BBC Radio 3 directed by Alby James in 1995 and directed by Pauline Harris in 2014.

Benedict has worked with Lenny Henry on many occasions: supporting roles in his television series; playing his character's father's girlfriend then wife in all four series of Rudy's Rare Records on BBC Radio 4; playing the lead role in the first radio play he wrote Corrinne Come Back and Gone; and in two of the series of Bad Faith radio plays in which he played the lead role. In February 1994, during rehearsals for the Young Vic's Omma, the entire cast, including Benedict and Toby Jones, quit the production when they thought director Tim Supple was failing to give them appropriate direction.[7]

Credits

Theatre

Date Title Role Director Company
Theatre		 Notes
12 April 1978 – 16 April 1978 Hey You, Light Man Mabel Le Grain Terry Donald Black Theatre Workshop,
Montréal, Québec		 [8] [9]
11 November 1978 – 14 November 1978 The Gingerbread Lady Evy Meara Terry Donald Black Theatre Workshop,
Montréal, Québec		 [10] [9]
1979 – Dreadful Tales Frank Whitten Common Stock Theatre Company [11]
August 1979 – Away From It Teenager Frank Whitten Common Stock Theatre Company [11]
1982 – Mama Decemba The Best Friend Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company [12]
29 August 1983 – 1 February 1984 Don Juan Donna Elvira John Retallack Actors Touring Company [13]
26 March 1984 – 26 June 1984 Twelfth Night Maria, Curio John Retallack Actors Touring Company [14] [1]
1986 – So Long on Lonely Street Annabel Lee Lou Stein Palace Theatre, Watford [11]
16 December 1986 – 24 January 1987 Flash Trash Mama Queenie Yvonne Brewster Half Moon Theatre [11] [15]
6 January 1987 – The Nine Night Gloria Hamilton Umoja Theatre Company [11] [16]
30 March 1987 – 13 June 1987 11 Josephine House Gloria Gloria Hamilton Umoja Theatre Company and
Black Theatre Co-operative		 [11] [17] [18] [19]
7 October 1987 – 19 December 1987 The Cape Orchard Dianne Cupido Roland Rees Foco Novo [20] [21] [22]
28 January 1988 – 27 February 1988 King of England Susan Philip Hedley Theatre Royal, Stratford East [1] [23]
May 1988 – Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Sophia Adams Maya Angelou Almeida Theatre [1][24]
1988 – The Bacchae Agave Nancy Meckler Shared Experience [25]
22 February 1989 – 15 May 1989 The Doctor of Honour Doña Leonar Lindsay Posner Cheek by Jowl [26] [11]
September 1989 – January 1990 Macbeth Lady Macbeth Nigel Jamieson Odyssey Theatre Company [1]
May 1990 – September 1990 Romeo and Juliet Nurse Bill Homewood Hull Truck [1] [27]
22 November 1990 – 15 December 1990 Death and the King's Horseman Yaloja Phyllida Lloyd Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester [12]
8 June 1991 – The White Devil Cornelia Philip Prowse Olivier, National, London [28]
31 October 1991 – 30 November 1991 Medea Medea Phyllida Lloyd Royal Exchange, Manchester [29] [1]
2 July 1992 – The Odyssey Eurycleia Greg Doran Royal Shakespeare Company
The Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon		 [12] [30]
1 September 1992 – 1993 Tamburlaine the Great Zenocrate Terry Hands Royal Shakespeare Company
Swan, Stratford
Barbican Theatre, London		 [12] [31] [32]
29 October 1992 – Antony and Cleopatra Charmian John Caird Royal Shakespeare Company [1]
2 March 1993 – 9 March 1993 Antony and Cleopatra Charmian John Caird Royal Shakespeare Company
Theatre Royal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne		 [30]
22 June 1993 – The Odyssey Eurycleia Greg Doran Royal Shakespeare Company
The Pit, Barbican Arts Centre, London		 [12] [30]
– The Odyssey Helen of Troy Greg Doran Royal Shakespeare Company [12]
1997 – A Midsummer Night's Dream Titania, Hippolyta Phelim McDermott
Julian Crouch		 English Shakespeare Company [1]
1997 – 1998 To Kill A Mockingbird Theatre Royal, Bath [33]
3 December 1998 – 19 December 1998 So Special The Mother, Nurse Matthew Lloyd Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
28 January 1999 – 27 February 1999 The Tempest Antonio Jude Kelly West Yorkshire Playhouse,
Leeds		 [1] [34] [35]
25 May 2000 – 19 August 2000 The Gift Bernice Annie Castledine Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company
Tricycle Theatre Kilburn, London		 [12] [36] [37]
11 October 2000 – 11 November 2000 The Critic / The Dispute Mrs. Dangle Matthew Lloyd Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester [38]
25 April 2002 – 14 September 2002 Eastward Ho! Mistress Touchstone Lucy Pitman-Wallace Royal Shakespeare Company
Swan, Stratford		 [39] [40]
2 July 2002 – 14 September 2002 The Island Princess Quisana Gregory Doran Royal Shakespeare Company
Swan, Stratford		 [41] [42]
20 August 2002 – 13 September 2002 The Malcontent Maquerelle Dominic Cooke Royal Shakespeare Company
Swan, Stratford		 [43] [44] [45]
25 September 2002 – 11 October 2002 The Malcontent Maquerelle Dominic Cooke Royal Shakespeare Company
Newcastle Playhouse, Newcastle-upon-Tyne		 [46]
30 September 2002 – 10 October 2002 Eastward Ho! Mistress Touchstone Lucy Pitman-Wallace Royal Shakespeare Company
Newcastle Playhouse, Newcastle-upon-Tyne		 [39]
9 October 2002 – 12 October 2002 The Island Princess Quisana Gregory Doran Royal Shakespeare Company
Newcastle Playhouse, Newcastle-upon-Tyne		 [47]
7 December 2002 – 22 March 2003 The Malcontent Maquerelle Dominic Cooke Royal Shakespeare Company
Gielgud Theatre, London		 [48] [49]
21 December 2002 – 19 March 2003 Eastward Ho! Mistress Touchstone Lucy Pitman-Wallace Royal Shakespeare Company
Gielgud Theatre, London		 [50] [51]
28 December 2002 – 17 March 2003 The Island Princess Quisana Gregory Doran Royal Shakespeare Company
Gielgud Theatre, London		 [30] [52]
16 December 2004 – 23 March 2005 Fix Up Norma Angus Jackson National Theatre
Cottesloe Theatre, London		 [53] [54] [55] [56]
6 December 2005 – 30 September 2006 The Canterbury Tales The Wife of Bath Gregory Doran,
Rebecca Gatwood,
Jonathan Munby		 Royal Shakespeare Company [57] [58] [59] [60] [61]
4 February 2008 – 5 April 2008 Angel House Jean Paulette Randal New Wolsey Theatre [62] [63] [64]
9 June 2008 – 2 August 2008 Romeo and Juliet Nurse Timothy Sheader New Shakespeare Company
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre		 [1] [65] [66] [67] [68]
13 June 2008 – 30 July 2008 Twelfth Night Maria Edward Dick New Shakespeare Company
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre		 [1] [69] [70]
8 April 2009 – 17 June 2009 Death and the King's Horseman Iyaloja Rufus Norris Olivier, National, London [71] [72] [73] [74]
11 September 2014 – 25 October 2014 Hamlet Player King, Marcella Sarah Frankcom Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester [1] [75] [76] [77] [78] [79]

[Issue 1]

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1996 Merisairas aka Seasick Cook Saba
1997 The Fifth Province [12]
1999 Felicia's Journey Miss Calligary
2015 Jupiter Ascending Bureaucrat
2015 Hamlet Marcella / Player King
2019 The Invisible Gertrude

Television

Date Title Role Network Notes
Dream Team Channel 5 [12] [Issue 2]
Text In Time BBC tv [12] [Issue 3]
1988 The Bill: Country Cousin (S 4: Ep 9) Mrs Williams Thames Television [80]
1992 Prime Suspect 2 Esme Allen Granada Television [80]
1994 The Bill: Land of the Blind (S 10: Ep 127) Miranda Kerr Thames Television [80]
1996 Call Red Jude Patton Thames Television
1997 Grange Hill Mrs Phillips BBC tv
1998 Still Here: Just So Much A Body Can Take Ethel BBC tv [12] [81]
2003 Doctors: Docwatch (S 5: Ep 156) Christine Babbage BBC tv [80]
2004 Casualty: Taking Care Lesley Chambers BBC tv [82]
2004 Feather Boy Matron BBC tv
2005 The Lenny Henry Show Nurse BBC tv [80]
2006 Eleventh Hour: Resurrection Amanda Ross Granada Television [83]
2007 Holby City: The Apprentice Elizabeth McFarlane BBC tv [84]
2008 Poppy Shakespeare Rosetta Channel 4 [85] [86]
2009 Unforgiven Elaine (psychotherapist) ITV [87]
2010 Above Suspicion: The Red Dahlia (S 2: Ep 1) Mrs Jenkins ITV [80]
2010 Thorne: Scaredy Cat (Ep 1, 3) Maeve Reynolds Sky Television [80] [88][89]
2011 Waking the Dead: Conviction (S 9: Ep 7–8) Lisbetta Barclay BBC tv [90] [91]
2012 The One Lenny Henry Esther BBC tv [92]
2012 Secrets and Words: A Study in Time Connie BBC tv [93]
2012 Holby City: Taxi for Spence Margaret O'Sullivan BBC tv [94]
2015 Casualty: A Child's Heart: Part One and Part Two Olivia Costelloe BBC tv [95][96]
2015–2016 In the Club (2 episodes) Myleene Browning BBC tv [97] [98]
2017 The Frankenstein Chronicles: ep 9, ep 10, ep 12 Mrs Wild ITV Encore

Radio

Date Title Role Director Station
12 December 1994 – 16 December 1994 Invisible Cities [12] Tessa Watt BBC Radio 3
6 April 1995 Charley Tango [99] Bettina & Sister Euphonia Jeremy Mortimer BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
17 September 1995 Death and the King's Horseman [100] Iyaloja Alby James BBC Radio 3
The Sunday Play
2 October 1995 Rainmaker [101] Hamish Wilson BBC Radio 4
Monday Play
3 March 1996 A Raisin in the Sun [102] Claire Grove BBC Radio 3
The Sunday Play
9 May 1996 Out of the Woods [103] Bonnie Gordon House BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
17 June 1996 United States [104] Andy Jordan BBC Radio 4
The Monday Play
12 August 1996 Spell Number 7 [105] Bettina Pam Fraser Solomon BBC Radio 4
The Monday Play
26 August 1996 Song of a Bluefoot Man [106] Mother Africa Alby James BBC Radio 4
The Monday Play
5 November 1996 Short Story: Dilemma [107] Read By Pam Fraser Solomon BBC Radio 4
Short Story
1 November 1998 The Late Story: A Living Legend [108] [12] Read By Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
The Late Story
8 June 1999 Those Old Metal Things [109] [12] Bertha Pauline Harris BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
11 July 1999 Document of Identity [110] [111] [12][112] Kiisu Pauline Harris BBC Radio 3
The Sunday Play
13 August 2000 (R) The Late Story: Miss Joyce and Bobcat [113] Read By Melanie Harris BBC Radio 4
The Late Story
1 January 2001 – 5 January 2001 The Book of the City of Ladies [114] Reason Polly Thomas BBC Radio 4
Woman's Hour Drama
28 November 2001 Always the Bridesmaid [115] Sarah Pauline Harris BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
21 February 2002 When [116] Sahara Vanessa Whitburn BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
22 April 2003 The Other Side of Truth [117] Aunt Gracie / Mrs Bankole Pauline Harris BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
1 February 2004 Measure for Measure [118] [1] Mistress Overdone Claire Grove BBC Radio 3
Drama on 3
8 February 2004 The Winter's Tale [119] [1] Paulina Nadia Molinari BBC Radio 3
Drama on 3
17 May 2004 I Was a Stranger [120] Lakiyaye & Queen Victoria Pauline Harris BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
29 May 2004 Amen Corner[121] Sister Margaret Alexander Rishi Sankar BBC World Service
10 September 2004 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Daddy [122] [123] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
17 September 2004 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Bone [124] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
24 September 2004 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Maid [125] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
1 October 2004 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: Tears of the Giraffe [126] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
30 August 2005 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Chief Justice of Beauty [127] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
6 September 2005 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Confession [128] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
13 September 2005 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Kalahari Typing School for Men [129] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
20 September 2005 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Admirer [130] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
18 January 2007 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: How to Handle Men through the Application of Psychology [131] Mma Ramotswe Kirsty Williams BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
25 January 2007 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: House of Hope [132] Mma Ramotswe Kirsty Williams BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
1 February 2007 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Return of Note [133] Mma Ramotswe Kirsty Williams BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
8 February 2007 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Ceremony [134] Mma Ramotswe Kirsty Williams BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
25 November 2007 Blood Wedding [135] [136] Moon Pauline Harris BBC Radio 3
Drama on 3
1 January 2008 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: There Is No Such Thing as Free Food [137] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
2 January 2008 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Best Profession for a Blackmailer [138] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
3 January 2008 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: A Very Rude Woman [139] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
4 January 2008 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: Talking Shoes [140] [141] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
26 February 2008 Rudy's Rare Records: Take Me Home, Country Roads [142] [143] Doreen Lucy Armitage BBC Radio 4
4 March 2008 Rudy's Rare Records: Roots Manoeuvres [144] [145] Doreen Lucy Armitage BBC Radio 4
25 December 2008 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency: The Miracle at Speedy Motors [146] Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
21 September 2009 – 22 September 2009 Blame the Parents [147] [148] Linda Swann Steven Canny and Peter Leslie Wild BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
14 October 2009–
28 October 2009		 Rudy's Rare Records:
* "Ill Communication" [149] [150]
* "Oh Carolina" [151][152]
* "Daddy Cool" [153][154]		 roles by episode:
* Doreen / Ms Rogers
* Carolina
* Doreen		 Lucy Armitage BBC Radio 4
25 December 2009
(holiday double)		 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency:
* "Tea Time for the Traditionally Built" [155]
* "The Seller of Beds" [156]		 Mma Ramotswe Eilidh McCreadie BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
26 September 2010 Lorca's Rural Trilogy: Yerma [157] Dolores Pauline Harris BBC Radio 3
Drama on 3
18 January 2011–
22 February 2011		 Rudy's Rare Records:
* "No Richie, No Cry" [158]
* "It's a Family Affair" [159]
* "Redemption Song" [160]
* "Rudy's Rare Record" [161]
* "Lights Out" [162]
* "Girls and Boys" [163]		 Doreen Lucy Armitage BBC Radio 4
30 May 2011 Corrinne Come Back and Gone [164] Corrinne Claire Grove BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
7 October 2011–
14 October 2011		 Bad Faith:
* "Insha'Allah" [165]
* "Opiate of the Masses" [166]		 Marianne Brown Mary Peate BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
3 November 2011–
4 November 2011		 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency:
* "A Late Van Just Glimpsed" [167]
* "The Saturday Big Tent Wedding" [168]		 Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
9 October 2012–
13 November 2012		 Rudy's Rare Records:
* "Three's a Crowd" [169]
* "Best Local Business" [170]
* "Let It Grow" [171]
* "It's Grim up North" [172]
* "Miss Reenie Comes to Stay" [173]
* "Sound of da Police" [174]		 Doreen Katie Tyrrell BBC Radio 4
20 March 2013–
21 March 2013		 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency:
* "A Man from a Far Place" [175]
* "The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection" [176]		 Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
5 February 2014–
6 February 2014		 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency:
* "The Modern Husband Course" [177]
* "The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon" [178]		 Mma Ramotswe Eilidh McCreadie BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
13 July 2014 Death and the King's Horseman [179] [180] Iyaloja Pauline Harris BBC Radio 3
Drama on 3
12 March 2015–
13 March 2015		 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency:
* "The Handsome Man's Deluxe Cafe" [181]
* "The Dish of Yesterday" [182]		 Mma Ramotswe Eilidh McCreadie BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
4 August 2016–
5 August 2016		 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency:
* "This Is Not a Rubbish Boy" [183]
* "The Woman Who Walked in Sunshine" [184]		 Mma Ramotswe Gaynor Macfarlane BBC Radio 4
Afternoon Play
23 June 2019 The Invisible [185] Gertrude Nadia Molinari BBC Radio 3
Drama on 3

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Issues to be resolved in this article
    1. ^ This list from the original author to be verified and moved into table above:
      1985 The Contact Theatre Co. Manchester. Oedipus Rex; The Messenger; Director: Anthony Clark.
      1994 The Young Vic Theatre, London. Oedipus Rex; Antigone/Jocasta; Director: Tim Supple.
      This suggests Benedict left this production during rehearsals
      1999 Centre Line Productions. Women on the Verge of H.R.T. Get away; Tassa.
      The Independent's review doesn't mention Claire
      The British Theatre Guide's review doesn't mention Claire
      2005 The Royal Shakespeare Co. Canterbury Tales;Wife of Bath/ Miller's Wife/ Pertelote.
      2006 The Royal Shakespeare Co. Canterbury Tales;Wife of Bath;/ Miller's Wife/ Pertelote; Directors' :Greg Doran / Jonathan Munby /and Rebecca Gatward.
      2010 R.S.C. Silly Masque (opening of the new R.S.T); Goddess Juno; Director: Greg Doran.
    2. ^ Inconsistency in the referenced theatre programme: this series was Sky not Channel 5.
    3. ^ This might be "Texts in Time", but Benedict is not credited for any of those on the BBC web site