Jane Wymark (Jo Gilkes in Baby)

 

Jane Wymark was born on 31st October 1951[1] in Paddington, London and is the daughter of the actor Patrick Wymark (1926 – 1970) and the playwright and dramatist Olwen Margaret Wymark (née Buck, 1932 – 2013). She is the oldest of four children, and has one sister and two brothers – Rowan, Dominic and Tristram. Her father was an actor known for his roles in the British horror films Witchfinder General and Blood on Satan’s Claw, both touchstones of the emergent folk horror movement. Her mother, as well as being a successful writer, was also the grand-daughter of W W Jacobs [2] who wrote the often adapted short story The Monkey’s Paw. Jane’s father died suddenly in October 1970 from a heart attack, aged just forty four, and never got to see her enjoy success and recognition in the same profession as him.

Jane was educated at Birmingham University, studying Drama and Theatre Arts, and featured in several student production whilst there including The Way of the World in January 1973. Whilst at university she became a life-long friend with fellow student Victoria Wood who would go on to become one of the most loved comediennes in the country. They remained firm friends until Wood’s death in 2016. Jane is a Trustee of the Victoria Wood Foundation, a charity that supports the arts throughout the UK.

 Jane graduated in December 1973 and started work with Nottingham Playhouse in their repertory company with roles in productions such as The Taming of the Shrew. She made her London stage debut in the John Antrobus written play The Looneys presented at the Hampstead Theatre Club from October 1974. Wymark played the daughter of a film star whose home is invaded by two lunatics. She was interviewed by the Daily Mirror at the time and reflected on her own relationship with her famous dad: “My father once told me that if I was any good as an actress he would tell me so, but, if I wasn’t he would tell me to get off the stage. The pity is he never had the chance to see me act.[3]”

Before making her television debut in 1975 she continued with theatre engagements which took in Nottingham Playhouse’s production of The Adventures of a Bear Called Paddington over Christmas 1974. Her first television role was as the eponymous Susan in the storyline of the same name for the daytime soap opera Rooms (18th and 19th February 1975). The story dealt with an incestuous relationship and was quite controversial for its time. It was directed by John Nelson Burton who would cast Jane in the Beasts episode ‘Baby’. This was followed by the very first episode of the children’s horror anthology series Shadows entitled ‘The Future Ghost’ (3rd September 1975). Her role in Beasts quickly soon after. During February and March 1975, at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, she was a cast member of Arms and the Man. This was followed with the role of Jill Mason in a production of Equus from 26th March 1975 and throughout April at Birmingham rep theatre. During May and June 1975 she played Cecily Cardew in a Birmingham Repertory Theatre production of The Importance of Being Earnest. Later, during November 1975, Wymark played Ophelia in the Derby Playhouse production of Hamlet.

Post-Beasts Jane would see herself in demand with the following year, 1977, being especially busy. The year started with ‘Ancients Scars’ (22nd February 1977), an episode of the BBC drama anthology series Fathers and Families where Jane appeared alongside her old ‘Baby’ colleague TP McKenna once again. She played the role of Penelope Matthews, who is the sister of Andrew (Michael Troughton), and the daughter of Charles Matthews (McKenna). At the time Ancient Scars was broadcast Wymark could also be seen in the BBC classic drama production of Rob Roy (13th February – 20th March 1977) undertaking the role of Diana.

Next was ‘The Bass Player and the Blonde’ (14th June 1977), an instalment of ITV Playhouse in which Jane played Terry, the sidekick of Edward Woodward’s jazz musician character George Mangham. A spin-off series followed. Her biggest role on television for the year was as Morwenna Chynoweth in the second series of the successful BBC period drama Poldark (11th September 1977 – 4th December 1977). Stage work for 1978 saw Jane take the role of Ophelia in a production of Hamlet at the Old Vic in January and February 1978. The title role was essayed by Derek Jacobi. Having proved to be a popular episode of ITV Playhouse ‘The Bass Player and the Blonde’ was picked up by ATV for a short run of three episodes. Jane returned along with Edward Woodward and the storyline continued their oddball relationship in ‘Rondo’ (8th August 1978), ‘Allegro’ (15th August 1978) and ‘Andante’ (22nd August 1978).

Jane concentrated on stage work during 1979 and returned to television with the BBC 2 Playhouse production ‘The Best of Friends’ (8th March 1980). Another extensive block of theatre work filled the next few years and she was next seen on television in The Sidmouth Letters (2nd April 1982), a single BBC drama which featured her as a woman who is obsessed with Jane Austen. Jane was then attached to the Another London Shakespeare Group which toured Kenya, Zimbabwe, Botswana and other African states during October and November 1982 presenting short adaptations of five Shakespeare plays.

It would be nearly a decade before she made any further film or television appearances. She returned to screen work with a role in the Film Four production The Fool (1990) where she was cast alongside Derek Jacobi, Jim Carter and Cyril Cusack. With a renewed vigour she returned to television with the recurring role of Claire Griffiths in the BBC drama Chalkface (6th May – 25th June 1991), set in a comprehensive school. She then moved onto a guest role in the BBC thriller series Children of the North playing the character Jenny Swale in the episode ‘A Darkness in the Eye’ (20th November 1991). Jane balanced devoting time to her love of stage work with guest roles in popular and ongoing series. 1992 would see her guest as Meg Chipstead in two episodes of the BBC drama A Fatal Inversion (10th and 24th May 1992) and take small roles in the Screen One production ‘Seconds Out’ (4th October 1992) as a gym instructor and as a news editor in the Between The Lines episode ‘Breaking Point’ (16th October 1992).

The formula was repeated in 1993 with a part in the Screenplay production ‘Safe’ (13th October 1993) and guest roles in the comedy series Drop the Dead Donkey – ‘Awards’ (18th March 1993), detective drama Maigret – ‘Maigret and the Minister’ (11th April 1993) and Lovejoy – ‘Swings and Roundabouts’ (14th November 1993). However, screen appearances for the next two years were limited to just one per year – playing Anne in the Screen Two production ‘A Landing on the Sun’ (8th June 1994) and as an actor called Gertrude in the film All Men Are Mortal (1995).

Midsomer Murders would give Jane the role of Joyce Barnaby, the wife of lead actor John Nettles’ character, and make her a recognisable face to the modern viewer. Her character appears in the very first episode ‘The Killings at Badger’s Drift’ (23rd March 1997), and continues through until the story ‘Fit for Murder’ (2nd February 2011), when both she and John Nettles left the series.

More recent credits include playing Catherine in ‘The Catacombs’ (7th March 2013), an episode of the French crime thriller Jo which stars Jean Reno as a hard bitten Parisian cop. Jane has concentrated mainly on her stage work with productions including a National Theatre production of Medea (2014), David Hare’s Racing Demon, Cole Porter’s Anything Goes (2015) and This May Hurt A Bit. She was also cast as Theresa May in the satirical play A View from Islington North which was staged at The Arts Theatre in London. 

Of particular note among her stage credits is her role as the narrator in the English National Ballet production My First Cinderella staged at The Peacock Theatre from March 2013. The theatre may be an inspiration for the Beasts episode 'Buddyboy' as it is said to be haunted by the ghost of a dolphin. This is fully explored in The Book of Beasts. Jane is married to Paul Howson, a civil servant, and the couple have two sons. 

Many thanks to Jane for looking through the profile and correcting several errors.

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[1] Most sources erroneously give Jane’s date of birth as 1952.

[2] The W W in his name stands for William Wymark

[3] ‘Curtain Up – Sadly’, The Daily Mirror, Monday 14^th October 1974, page 15