Adorable Dora - A Tribute to Dora Bryan

ROSEMARY ASHE

ADORABLE DORA

‘Tarts and barmaids. I just took whatever came along!’

Rosie Ashe celebrates the British comedy legend (and at one point Britain’s highest paid star) Dora Bryan!

Over nearly eight decades Dora Bryan did it all, from pantomime and Carry On films to Shakespeare, from Last of the Summer Wine and Ab Fab to Dinner Ladies, and perhaps most importantly her iconic and BAFTA Award winning performance in the film A Taste Of Honey. She earned the title national treasure in so so many ways.

Now that legend is being brought to the stage by west end star Rosemary Ashe.

Rosie has always been a huge fan of Dora Bryan and during a clear out during lockdown, she came across an old cassette which gave her the inspiration to write the show. She spent a lot of time doing research into her long career and talked to many actors and directors who knew and worked with her, to get a real flavour of this versatile actress who was based in Brighton for so many years.

Rosemary Ashe

Rosie has appeared in many West End productions including: Carlotta, the Prima Donna in the original cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Phantom of The Opera’, Madame Thenardier in ‘Les Miserables’, Cunegonde in ‘Candide’, Widow Corney in ‘Oliver!’, Hortense in ‘The Boyfriend’, Forbidden Broadway, Felicia Gabriel in ‘The Witches of Eastwick’ (for which she was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting

Performance in a Musical), Miss Andrew, the nasty nanny in ‘Mary Poppins’, Lottie Grady in ‘When We Are Married’  & Grandma Mole in ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 & ¾’.

Other roles include:  Ethel Merman in ‘Call Me Merman’, (tour), Betty in ‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical’ (Waterloo East Theatre), Miss Bleacher in ‘Crush’ (tour), Kate Hoey MP in ‘Committee’ (Donmar Warehouse), Tonight at 8.30 (Jermyn St Theatre), The Old Lady in ‘Candide’ (Iford & Grange Park Festivals), Mrs Fezziwigg in ‘A Christmas Carol’ (Lyceum Theatre) & Mrs Pearce in ‘My Fair Lady’ at the Teatro Massimo, Palermo.

She has appeared with English National Opera, Opera North, Scottish Opera, Sadlers Wells Opera, Opera Northern Ireland & Carl Rosa in many different roles including Musetta in ‘La Boheme’, Helene in ‘La Belle Helene’, Frasquita in ‘Carmen’ & Despina in ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’ to name but a few.

Television  & radio appearances include: Doctors, An Audience With Ronnie Corbett, The House of Eliott, Cosi Fan Tutte, The Beggar’s Opera & Friday Night is Music Night, Songs From the Shows & In Tune.

Rosie can be heard on many cast albums including: The Phantom of the Opera, Kismet, The Boyfriend, The Witches of Eastwick, Oliver! The 10th anniversary concert of Les Miserables & Mary Poppins.