{{Short description|English actress (born 1973)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Use British English|date=September 2013}} {{Infobox person |birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1973|10|30}} | birth_place = [[Chertsey]], [[England]] | education = [[University of Warwick]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]]) | occupation = Actress | years_active = 1994–present }} '''Anna Francolini''' (born 30 October 1973) is an English actress.
==Early life== Francolini was born in [[Chertsey]], [[Surrey]], attended [[Bristol Grammar School]] and studied theatre at the [[University of Warwick]].<ref>[http://www.whatsonstage.com/interviews/theatre/london/E8821056721252/20+Questions+With...Anna+Francolini.html "20 Questions With...Anna Francolini, Whatonstage.com, 30th June 2003"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615182019/http://www.whatsonstage.com/interviews/theatre/london/E8821056721252/20%2BQuestions%2BWith...Anna%2BFrancolini.html |date=15 June 2011 }}</ref> She also trained as a member of the [[National Youth Theatre]].
==Career== After appearances in ''[[Godspell]]'' and ''[[Oliver (musical)|Oliver]]'' during the early part of her career, Francolini appeared in two acclaimed musical productions at the [[Donmar Warehouse]] – ''[[Company (musical)|Company]]'' (1995) and ''[[Merrily We Roll Along (musical)|Merrily We Roll Along]]'' (2000),<ref>{{cite web |title=20 questions with ... Anna Francolini |date=18 November 2011 |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/off-west-end-theatre/news/20-questions-with-anna-francolini_6194.html |publisher=WhatsOnStage.com |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> both by [[Stephen Sondheim]]. She also played the Baker's Wife in the [[Royal Opera House]] production of Sondheim's ''[[Into the Woods]]'' in 2007. She won the 2009 [[TMA Awards|TMA Award]] for Best Performance in a Play with her portrayal of Jean Brodie in [[Muriel Spark]]'s ''[[The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (novel)|The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie]]'',<ref>{{cite web |title=TMA Theatre Awards hat trick for Royal & Derngate and Watermill Theatre |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/tma-theatre-awards-hat-trick-for-royal-amp-derngate-and-watermill-theatre/ |website=The Stage}}</ref> which was staged at the [[Royal & Derngate]] in [[Northampton]]. During the period from December 1997 to December 2004 Anna Francolini was a mainstay of London's tiny but influential [[Bridewell Theatre]] during the latter part of its decade as a professional venue. In December 1997 to January 1998 she played lead role Helen in the historic fully staged premiere of [[Stephen Sondheim's]] ''[[Saturday Night (musical)|Saturday Night]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Saturday Night's all right for Sondheim |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4711386/Saturday-Nights-all-right-for-Sondheim.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160226083500/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4711386/Saturday-Nights-all-right-for-Sondheim.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=26 February 2016 |website=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> This was to be followed in 1999 by ''[[Floyd Collins]]'' and later on during 2000-1 Anna appeared in revue shows created from the work of [[Jason Robert Brown]], [[Adam Guettel]] and [[John La Chiusa]], one of which, ''[[The Cutting Edge (musical)|The Cutting Edge]]'' transferred to the [[Donmar Warehouse]] in 2002. Further [[Bridewell Theatre]] work included ''[[There's Always A Woman (musical)|There's Always A Woman]]'' (2002); ''[[The Ballard of Little Jo (musical)|The Ballard of Little Jo]]'' (2003) and an appearance at the venue's ''[[10th Anniversary Farewell Concert]]'' on 12 December 2004. Following the demise of the [[Bridewell Theatre]] as a professional venue, Anna's other appearances included ''[[Caroline, or Change]]'' at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] (2006),<ref>{{cite web |title=Caroline, or Change |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2006/oct/20/theatre |website=The Guardian |date=20 October 2006 |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> ''[[Three Sisters on Hope Street]]'' at the [[Liverpool Everyman]] (2008) and ''[[Wolves at the Window]]'' at the [[Arcola Theatre]] during the same year, which gave her a New York debut at [[59E59]] in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |title=Wolves at the Window |url=https://variety.com/2009/legit/reviews/wolves-at-the-window-1200477427/ |website=Variety |date=16 November 2009 |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref>
In 2010, she played the role of [[Maria Callas]] in [[Martin Sherman (dramatist)|Martin Sherman]]'s play ''[[Onassis (play)|Onassis]]'' at the [[Novello Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Brief Encounter With ... Onassis' Anna Francolini |date=3 October 2010 |url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/west-end-theatre/news/brief-encounter-with-onassis-anna-francolini_11498.html |publisher=WhatsOnStage.com |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> During the following year, Anna played the role of Beatrice in [[Arthur Miller's]] ''[[A View from the Bridge]]'' at Manchester's [[Royal Exchange, Manchester|Royal Exchange]],<ref>{{cite web |title=A View From The Bridge review at Royal Exchange Manchester |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2011/a-view-from-the-bridge-review-at-royal-exchange-manchester/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181222083530/https://www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/2011/a-view-from-the-bridge-review-at-royal-exchange-manchester/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=22 December 2018 |website=The Stage |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> a venue to which she was to return in 2014 as Enid in ''[[That Day We Sang (musical)|That Day We Sang]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=That Day We Sang, Manchester Royal Exchange, review |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/10520495/That-Day-We-Sang-Manchester-Royal-Exchange-review.html |website=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> 2012 saw her take the lead role in ''[[Victor/Victoria (musical)|Victor/Victoria]]'' at [[Southwark Playhouse]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Victor Victoria, Southwark Playhouse, review |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/9659097/Victor-Victoria-Southwark-Playhouse-review.html |website=The Daily Telegraph|date=6 November 2012 |location=London |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> and in February 2015 she made an appearance in [[Stephen Sondheim's]] ''[[Assassins (musical)|Assassins]]'' at the [[Menier Chocolate Factory]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Michael Xavier to replace Aaron Tveit in Menier's Assassins |url=https://www.thestage.co.uk/uncategorized/2015/michael-xavier-replace-aaron-tveit-meniers-assassins/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181221231914/https://www.thestage.co.uk/uncategorized/2015/michael-xavier-replace-aaron-tveit-meniers-assassins/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 December 2018 |website=The Stage |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> July 2015, she was part of the premiere cast of [[Damon Albarn|Damon Albarn's]] new musical [[Wonder.land]] at the [[Manchester International Festival]] which transferred to the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] later during the same year.<ref>{{cite web |title=wonder.land review – occasionally dazzling, often garbled |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/jul/05/wonderland-review-occasionally-dazzling-often-garbled |website=The Guardian |date=5 July 2015 |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> 25 October 2015 saw Anna make an appearance in [[Stephen Sondheim's]] 85th Birthday Tribute ''[[Hey Old Friends]]''. In 2016 she appeared as a female Captain Hook at the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] in ''[[Peter Pan (musical)| Peter Pan]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Peter Pan review – spirited exuberance with a touch of sadness |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/dec/04/peter-pan-review-olivier-national-theatre-london-sally-cookson-jm-barrie |website=The Guardian |date=4 December 2016 |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> From March to October 2018 she appeared in ''[[Strictly Ballroom (musical)| Strictly Ballroom]]'' at the [[Piccadilly Theatre]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Strictly Ballroom review: Will Young steals the show in delightful Baz Luhrmann adaptation |url=https://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/951712/Strictly-Ballroom-theatre-review-will-young-jonny-labey-zizi-strallen |website=Express |date=29 April 2018 |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> In April 2023 she appeared in ''[[Tom Fool]]'' at [[Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre]] and in May-June 2024 she played Olivia in ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' at [[Regent's Park Open Air Theatre]]. Her screen credits include the movies ''[[Topsy-Turvy]]'' and ''[[Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'' and the TV series ''[[Rome (TV series)|Rome]]'', ''[[New Tricks (TV series)|New Tricks]]'' and ''[[Vera (TV series)|Vera]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Anna Francolini |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0290693/ |publisher=IMDb |accessdate=21 December 2018}}</ref> In 2019, she voiced Gina on ''[[Thomas & Friends]]'' in the US/UK versions.
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | 2013 | ''[[The Christmas Candle]]'' | Mrs. Clem | |- | 2015 | ''The Dark Room'' | Karen | Short film |- | 2018 | ''[[Solo: A Star Wars Story]]'' | Imperial Emigration Officer | Her character was identified as "Falthina Sharest" in tie-ins |- | 2019 | ''[[The Kill Team (2019 film)|The Kill Team]]'' | Laura Briggman | |- | 2019 | ''Thomas & Friends: Digs and Discoveries'' | Gina (voice) | UK & US versions |- | 2023 | ''[[Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny]]'' | Mandy | |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- | 1996 | ''Company'' | Marta | Television movie |- | 2003 | ''[[Jonathan Creek]]'' | Coral | Episode: "The Coonskin Cap" |- | 2004 | ''[[Holby City]]'' | Zoe Clarke | Episode: "Truth Will Out" |- | 2004 | ''[[Lie with Me (2004 TV series)#Lie With Me (film)|Lie With Me]]'' | Anna | Television movie |- | 2005–2007 | ''[[Rome (TV series)|Rome]]'' | Clarissa | 8 episodes |- | 2009 | ''[[Doctors (2000 TV series)|Doctors]]'' | Jo Reith | Episode: "Playing Away" |- | 2011 | ''[[EastEnders]]'' | Dr. Faye Morrison | 2 episodes |- | 2013 | ''[[Holby City]]'' | Helen Levy | Episode: "Break" |- | 2019–2020 | ''[[Thomas & Friends]]'' | Gina (voice) | UK & US versions |- | 2020 | ''[[Homeland (TV series)|Homeland]]'' | Dr. Foley | Episode: "Deception Indicated" |- | 2020 | ''[[Roadkill (TV series)|Roadkill]]'' | HJ Keane | 4 Episodes |- |2022 |''The Man Who Fell to Earth'' | Ticket Agent | 1 episode |- |2022 |''The Ipcress File'' | Mrs. Dawson | 6 episodes |- | 2023 |''Sweet Sue'' | |- | 2023 |''[[Sex Education (TV series)|Sex Education]]'' |Gloria | Recurring role |- | 2023 | ''[[The Diplomat (American TV series)|The Diplomat]]'' | Pippa | 2 episodes |- | 2024 | ''[[Call The Midwife]]'' |Gladys Bell | 1 episode |- | 2024 | ''[[Criminal Record (TV series)|Criminal Record]]'' | DI Viv Gearing |Recurring role |- | 2024 | ''[[House of the Dragon]]'' | [[List of House of the Dragon characters#House Tully|Lady Mallister]] | 2 episodes |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{imdbname|0290693}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Francolini, Anna}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:1973 births]] m [[Category:Alumni of the University of Warwick]] [[Category:English film actresses]] [[Category:English television actresses]] [[Category:English musical theatre actresses]] [[Category:English stage actresses]] [[Category:English people of Italian descent]] [[Category:English voice actresses]] [[Category:National Youth Theatre members]] [[Category:Actors from Chertsey]] [[Category:Actresses from Surrey]] [[Category:People educated at Bristol Grammar School]]