Helen Monks

{{Short description|English writer, actress and comedian}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Infobox person | name = Helen Monks | image = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1992|10|2|df=y}} | birth_place = [[Birmingham]], [[West Midlands (county)|West Midlands]], [[England]] | education = | alma_mater = [[University of Sheffield]] | occupation = Actress, writer, comedian | spouse = | children = | relatives = | website = }} '''Helen Monks''' (born 2 October 1992) is an English writer, actress and comedian. She is best known for her roles in ''[[Raised by Wolves (British TV series)|Raised by Wolves]]'', ''[[Upstart Crow]]'', ''[[The Archers]]'', ''[[Holby City]]'', ''[[The Last Kingdom (TV series)|The Last Kingdom]]'', ''[[Genius (2017 TV series)|Genius]]'', and ''[[Inside No. 9]]''.<ref name="real">{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/helen-monks-on-raised-by-wolves-and-the-real-story-of-the-writer-caitlin-moran-and-her-feral-a6903591.html|title=Helen Monks on 'Raised by Wolves' and the real story of the writer Caitlin Moran and her feral siblings|last=Gilbert|first=Gerard|date=29 February 2016|work=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/raised-wolves-actress-landed-part-8825812|title=Raised by Wolves actress landed part after meeting her idol|date=14 March 2015|last=Huws Jones|first=Tudur|work=northwales}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/raised-wolves-meet-brummie-actress-8831226|title=Raised By Wolves: Meet Brummie actress Helen Monks who stars in the new Channel 4 sitcom – Birmingham Mail|last=Laws|first=Roz|date=15 March 2015|work=Birmingham Mail}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.student-rag.co.uk/helen-monks-interview-raised-by-wolves/|title=Helen Monks Interview – Raised By Wolves|work=Student Rag}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/helen-monks-interview-for-raised-by-wolves|title=Helen Monks interview for Raised By Wolves – Channel 4 – Info – Press|publisher=|accessdate=2 December 2016}}</ref>

==Early life== Monks was born and raised in [[Birmingham]]. Both her parents work in theatre.<ref name="Ed">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/aug/15/helen-monks-edinburgh-festival-2016-dolly-wants-to-die-interview|title=Helen Monks: 'The angrier I get, the funnier people seem to find it'|last=Gilbey|first=Ryan|date=15 August 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> Her brother is a theatre lighting designer.<ref name="real"/>

When she was nine years old, Monks successfully auditioned for the [[Central Junior Television Workshop|Carlton Junior TV Workshop]] run by Colin Edwards and remained there until she left school.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/raised-wolves-meet-brummie-actress-8831226|title=Channel 4's Raised By Wolves: Meet the Birmingham actress playing Caitlin Moran|last=Laws|first=Roz|date=15 March 2015|website=Birmingham Mail|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>

==Career== In 2005, Monks became Birmingham's first Young [[Poet Laureate]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50141/poetry/1418/birmingham_poet_laureate/2|title=Young poet laureate Birmingham|website=Birmingham City Council|language=en|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> aged 13.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/50141/poetry/1418/birmingham_poet_laureate/3|title=Previous poet laureates|website=Birmingham City Council|language=en|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> That same year she was cast in the radio [[soap-opera]] ''[[The Archers]]'' on [[BBC Radio 4]], taking on the role of Pip Archer. She left the series in 2014.

Monks co-founded the [[Barnsley]]-based touring theatre company [[LUNG Theatre]] in 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.helenmonks.com/lung-1|title=LUNG|website=Helen Monks|language=en|access-date=12 August 2019|archive-date=12 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812223933/https://www.helenmonks.com/lung-1|url-status=dead}}</ref> Lung is "a political documentary theatre company that makes theatre with communities, by communities and for communities."<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lungtheatre.co.uk/about/|title=About LUNG|date=1 February 2017|website=LUNG|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>

In 2015, Monks came third in the finals of the [[Funny Women]] Awards.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/comedy-news/birmingham-comic-actress-helen-monks-10034992|title=Birmingham comic actress Helen Monks is one of the Funny Women of 2015|last=Laws|first=Roz|date=11 September 2015|newspaper=Birmingham Mail|access-date=8 December 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/comedy/funny-women-awards-2015-desiree-burch-leads-the-charge-for-the-next-crop-of-comediennes-a6677026.html|last=Jones|first=Alice|title=This is Desiree Burch, the funniest woman of the year|date=2 October 2015|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref> Together with actress and writer Tilly Steele, Monks has been a co-host of the ''Bitchin''' podcast since 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.patreon.com/BitchinPodcast|title=bitchin' podcast|website=Patreon|language=en|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>

Monks also appears in [[Ben Elton]]'s BBC One sitcom ''[[Upstart Crow]]'', Monks played the role of Susannah Shakespeare, daughter to David Mitchell's [[William Shakespeare]].

She plays Charlotte opposite [[Miriam Margolyes]] in the [[BBC Radio 4]] sitcom ''Charlotte and Lillian''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0010nsy|work=BBC Radio 4|title=Charlotte and Lillian|access-date=10 October 2021}}</ref>

==Writing== Monks' radio plays include ''One Day'', which won the BBC young writer's competition Radio Online in 2007 and ''The Chicken Salad of a Troubled Mind'', which was made by the Wireless Theatre Company in 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wtc.innersanxtum.com/helen-monks/|title=Helen Monks – Wireless Theatre Company|date=11 November 2013|work=Wireless Theatre Company}}{{Dead link|date=October 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> Her stage play ''The Piano Man'' was performed at the Birmingham Rep as part of their Transmissions Festival 2008. Monks won the Taunton Young Writer's Award in 2014 and again in 2015 with her stage plays ''Pillow Talk'' and ''No Fishing''. In 2015 she co-wrote ''E15'' with Matt Woodhead about the [[Focus E15]] campaign group. After winning a student drama award and being shortlisted for the [[Amnesty International]] Award, ''E15'' went on a national tour with the [[Battersea Arts Centre]]. It has since been published by [[Oberon Books]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/article/younglaureate/ypl-about|title=About The Young Poet Laureate Birmingham|date=7 February 2013|work=Library of Birmingham|access-date=24 February 2017|archive-date=24 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170224212937/http://www.libraryofbirmingham.com/article/younglaureate/ypl-about|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Her one-woman play ''Dolly Wants to Die'' premiered at the [[Edinburgh Fringe]] in 2016.<ref name="Ed"/> In 2018, Monks co-wrote ''Trojan Horse'' with Matt Woodhead.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2018/jul/23/play-shines-light-on-trojan-horse-islamist-plot-to-run-schools|title=Play shines light on Trojan Horse 'Islamist plot' to run schools|last=Weale|first=Sally|date=23 July 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=12 August 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The play explores the impact of the [[Trojan Horse scandal|Trojan Horse inquiry]] into an alleged Islamist takeover of a number of inner city schools in the east of Birmingham on the city and the people affected by the inquiry. It premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2018 and has won the 2018 Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award and a [[Fringe First]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/what-to-see/trojan-horse-summerhall-edinburgh-fringe-review-school-scandal/|title=Trojan Horse at Summerhall, Edinburgh Fringe, review: School for scandal? Birmingham's Islamist 'plot' revisited|last=Cavendish|first=Dominic|date=13 August 2018|work=The Telegraph|access-date=12 August 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/edinburgh-fringe/theatre/amnesty-freedom-of-expression-award-2018-trojan-horse|title=Trojan Horse wins Amnesty Freedom of Expression Award: The Skinny|website=www.theskinny.co.uk|language=en|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.whatsonstage.com/edinburgh-theatre/news/fringe-first-winner-breach-trojan-horse_47451.html|title=Fringe First final week winners announced {{!}} WhatsOnStage|last=Wood|first=Alex|website=www.whatsonstage.com|date=23 August 2018 |language=en-GB|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>

==Personal life== Monks earned a degree in English Literature and Theatre Studies from the [[University of Sheffield]] in 2014.<ref name="Ed"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTxoHeFtWkE|title=Sheffield Alumni – Helen Monks|date=10 August 2015|work=Youtube}}</ref>

She admires the work of [[Caitlin Moran]] and [[David Mitchell (comedian)|David Mitchell]], citing Mitchell as the reason that she got into comedy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/film-news/raised-wolves-star-helen-monks-10949999|title=Channel 4's Raised By Wolves is back and star Helen Monks reveals how she has fulfilled her dreams|last=Laws|first=Roz|date=28 February 2016|website=Birmingham Mail|access-date=12 August 2019}}</ref>

==Filmography== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes |- | 2003 || ''Red Sky at Night''|| || TV short |- | 2013–16 || ''[[Raised by Wolves (British TV series)|Raised by Wolves]]''|| Germaine Garry || Played one of the principal characters throughout the series.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2016/03/02/raised-by-wolves-series-2-episode-1-fizzlingly-funny/|title=Raised By Wolves series 2 episode 1: 'fizzingly funny'|last=Hogan|first=Michael|date=2 March 2016|work=The Telegraph|access-date=12 August 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> |- | 2015 || ''[[Holby City]]''|| Tallulah Hart|| Season 17, episode 43: "A Good Man" |- | 2016 || ''[[The Last Kingdom (TV series)|The Last Kingdom]]'' || Gwen || |- | 2016–present || ''[[Upstart Crow]]'' || [[Susanna Hall|Susanna Shakespeare]] || Appeared in all episodes as of Series 2 |- | 2017 || ''[[Taboo (2017 TV series)|Taboo]]'' || Zilpha's Maid || Series 1, episode 7 |- | 2017 || ''[[Genius (U.S. TV series)|Genius]]''|| [[Einstein family#Maria "Maja" Einstein (Albert's younger sister)|Maja Einstein]] || Episodes 1–3 |- | 2017 || ''Election Spy'' || || |- | 2018 || ''[[Inside No. 9]]''|| Colette || Series 4, episode 1: "[[Zanzibar (Inside No. 9)|Zanzibar]]" |- | 2019 || ''[[Hold the Sunset]]''|| Stephanie Hugh || Series 2, episode 4: "The Lemming Family" |- | 2020 || ''Maxxx''|| Rose || |- | 2020-21 || ''Charlotte and Lillian'' || Charlotte || Radio sitcom: lead role, 3 series |- |2022 |''[[Elden Ring]]'' |Roderika |Voice<ref>{{Cite web |title=Elden Ring (Video Game 2022) |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10562854/fullcredits |access-date=2024-01-05 |website=IMDb |language=en}}</ref> |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links==  * {{official website|https://www.helenmonks.com/home}} * {{IMDb name|1452509}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monks, Helen}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:English dramatists and playwrights]] [[Category:English radio actresses]] [[Category:English television actresses]] [[Category:English women comedians]] [[Category:21st-century English actresses]] [[Category:1992 births]] [[Category:Actresses from Birmingham, West Midlands]] [[Category:Alumni of the University of Sheffield]] [[Category:Comedians from Birmingham, West Midlands]]