| Birth date | 1963 or 1964 |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Actress |
Polly Kemp (born 1963 or 1964) is a British television and theatre actor.[1]
Background
Kemp grew up in Keswick, Cumbria.[1] Her mother was born in Lissarda, County Cork, Ireland. Kemp herself owned a house in Leap, County Cork for a period.[2] Kemp moved to London when she was 18, where she became a nanny for her father's friends, Judi Dench and Michael Williams.[1] Kemp graduated from Drama Centre London in 1988.[2]
Career
Kemp's theatre career includes productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Old Vic, and the Hampstead Theatre.[1][2] She is a member of The Pilgrim Players, a Shakespearean theatre group.[2]
Her television credits include The Thick of It, Agatha Christie's Poirot, and Death in Paradise.[2][1]
In 2011, Kemp was part of a group of celebrities on BBC Radio 3 Red Nose Show for Comic Relief which set a Guinness World Records title for the "largest kazoo ensemble".[3]
In 2015, Kemp co-founded the 50:50 Equal Representation for Actresses (50:50 ERA) campaign with Elizabeth Berrington. In 2020, the co-founders won The Equity Award for Services to Theatre, presented at the 2020 WhatsOnStage Awards.[4][5][6][7] Kemp also co-founded Her Story Productions, a programme to support female playwrights, based at the Jermyn Street Theatre.[8][9]
Personal life
In 2004, Kemp married fellow actor, Robert Whitelock.
References
- ^ "Keswick actor Polly Kemp in the thick of it". Times and Star. 13 November 2009.
- ^ "Polly Kemp"
- ^ "BBC - Press Office - Radio 3's Red Nose Show breaks Guinness World Record". www.bbc.co.uk
- ^ "Female theatre leaders hail meeting with Arts Council as major step forward for gender parity campaign". The Stage
- ^ Ellis-Petersen, Hannah (15 May 2017). "50:50 female actors' campaign reveals it asked Bafta nominees for backing". The Guardian
- ^ Editor, Richard Brooks, Arts (20 May 2017). "Actress demands lead role in seductions". www.thetimes.com
- ^ "20th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards winners include Andrew Scott, Claire Foy, Come From Away and Six". 1 March 2020.
- ^ "Exclusive: scheme to tackle under-representation of female playwrights". The Stage
- ^ "Women in Theatre Lab". www.bbc.co.uk