Our Patron

The patron of the Magdalene players is Susannah York, a highly regarded and well-known actress most famous for her work in the 60’s and 70’s.

She was born in London and went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She debuted in 1960 in There Was A Crooked Man. The same year she appeared in a second movie, Tunes Of Glory, co-starring with Alec Guinness and John Mills.

She appeared in, among others, the films A Man for All Seasons (1966), The Killing of Sister George (1968) and Battle of Britain (1969). She was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969). In 1972 she won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Images. She is well known for playing Superman's mother Lara in Superman (1978) and its sequels, Superman II (1980) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987).

In the 1970s she wrote two children's fantasy novels, In Search of Unicorns (1973), and Lark's Castle (1976), revised (1986).

In 2004, she played hospital administrator in Casualty, appearing in both the main show and its spin-off, Holby City. In 2006, she appeared in The Gigolos.

In 2007, Susannah will be appearing on stage in the UK tour of The Wings of the Dove, and will continue performing her internationally acclaimed solo show, The Loves of Shakespeare's Women. Also in 2007, she guest starred in the Doctor Who audio play "Valhalla".

We are delighted to have her as our patron.


Left: Susannah York in a scene from Country Dance (1970)