Joanna Foster | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | British |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1978–present |
| Notable work | Diary of A Desperate Woman, The Eve of Saint Venus, Brezhnev's Children |
| Television | Coronation Street |
| Parent | Barry Foster |
| Relatives | Miranda Foster (sister) |
Joanna Foster is a British actress active in theatre and television since 1978. On stage, she created roles in the world premieres ofAndrew Davies'sDiary of A Desperate Woman (1979),Anthony Burgess'sThe Eve of Saint Venus (1979), andOlwen Wymark'sBrezhnev's Children (1991), and has performed leading roles with theRoyal Shakespeare Company,Royal National Theatre,The Young Vic,Leicester Haymarket Theatre, andThe Dukes, Lancaster among other theatre companies. She was the fourth and final actress to portraySusan Barlow inCoronation Street.
Foster is the daughter of the actorBarry Foster and the sister of the actress Miranda Foster.[1][2] She was trained at theRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama.[3] While as a student, she performed the role of Celia in the Central School's January 1978 production ofChristopher Hampton'sThe Philanthropist.[3] She made her professional stage debut at theMercury Theatre, Colchester in September 1978 as Valeria inAphra Behn's 1677 playThe Rover. It was the first un-censored staging of the play since the 1750s; restoring much of the original bawdy language.[4]
In 1979, Foster starred in the world premiere ofAndrew Davies'sDiary of A Desperate Woman at theBelgrade Theatre in Coventry, England.[5] That same year she became a resident actress at theNew Wolsey Theatre; making her debut with the company in a production ofCarlo Goldoni's 1746 playThe Servant of Two Masters.[6] Other roles she performed at that theatre included Diana in the world premiere ofAnthony Burgess'sThe Eve of Saint Venus (1979),[7] Gerda in a stage adaptation ofHans Christian Andersen'sThe Snow Queen (1980),[8] andHermia inWilliam Shakespeare'sA Midsummer Night's Dream (1980).[9]
In 1980, Foster portrayed the role of Cheppi / Ilona in János Nyiri'sIf Winter Comes at theLeicester Haymarket Theatre.[10] She had a critical triumph asNora Helmer inHenrik Ibsen'sA Doll's House atThe Dukes, Lancaster in 1981; a production which used a new contemporary English language translation by playwrightPam Gems.The Stage theatre critic Robin Duke wrote "Given the contemporary nature of the new translation, the play compounds its earlier feminist ideals and clenches a new iron fist in a velvet glove. Much of the thanks goes to a remarkable performance by Joanna Foster as the trapped Nora Helmer. She positively trembles with nervous energy, hands desperately seeking somewhere to rest, eyes too busy to settle."[11] She returned to The Dukes in successive seasons as Laura Wingfield inTennessee Williams'sThe Glass Menagerie (1981),[12] Juliet in Shakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet (1981),[13] and Stella inA Streetcar Named Desire (1983).[14] Reviewing the latter performance,The Guardian theatre critic Robin Thornber stated, "Joanna Foster makes Stella a true star of the play, all sweet reason and patience, torn for compassion both for her sister's sensitivity and her husband's animal pride."[15]
In 1982, Foster starred as Armand in theRoyal Shakespeare Company's production ofMikhail Bulgakov'sMolière atThe Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon;[16] a performance described as "alluring" byThe Observer.[17] Her other performances with the RSC included the Gentlewoman inMacbeth (1982) andHero inMuch Ado About Nothing (1983).[18] In 1984 she performed inDavid Pownall'sMusic to Murder By at the Nuffield Southampton Theatre.[19] In 1985, she appeared at theYoung Vic as Isabella inDavid Thacker's staging of Shakespeare'sMeasure for Measure withPeter Guinness as the Duke andMargot Leicester as Mariana.[20]The Guardian theatre critic Desmond Christy wrote,
"The great scenes between Isabella and Angelo are outstanding. Joanna Foster's Isabella is not the best spoken sister of mercy we have seen but she is one of the most feeling. This is not a neurotic novice obsessed with chastity but one who sincerely believes that her immortal soul is worth more than her brother's life. This moral absolutism, pitted against Angelo's lustful casuistry, makes for superb drama."[21]
In 1986, Foster starred as Lucy inPeter Wood's staging ofBertolt Brecht'sThe Threepenny Opera at theRoyal National Theatre (RNT) withTim Curry andSally Dexter,[22][23] and performed in a special concert of Brecht's music entitled "Sung and Unsung", also with the RNT.[24] That same year she appeared asLady Macbeth in Shakespeare's1606 tragedy at theTorch Theatre, Milford Haven.[25][26] In 1988, she portrayed Ann Deever inArthur Miller'sAll My Sons at theTheatre Royal, Manchester.[27]
In 1991, Foster created the role of Galina in the world premiere ofOlwen Wymark'sBrezhnev's Children with the Moving Target Theatre Company; a work based onJulia Voznesenskaya's 1987 Russian novelThe Women's Decameron.[28][29] In 1995, she portrayed Abigail Brodsky in the UK premiere of Carole Braverman'sThe Yiddish Trojan Women; a work mounted by theSoho Theatre Company at theCockpit Theatre in London.[30] That same year she portrayed Keely in the United Kingdom première ofJane Martin'sKeely and Du at theRoyal Theatre, Northampton.[31] In 1996, she toured internationally as a member of the Actors of the London Stage; performing Shakespeare plays with a minimal cast of five actors who played multiple parts.[32] In 1998, she starred opposite her sister Miranda for the first time in their careers in a production ofJosé Triana'sThe Criminals at theLyric Theatre in Hammersmith; with Joanna portraying the role of Beba and Miranda in the part of Cuca.[2][33]
In 2006 she portrayed Zise Feige inIsaac Bashevis Singer'sThe Dead Fiddler at theNew End Theatre.[34]
Foster's first television role was as Theresa in the 1979 BBC television dramaTestament of Youth.[35] The following year she portrayed Clara Brewer in theITV television seriesFlickers.[36] In 1982, she starred as Fran in "The Visitor"; a supernatural thriller made for the British horror anthology seriesWest Country Tales.[37] In 1988, she portrayed Ellen Thompson in the BBC television seriesBlind Justice;[38] an award winning television series produced byMichael Wearing which "exposed the inadequacies of the British criminal justice system".[39]
Between 1992 and 1993, Foster played staff general manager Kate Miller in the hospital dramaCasualty.[40][41] She is the fourth actress to portray the role ofSusan Barlow inCoronation Street, after Katie Heannau,Wendy Jane Walker andSuzy Paterson. She played the character for one month from January 2001 until the character's death in a car crash in February 2001. She also starred in theFive soapFamily Affairs between 2002 and 2003, where she playedGinny Davenport. She also played the role of Miriam, the sister ofMoses, in theHistory Channel'sThe Bible.