Ann Mitchell (born 22 April 1939) is a British stage and television actress. She came to prominence in the 1980s when she starred as Dolly Rawlins in the crime seriesWidows as well as the sequelsWidows 2 andShe's Out, all written byLynda La Plante. In 2011, she was cast asCora Cross in theBBCsoap operaEastEnders, the mother ofTanya Cross andRainie Cross. Mitchell has appeared in many roles in film, theatre and television and has played a significant number of major roles such as Mrs. Warren inMrs. Warren's Profession and herLaurence Olivier Award nominated performance inThrough the Leaves.

Mitchell attendedRaine's Foundation School and went on to train atEast 15 Acting School,^[1] having received the first ever scholarship to the school. She has since worked intheatre, television, film and radio, starting withDiary of a Young Man, a series written for her byJohn McGrath andTroy Kennedy Martin, directed byKen Loach.

She is a visiting lecturer at theGuildhall School of Music and Drama, East 15 Acting School and theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art, and is Master Tutor on the foundation course at WAC. Mitchell is on the board of directors of theUnity Theatre Trust, a Trustee of Arbours (a psychotherapeutic care centre) and is a Patron ofClean Break, a theatre and training company for female ex-offenders.

Mitchell has been married twice and has two sons, one from each of her marriages, one of whom is the actorChé Walker. She resides inLondon.

In 1984, she received the Pye Award for Female who had the greatest impact on television for her role as Dolly Rawlins in the crime seriesWidows, written byLynda La Plante. She had a cameo, as Amanda's mother, in the 2018 U.S. film version of her series,Widows. In 1992, she received the award "Performance of the Year" byThe Independent on Sunday for her Hecuba at the Gate Theatre. In 2003 Mitchell was a nominee for Best Actress in theEvening Standard Awards and theLaurence Olivier Awards for her performance as Martha inThrough the Leaves, first at the Southwark Playhouse and later theDuchess Theatre, London. Her work as a director and writer includes:Voices from Prison (RSC Platform),Cathy Come Home (first stage adaptation, Pit Theatre),Ever After (co-written with Cathy Itzin),Kiss and Kill (co-written with Susan Todd for Monstrous Regiment and nominated for theSusan Smith Blackburn Prize). She directed the world premiere ofBarrie Keeffe'sSus, at theRoyal Court Theatre.

Ann Mitchell first worked withSimon Callow over 35 years ago in aLincolnTheatre Royal production ofThe Erpingham Camp, where Callow made his debut. Since then, they have worked together several times, most recently eight years ago when Callow directed Mitchell inThe Destiny of Me at the Leicester Haymarket. While not collaborating with Callow, Mitchell has built up an extensive stage career. In an interview withWhat's on Stage, Mitchell commented that her favourite wasEugene O'Neill. "I was about 15 when I first started reading him and, even at that age, I knew there was something going on there in the subconscious of his work. Tennessee Williams, because of his delicacy. I also like doing Racine, which is wonderful from the point of the view of the language. I've just done Britannicus at the Citz."^[2]

In 2011, Mitchell was cast in theBritishsoap operaEastEnders asCora Cross, the mother of already established charactersTanya Jessop andRainie Cross. She first appeared to attend her on-screen daughter's wedding and was originally only scheduled to appear for a four episode guest stint. On 31 May 2011 it was announced that Mitchell was returning toEastEnders as Cora and will be back on screen as a regular character in summer 2011.^[3] In an interview withInside Soap, the executive producer ofEastEnders,Bryan Kirkwood commented: "With the loss of Barbara Windsor, I was keen to find a new matriarch for the show, and Ann Mitchell is a dream booking. I've always been a fan of her work, and with the storyline we've got planned, we'll wonder how we ever did without Cora".^[4] Mitchell had previously appeared inEastEnders asJane Williams, a womanRoy Evans had an affair with but only appeared for six episodes. Upon joining the soap, Mitchell commented: "As a lifelong fan ofEastEnders I am thrilled to join the cast. I am a great fan of June Brown’s and am looking forward to sharing some scenes with her." Executive Producer Bryan Kirkwood added, "I’m very excited to have the much-loved Ann Mitchell joining us. Cora Cross is a formidable woman, cut from the same cloth as many glorious Walford women of the past, and Ann Mitchell is just perfect for the role."^[5] She took a break in December 2015, and returned in 2017.^[6]

As a leading member of the ground-breakingCitizens' Theatre for many years, Mitchell's roles included atGlasgow:Mother Courage inMother Courage and Her Children,^[7] Helen inA Taste of Honey,^[7] Amanda inPrivate Lives,^[7] Mary inMary Stuart,^[7] Eva inSummit Conference^[7] (written for her by Robert David McDonald), Mrs Warren inMrs. Warren's Profession,^[7] Gertrude inHamlet^[7] and Agrippina inBritannicus.^[7] At London: Mrs Marwood inThe Way of the World^[7] and Cornelia inThe White Devil.^[7]

For theRoyal Shakespeare Company her roles include Hecuba, Aethra and the nurse inTantalus at the Barbican (RSC), Frieda Lawrence inDivine Gossip, and the Woman inEdward Bond's War Plays I, II, III.Tantalus was a coproduction of the RSC and theDenver Center for the Performing Arts in theU.S. where it received its world premiere in a mammoth performance of the three parts given over 10 hours. Working for the leading companies in the UK she was: Helen inThe Road to Mecca (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester), Mrs Malaprop inThe Rivals (Nottingham Playhouse), Marge inA Colder Climate (Royal Court),A Matter of Life and Death (Royal National Theatre), Brenda inMary Barnes (Royal Court), Guinevere inGuinevere (written for her byPam Gems, Soho Poly), Mrs Prentice inWhat the Butler Saw (theCrucible Theatre,Sheffield). In 2005, she co-starred inWhose Life Is It Anyway? in London'sWest End withKim Cattrall andJanet Suzman.

For television, Mitchell has starred in many of the most popular UK television series ranging from drama to comedy, includingZ-Cars,Talking to a Stranger,Up the Junction,Play for Today,Upstairs, Downstairs,Morning Story,Within These Walls,Bergerac,Taggart,The Detectives,Kavanagh QC,Maigret,The Bill,EastEnders,^[8]French & Saunders, andGimme Gimme Gimme (written for her byJonathan Harvey). She co-stars as Lillian in the forthcomingGranada production of Jane Hall's Big Bad Bus Ride, and was most recently^[when?] seen as Rita in Tunnel of Love forThames. As Dolly Rawlins inWidows I, II and She's Out (written for her by Lynda La Plante) she won acclaim and affection. In 2017 she joined the cast ofCBBC'sHetty Feather. On 16 January 2022 she appeared in Vera in the episode "As the Crow Flies" in the role of Moira Swann.

• Official website
• Ann Mitchell atIMDb

• 1939 births
• Living people
• 20th-century English actresses
• 21st-century English actresses
• Actors from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
• Actresses from London
• Alumni of East 15 Acting School
• English film actresses
• English soap opera actresses
• English stage actresses
• English television actresses
• People educated at Raine's Foundation School
• People from Stepney

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from August 2020
• Use British English from April 2012
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• Vague or ambiguous time from July 2011
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