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Ronni Ancona

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 185.106.73.8 (talk) at 17:42, 22 January 2020 (I am working on updating Ronni's television credits using IMDb, Spotlight, and speaking with Ronni herself. I work at The BWH Agency, where we represent Ronni as an actor.). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ronni Ancona
BornVeronica Jane Ancona
(1966-07-04) 4 July 1966 (age 58)[1][2]
Louth, Lincolnshire, England[1]
OccupationActress, impressionist, author
Spouse
Gerard Hall
​
(m. 2004)​
[3]
Children2

Veronica Jane Ancona (born 4 July 1966) is a Scottish actress, impressionist and author. She first became well known after appearing in The Big Impression.[4]

Early life

Ancona was born in Louth, Lincolnshire.[1] She was raised in Troon, Scotland, and is of Italian Jewish descent.[5] Her father was a commander in the Royal Navy and her mother was an artist who painted the sets at the Gaiety Theatre in Ayr.[6] She attended Marr College, a secondary school in Troon. In the programme Comedy Map of Britain she returned to her old school in Troon and talked about her earliest comedy performing experience as part of an improvisation group called Pots People.[7] She made a one-off appearance on Blue Peter in 1986 while she was still at school.[8] She moved to London when she was 17 to study design at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, then became a teacher before embarking on stand-up comedy.[9]

Career

Ancona's comedy career started on the comedy circuit and she won the Time Out Hackney Empire New Act of the Year in 1993. For many years she worked extensively in radio and on television shows, such as Fist of Fun, as well as performing stand-up comedy. She also appeared in the first series of The Sketch Show before joining The Big Impression.

In 2005 she played Barbara, opposite Bill Nighy, Miranda Richardson and Emily Blunt in Stephen Poliakoff's Gideon's Daughter on BBC One.

She has appeared seven times on the BBC celebrity panel show QI. She won episode four of series four ('Dictionaries') in October 2006, won again in the first episode of series six in November 2008 ('Family'), won on the women's team with Sandi Toksvig in January 2010, came last in November 2011 ('Infantile'), and won again in 2017, Series N Episode 13.

In November 2006 she was a guest presenter of Have I Got News For You. She also appeared on the Channel 4 comedy show TV Heaven, Telly Hell discussing her preferences in television shows.

In December 2006 she revealed herself as a fan of Strictly Come Dancing and appeared on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two. In 2007, following a successfully received pilot, the BBC commissioned a new comedy sketch series titled Ronni Ancona & Co consisting of her own material[9] and co-starring Phil Cornwell, Jan Ravens and John Sessions. The show initially aired on 25 May 2007 and had three episodes. In 2008 Ancona appeared in the film Penelope as Wanda.

She appeared as the mother of Katie and Emily Fitch in the third and fourth series of Skins. In 2009 she appeared in Hope Springs on BBC 1.[9] She was one of eight main cast members. On 24 July 2009, Ancona appeared on The One Show, and she appeared on it again, with Alistair McGowan, on 16 October 2009.

In 2009 Ancona's first book A Matter of Life And Death: How To Wean A Man Off Football was published by Faber & Faber.[10] As part of BBC's Big Read she promoted The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.[11]

In April 2010, she appeared on A Comedy Roast, celebrating Sharon Osbourne's life. In 2012 she appeared in Last Tango in Halifax as Judith on BBC One. On 2 January 2015 she was a guest on Room 101. In 2016, Ancona played the role of Mrs Fletcher, the manager of a local care home in the seventh series of the Scottish comedy, Still Game.

On stage Ancona was Beline in Molière's The Hypochondriac at the Almeida Theatre in 2005. In June 2015, Ancona began playing the role of Paula, in the new West End musical Bend It Like Beckham.[12]

In April 2017 Ancona appeared as a guest on ITV's The Nightly Show presented by Jason Manford in which they both performed impersonations of famous people and each tasked with identifying the impersonation while visually screened from each other. During this, the audience were made more visually aware of the person being impersonated by the use of Computer Generated Imagery (CGI).

Awards

Ancona won a British Comedy Award[13] for The Big Impression and a Variety Club Award.

Personal life

Ancona had a seven-year relationship with Alistair McGowan which ended shortly before they started working together professionally. Ancona is married to Gerard Hall, a consultant rheumatologist[14] with whom she has two daughters. They live in west London.[15]

Appearances

Television

Year Title Role Director(s)
1995 The Geeks
The Full Monty
1997 The Comedy Store
1989 The Staggering Stories of Ferdinand de Bargos
1991 Standing Room Only
1994 The Imaginatively Titled Punt and Dennis Show
1994 Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie
1993 Rory Bremner, Who Else?
1995 Pulp Video
1995 Scratchy and Co.
1995–1996 Fist of Fun
1997 Live at Jongleurs
1997 Space Cadets
1998 Comedy Nation
1999–2005 The Big Impression Various (BAFTA, British Comedy Award, Royal Variety Club Award)
1999 Mark Lamarr Leaving 20th Century
2000 Holby City
2001 The Sketch Show (BAFTA)
2001 Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible
2002 The Big Impression Christmas Special Various
2003 The Key
2003 Posh and Becks' Big Impression (Christmas Special) Various
2004 Sven and Nancy's Big Impression Various
2007 Ronni Ancona & Co Various
2007 Agatha Christie's Marple
2007 Hotel Babylon
2006 The Secret Policeman's Ball
2005 Gideon's Daughter Barbara Stephen Poliakoff
2008 QI Regular Panelist Various 7 episodes
2009 Bremner, Bird & Fortune
2009 Hope Springs
2009-2010 Skins Series 3 & 4
2010 The Trip Donna Michael Winterbottom
2011 Shooting Stars
2011 Loose Women
2011 Midsomer Murders
2012 Last Tango in Halifax Judith Various
2015 Citizen Khan Sandra Nick Wood
2015 Father Brown
2015 Room 101
2016 Doctors Alicia Largo Matt Carter
2016 Still Game Mrs Fletcher Michael Hines
2016 Stella Selina Child Tony Dow
2018 Tourist Trap Marie

Film

Year Title Role Director(s) Notes
1999 The Debt Collector Valerie's Sister Anthony Neilson
2004 The Calcium Kid Pat Connelly Alex De Rakoff
2004 Stella Street Various Peter Richardson
2005 A Cock and Bull Story Anita Michael Winterbottom
2008 Penelope Wanda Mark Palansky
2010 Huge Herself Ben Miller
2014 The Trip to Italy Donna Michael Winterbottom
2015 The Marriage of Reason and Squalor Hen 3 Jake Chapman
2016 The Prince of Denmark Gertrude Alex Kirkland & Robert Rafalat Short Film
2018 Stuffed Gwen Carys Lewis Short Film
2018 Surviving Christmas with the Relatives Vicky James Dearden

Radio

Title Channel
Life, Death & Sex With Mike & Sue Radio 4
The Alan Davies Show Radio 4
Weekending Radio 4
The Museum of Curiosity Radio 4

Theatre

Year Title Role Company
1996 Miss Conceptions Edinburgh Festival
2004 Singin' in the Rain Lina Lamont Sadler's Wells Theatre, London
2005 The Hypochondriac Belline Almeida Theatre, London [16]
2014 Little Revolution Jane / various Almeida Theatre [17]
2015 The Tale of Mr Tumble Unsmiling Principle Manchester Opera House [18]

References

  1. ^ a b c England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916–2007
  2. ^ "Veronica Jane ANCONA - Personal Appointments". Companies House. Retrieved 10 December 2019.
  3. ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916–2005
  4. ^ "Ronni Ancona: 'I don't think of myself as an impersonator / mimic / impressionist. I'm not sure what I am to be honest!'". Edinburgh Festival. 2 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  5. ^ Ellen, Barbara (19 December 2004). "'They don't think I'm the thinking man's crumpet'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  6. ^ "Interview: A fresh wave of success beckons for Ronni Ancona". The Scotsman. 29 May 2009.
  7. ^ "Episode 6 Belfast to Glasgow". The Comedy Map of Britain. bbc.co.uk.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ BBC 1, 2007, Comedy Map of Britain, episode 1.6
  9. ^ a b c "Interview: A fresh wave of success beckons for Ronni Ancona".
  10. ^ Faber & Faber : Ronni Ancona. Faber.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-05-07.
  11. ^ "Book Champions". The Big Read. bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 October 2007.
  12. ^ "West End's Bend It Like Beckham Musical Casts Its Complete Team". playbill.com. Playbill. 9 January 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  13. ^ "Past Winners 2003". British Comedy Awards. Archived from the original on 20 August 2008.
  14. ^ Ben Spencer (7 April 2011). "Ronni Ancona: How my heart still aches over stillborn Seth". dailyrecord.
  15. ^ "How We Met: Ronni Ancona & Alistair McGowan". The Independent. London. 20 July 2008.
  16. ^ "Don't get the wrong impression about her". Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  17. ^ "Cast, Little Revolution, Almeida Theatre". Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  18. ^ "The Tale of Mr Tumble, Manchester Opera House". Retrieved 16 November 2015.
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