ABOUT ME

Gillian, although born in Manchester, spent most of her childhood in Colchester. After several unsuccessful attempts to entertain the other children at the Saturday Morning Pictures, she discovered Colchester Repertory Theatre, now the Mercury Theatre, and knew she'd come home. She saw Marie Ney and Bruce Montague in Ibsen's Ghosts, followed by a production of Sandy Wilson's musical, The Boy Friend. Gillian then joined Colchester Junior Repertory Club and was taught and mentored by Mrs Dorothy Hallett, to whom she owes a great deal.

​

In 1961, Gillian began her RADA training, in the same year as the late Geoffrey Hutchings, Simon Ward, Richard Digby Day, Anthony Hopkins, Susan Fleetwood, Eric Allan, Udi Schneewind, Victor Henry and Alaknanda Samarth. Her final productions included playing Mitzi in Milo Sperber's production of Franz Kafka's, The Castle, opposite Geoffrey Hutchings, who played K (June 1963) and Sonya in John Fernald's production of Uncle Vanya, with Eric Allan as Astrov and Susan Fleetwood as Yeliena (July 1963).

In 1963, when she graduated, Gillian was awarded the RADA Special Silver Medal.​