# Vanda Godsell

Nancy Evelyn Orchard (née Godsell, formally Selway; 17 November 1922 – c. 2 April 1990), known professionally as Vanda Godsell, was an English actress. With a career that spanned 46 years, she was best known for her role as Katie Heenan in the BBC One soap opera The Newcomers (1966–1969).
Hal Erickson writes in AllMovie, "Vanda Godsell specialised in playing disheveled housewives, busybody landladies and blowsy domestics."

## Early life

Nancy Evelyn Godsell was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England on 17 November 1922, as the youngest child to Reginald Godsell (1890–1941), a retired Royal Navy Commander, who served in the Battle of Jutland, and his wife, Muriel Wilfreda Rachel Ellington (née Abbott or Jacob; 1887–1971), an author, who was the sister of Naomi Jacob, a novelist. She had two elder sisters, Muriel Felicia Mary Atkinson (née Godsell; 1915–1985), an actress, and Audrey Rosemary Nina "Audrie" Atcheson (née Godsell, formally Young; 1919–1999), an editor in the publishing world.

## Career

Godsell began her career as an actress when she joined the Bristol Repertoire in 1937, at the age of 14. She made her stage debut on 10 August 1942, portraying Nancy in Barry O'Brien and Roy Limbert's production of Gaslight. She made her television debut on 3 April 1949, with the role of Mirabelle in the television film My Mother Said. She made her broadcasting debut on 4 March 1950, as the voice of Lulu Smith in the BBC Home Service production of the BBC Television series Sunday Night Theatre. She made her film debut in November 1953, with the role of Angela Neilson in the second feature ('B') crime film Flannelfoot.
Godsell portrayed Hilda Wardle in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street. She appeared in 14 episodes from 25 January 1961. The character was a lady friend of Christine Hardman's uncle Edwin Mason, who came to make sure Christine has enough money to live on following her mother's sudden death.
Godsell portrayed Katie Heenan in the BBC One soap opera The Newcomers from 1966 to 1969.
Godsell retired on 5 September 1983, following her role as Woman in the debut episode of the ITV television series Reilly, Ace of Spies.

## Personal life

Godsell married her first husband, George Selway, an actor, in Marylebone, Middlesex in October 1954. The couple divorced in 1957, after two years of marriage.
Godsell married her second husband, Alan Joseph Orchard (born 4 December 1924), in Hampstead, London in January 1964. She was widowed in April 1979, after 15 years of marriage.

## Death

Godsell was found lying naked in an empty bath at her North Kensington home on 2 April 1990, at the age of 67. Her body was discovered by police after neighbours, of Scrubs Lane, complained of the smell coming from her home. Her funeral service took place on 17 April 1990 at Mortlake Crematorium, where she was cremated.
The inquest into Godsell's death was held at Hammersmith Crown Court in early November 1990, and heard from her sister-in-law, Frances Atcheson, that she had been prone to drinking heavily. Coroner John Burton heard that her body was in such a state of decomposition that her cause of death could not be ascertained. Burton recorded an open verdict.

## Filmography
### Stage

| Year | Title | Role | Production | Location |
| 1942 | Gaslight | Nancy | Barry O'Brien and Roy Limbert | King's Theatre, Edinburgh and Opera House, Manchester |
| 1944 | The Corn Is Green | Bessie Watty | Derek Salberg's Repertory Company | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1944 | Jane Eyre | | Wolverhampton Repertory Company | Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton |
| 1944 | Laburnum Road | Elsie Radfern | Derek Salberg's Repertory Company | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1944 | Hattie Stowes | Elsie Peters | Derek Salberg's Repertory Company | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1945 | The Late Christopher Bean | Ada Haggett | Derek Salberg's Repertory Company | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1945 | Claudia | Julia Naughton | Derek Salberg's Repertory Company | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1945 | A Soldier for Christmas | Millie Smith | Derek Salberg's Repertory Company | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1945 | Little Women | Amy | | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1945 | Worm's Eye View | Thelma | Derek Salberg's Repertory Company | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1948 | Trespass | Mrs Amos | Wolverhampton Repertory Company | Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton |
| 1948 | Lovers' Leap | Helen Storer | Wolverhampton Repertory Company | Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton |
| 1948 | Tons of Money | Louise Allington | | Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton |
| 1949 | Tomorrow is a Lovely Day | | Windsor Repertory Company | Theatre Royal, Windsor |
| 1949 | Jane Steps Out | Jane | Windsor Repertory Company | Theatre Royal, Windsor |
| 1951 | A Streetcar Named Desire | Blanche De Bois | | Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne and Palace Pier Theatre, Brighton |
| 1956 | Mister Lear | Violet Danefield | Worthing Theatre Company | Connaught Theatre, Worthing |
| 1957 | The Reluctant Debutant | Sheila Broadbent | Worthing Theatre Company | Connaught Theatre, Worthing |
| 1957 | An Air for Murder | Mrs Eltner | Worthing Theatre Company | Connaught Theatre, Worthing |
| 1958 | Daddy-O! | Maud Hopkinson | Worthing Theatre Company | Connaught Theatre, Worthing |
| 1958 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Olive | Windsor Repertory Company | Theatre Royal, Windsor |
| 1958 | A Touch of the Sun | Margaret Lester | Windsor Repertory Company | Theatre Royal, Windsor |
| 1959 | All in the Family | Sylvie Sauvin | Henry Sherek Ltd | Strand Theatre, London, Grand Theatre & Opera House, Leeds, and other locations |
| 1960–1961 | The Lion in Love | | | Bristol Hippodrome |
| 1961 | The Pinedus Affair | The Lady | Pembroke Theatre Croydon | Pembroke Theatre, Croydon |
| 1961 | Life Worth Living | Maisie | Alexandra Repertory Company with Basil Dean Productions Ltd | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham |
| 1965 | The Night of the Iguana | Maxine Faulk | Bernard Delfont, Clement Scott Gilbert, Hugh Wonter, New Pembroke Theatre Ltd | Savoy Theatre, London, Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, and other locations |
| 1970 | The Wild Duck | Mrs Bertha Sorby | The Play Company of London | Criterion Theatre, London |
| 1971 | The Anniversary | Mum | Newpalm Productions | Princess Theatre, Tourquay, Cambridge Arts Theatre, and other locations |
| 1973 | The Starving Rich | Esther Fisher | Tom Arnold Presentations Ltd | Theatre Royal, Brighton, The Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare, and other locations |
| 1974 | The Morgan Yard | Carrie Morgan | Mercury Theatre Company | Mercury Theatre, Colchester |
| 1974 | Blue, White and Red | Madame Renoir | Birmingham Repertory Company | Birmingham Repertory Theatre |
| 1975 | She Stoops to Conquer | Mrs Hardcastle | Nottingham Playhouse Company | Nottingham Playhouse |
| 1975 | Major Barbara | Lady Britomart | Nottingham Playhouse Company | Nottingham Playhouse |
| 1975 | Habeas Corpus | Muriel Wicksteed | Liverpool Playhouse | Liverpool Playhouse |
| 1978 | Funny Peculiar | Mrs Baldry | Nottingham Playhouse | Nottingham Playhouse |
| 1979 | Saturday Sunday Morning | | Royal Lyceum Company | Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh |
| 1981 | Habeas Corpus | Muriel Wicksteed | Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh | Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1949 | My Mother Said | Mirabelle | Television film |
| 1954 | The Javanese Dagger | Wanda - Tresall's 1st Wife | Short |
| 1955 | Scotland Yard: Murder Anonymous | Hotel guest | Short |
| 1955 | Song of Norway | | Short |
| 1955 | Theatre Royal | Mary Smith | Episode: "The Little Black Book" |
| 1956 | Scotland Yard: The Wall of Death | Nina Hartier | Short |
| 1956 | Adventure Theater | Wanda | Episode: "The Javanese Dagger" |
| 1956 | The Other Man | Billie Reynolds | 2 episodes |
| 1956 | Without Love | Sylvia | Television film |
| 1957–1963 | ITV Television Playhouse | Miss Summerfield, Madge Tullis, May Vine | 3 episodes |
| 1957 | Many Mansions | Susan Brown | Television film |
| 1957 | Shadow Squad | Stella Curtis | 2 episodes |
| 1957–1959 | The Vise | Edwina, Nurse | 2 episodes |
| 1958 | The Killing Stones | Lucille Kleiber | Episode: "The Carefulness of Kleiber" |
| 1958 | Television Playwright | Laura | Episode: "Liberty Hall" |
| 1958–1959 | Dial 999 | Mary, Margaret | 2 episodes |
| 1958 | Starr and Company | Mrs. Kay | 2 episodes |
| 1958 | Private Investigator | Mrs. Raffanole | Episode: "The Villa St. Yves" |
| 1958–1959 | Sunday Night Theatre | Babs Coates, Commander's Wife | 2 episodes |
| 1959 | Murder Bag | | Episode: "Lockheart Breaks Even" |
| 1959 | Campion | Chloe Pye | 2 episodes |
| 1959 | Nick of the River | Laida | Episode: "Oranges and Lemons" |
| 1959 | Knight Errant Limited | Drazin | Episode: "Adam Meets His Match" |
| 1959 | Emergency Ward 10 | Mrs. Rendell | Episode: "Episode #1.296" |
| 1960 | Armchair Theatre | Grace Warren | Episode: "The Girl in the Market Square" |
| 1960 | Man from Interpol | Diane | Episode: "Latest Fashion in Crime" |
| 1960–1962 | No Hiding Place | Patsy Baines, Moira Forbes | 2 episodes |
| 1960–1962 | Edgar Wallace Mysteries | Mrs. Ferber, Betty Conlon | 2 episodes |
| 1961 | Coronation Street | Hilda Wardle | 1 episode |
| 1961 | Around the Corner | Stella Palmer | Television film |
| 1961 | Three Live Wires | | Episode: "Stranger Than Fiction" |
| 1961 | The Cheaters | Mrs. Little, First Matron | 2 episodes |
| 1961 | Magnolia Street | Maggie Tawnie | 4 episodes |
| 1961 | Probation Officer | Mrs. Goodwin | Episode: "Episode #3.5" |
| 1961 | Family Solicitor | Mrs. Anderson | Episode: "The Battle of Tanley Corner" |
| 1962–1964 | ITV Play of the Week | Mrs. Boone, Rosie, Margaret | 3 episodes |
| 1962 | Silent Evidence | Viv | Episode: "Shadow of the Past" |
| 1962 | The Danny Thomas Show | Mavis | Episode: "A Hunting We Will Go" |
| 1963 | Taxi! | Madeleine | Episode: "It's Lonely Up Front" |
| 1963 | The Scales of Justice | Agnes Chester | Episode: "The Undesirable Neighbour" |
| 1963–1973 | Z-Cars | Mona Hodson, Mrs. Hartley | 2 episodes |
| 1963 | Maigret | Madame Laboine | Episode: "The Lost Life" |
| 1963 | Dixon of Dock Green | Rosie Shaw-Browne, Rosie Brown, Mrs. Perry | 3 episodes |
| 1963 | The Saint | Tina Ourley | Episode: "The Rough Diamonds" |
| 1964 | Festival | Prudence | Episode: "The Lady of the Camellias" |
| 1964 | Sergeant Cork | Mrs. Whibley | Episode: "The Case of the Dumb Witness" |
| 1964 | Detective | Dagmar Candour | Episode: "Death in Ecstasy" |
| 1964 | The Third Man | Miss Muffin | Episode: "A Question in Ice" |
| 1964 | The Four Seasons of Rosie Carr | Mrs. Quorn | Episode: "Spring at the Winged Horse" |
| 1964 | The Hidden Truth | Betty Cleaves | Episode: "The Achilles Heel" |
| 1964 | The Indian Tales of Rudyard Kipling | Mrs. Herriot | Episode: "The Rescue of Pluffles" |
| 1964 | Gideon's Way | Charlotte Borgman | Episode: "To Catch a Tiger" |
| 1964 | Crane | Ida Lewis | Episode: "The Man with the Big Feet" |
| 1966 | Dr. Finlay's Casebook | Alison Canning | Episode: "Hear No Evil" |
| 1966–1969 | The Newcomers | Katie Heenan | 273 episodes |
| 1971 | Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width | Mary Appleton | Episode: "You Will Go to the Ball, Manny Cohen" |
| 1971 | Crime of Passion | Madame Leclerc | Episode: "Louis" |
| 1972 | General Hospital | Edith Bishop | 5 episodes |
| 1973 | Bless This House | Virginia | Episode: "Tea for Two and Four for Tea" |
| 1973 | Full House | Maria in On the High Road | Episode: "Episode #1.22" |
| 1973 | ITV Sunday Night Theatre | Amy Cooper | Episode: "Reckoning Day" |
| 1974 | Pianorama | | Short |
| 1975 | Ten from the Twenties | Mrs. Dickson | Episode: "The Fifty Pound Note" |
| 1975–1978 | I Didn't Know You Cared | Mrs. Partington | 9 episodes |
| 1975 | Kim & Co. | Mrs. Hansen | Episode: "Doublecross" |
| 1977 | Hazlitt in Love | Edinburgh prostitute | Television film |
| 1977 | Rough Justice | Angela May Brownes | Episode: "Irretrievable Breakdown" |
| 1979 | In Loving Memory | Elsie Unsworth | Episode: "The Legacy" |
| 1980 | Cowboys | Mrs. Hill | Episode: "Black Day at Bad Rock" |
| 1982 | Minder | Queenie | Episode: "Looking for Micky" |
| 1983 | Reilly, Ace of Spies | Woman | Episode: "An Affair with a Married Woman" |

### Radio

| Year | Title | Role | Station | Notes |
| 1950 | Saturday Night Theatre | Lulu Smith | BBC Home Service | Episode: "Shooting Star" |
| 1950 | Monday Matinee | Lulu Smith | BBC Light Programme | Episode: "Shooting Star" |
| 1956 | Sunday Theatre: The Atom Bowler | | BBC Light Programme | 2 episodes |
| 1957 | The Dancers | Velma | BBC Home Service, BBC Light Programme | 2 episodes |
| 1957 | Maigret and the Lost Life | Jeanine | BBC Home Service | |
| 1958 | Until the Day She Dies | Sibelle | BBC Light Programme | 2 episodes |
| 1971 | Dr Finlay's Caseybook | Alison Canning | BBC Radio 4 | |
| 1973 | John Dunn | Mrs Marsh | BBC Radio 2 | 2 episodes |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1953 | Flannelfoot | Angela Neilson | |
| 1953 | The Large Rope | Amy Jordan | |
| 1954 | Johnny on the Spot | Diane Townley | |
| 1955 | The Brain Machine | Mae Smith | |
| 1955 | The Atomic Man | Stenographer | |
| 1957 | Hour of Decision | Eileen Chadwick | |
| 1958 | Innocent Sinners | Lovejoy's Mother | |
| 1959 | Horrors of the Black Museum | Miss Ashton | |
| 1959 | No Safety Ahead | | Uncredited |
| 1959 | In the Wake of a Stranger | Hetty McCabe | |
| 1959 | Upstairs and Downstairs | Buxom Train Passenger | Uncredited |
| 1960 | Hell Is a City | Lucretia 'Lucky' Lusk | |
| 1960 | The Man Who Was Nobody | Mrs. Ferber | |
| 1960 | Sword of Sherwood Forest | The Prioress | |
| 1961 | Payroll | Doll | |
| 1961 | Konga | Bob's Mother | |
| 1961 | The Shadow of the Cat | Louise Venable | |
| 1961 | The Frightened City | Sophie Peters | |
| 1961 | Night Without Pity | Tart | |
| 1962 | Waltz of the Toreadors | Emma Bulstrode | |
| 1962 | Candidate for Murder | Betty Conlon | |
| 1962 | The Pot Carriers | Mrs. Red Band | |
| 1962 | Term of Trial | Mrs. Thompson | |
| 1963 | This Sporting Life | Mrs. Weaver | |
| 1963 | The Wrong Arm of the Law | Annette | |
| 1963 | 80,000 Suspects | Mrs. Agnes Davis | |
| 1963 | Bitter Harvest | Mrs. Pitt | |
| 1963 | The Victors | Nurse | Uncredited |
| 1963 | Clash by Night | Mrs. Grey-Simmons | |
| 1964 | A Shot in the Dark | Madame LaFarge | |
| 1964 | The Earth Dies Screaming | Violet Courtland | |
| 1965 | Dateline Diamonds | Mrs. Jenkins | |
| 1966 | The Wrong Box | Mrs. Goodge | |
| 1966 | Who Killed the Cat? | Eleanor Trellington | |
| 1970 | A Touch of the Other | Angela | |
| 1976 | The Pink Panther Strikes Again | Mrs. Leverlilly | |
Source(s):