# Joanne Heywood

Joanne Heywood is an English television actress, probably best known for her role as Jessica Lovelock in Grace & Favour, a spin-off series of Are You Being Served?.

## Career

Born in York, Heywood was educated in York, Guildford and in Sydney, Australia. She studied musical theatre at the Guildford School of Acting and, after graduating, made her professional stage debut in 1985 production of the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at York's Theatre Royal. For the next decade, she regularly appeared in pantomime at the same venue, often as principal boy. During this period, she also performed in stage musicals, including regional productions of Annie, Gypsy and Camelot, as well as the world premieres of Scrooge: The Musical and the stage adaptation of High Society.
Heywood's television debut was in the role of Dilys on the short-lived BBC series First of the Summer Wine. In 1991, she made appearances on the television shows The New Statesman (natural selection,se3) and The Brittas Empire. In addition to her role as Jessica Lovelock, Heywood played Sally Bennett in the Gerry Poulson film Stanley's Dragon. She has also guest-starred in Knightmare, Next of Kin, four episodes of Coronation Street and A Prince Among Men.
In recent years, her television appearances have become less regular. She has appeared in Heartbeat, Emmerdale Farm and My Hero. Since then, Heywood has continued to perform frequently in regional and West End theatre productions, including plays, musicals and pantomimes.

## Filmography
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1986 | Brush Strokes | Woman in Jacuzzi | Episode: #1.13 |
| 1988–1989 | First of the Summer Wine | Dilys | 13 episodes |
| 1991 | The New Statesman | Cher Titley | Episode: "Natural Selection" |
| 1991 | The Brittas Empire | Mandy | Episode: "Stop Thief" |
| 1991 | The Les Dennis Laughter Show | | Episode: #5.6 |
| 1992–1993 | Grace & Favour | Jessica Lovelock | 12 episodes |
| 1994 | Ben Elton: The Man from Auntie | Telephone operator | Episode: #2.5 |
| 1994 | Knightmare | Stiletta | 5 episodes |
| 1994 | Artrageous | Kate | |
| 1996 | Next of Kin | Caroline | Episode: "Pollution" |
| 1997 | A Prince Among Men | Susan Hamilton | Episode: "Monkey Business" |
| 2000 | Heartbeat | Rachel Osborne | Episode: "The Fool on the Hill" |
| 2000 | Kiss Me Kate | Sarah | Episode: "Christmas" |
| 2004 | EastEnders | Hayley | Episode: #1.2770 |
| 2005 | My Hero | Wendy Williams | Episode: "The First Husbands' Club" |
| 2006 | Losing It | Fish Family Mum | Television film |
| 2018 | At the Bar | Ruth Karp QC | Television short |
| 2004–2020 | Emmerdale | Various | 9 episodes |
| 1997–2022 | Coronation Street | Angela Instructor Miss Finn | 4 episodes |

### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Stanley's Dragon | Sally Bennett | |
| 2014 | Gone | Susanne Taylor | Short film |
| 2017 | With Friends Like These | Kathy | Short film |
| 2019 | Sequins | Debbie Bigsby | Short film |
| 2023 | Gran Turismo | Clothing Customer | |

## Stage roles

| Year | Title | Venue | Role |
| 1985 | Jack and the Beanstalk | Theatre Royal, York | |
| 1987 | High Society (musical) | Victoria Palace, London | |
| 1988–1989 | Camelot (musical) | Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool | |
| 1992 | Scrooge: The Musical | Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham | Isabel |
| 1998 | Out of Order (play) | Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye | Jane Worthington |
| 1999 | The Strange & Surprising Adventures of Robinson Crusoe | Palace Theatre, Watford | Dolly |
| 2000 | Behind the Scenes at the Museum (play) | Theatre Royal, York | Patricia |
| 2000–2001 | Dick Whittington (pantomime) | Theatre Royal, York | |
| 2001 | All for Mary (play) | Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye | Mary Millar |
| 2002–2003 | Babbies in the Wood (pantomime) | Theatre Royal, York | Principal Boy |
| 2003–2004 | Mother Goose's Silver Jubilee (pantomime) | Theatre Royal, York | Principal Boy |
| 2005 | Sleeping Beauty (pantomime) | City Varieties Music Hall, Leeds | Vulgaria |
| 2007 | Waiting for Gateaux (play) | Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne | |
| 2007–2008 | Sleeping Beauty (pantomime) | Gala Theatre, Durham City | Carabosse |
| 2008 | Birthday Suite (play) | Mill at Sonning, Sonning Eye | Kate |
| 2008–2009 | Sleeping Beauty (pantomime) | Octagon Theatre, Yeovil | Carabosse |
| 2010 | Nightfright: The Nightmare of Your Life (play) | Connaught Theatre, Worthing | Jacqui |
| 2010 | Legacy Falls (musical) | New Players Theatre, London | Taylor Taylor |