# Patsy King

Patsy King (born 16 September 1930) is an Australian actress and children's television presenter, recognized for her contributions to theatre, radio, and television. Internationally, she is best known for portraying Governor Erica Davidson in the cult television series Prisoner (known as Prisoner: Cell Block H in the UK and USA, and Caged Women in Canada).
King has also worked as a theatre director, playwright, children's television presenter, and voiceover artist. She began as a radio and classical stage actress, performing in a range of roles including Shakespeare and Peter Pan. King's career spanned from 1951 to 1995, with a brief return to the stage in 2009. Her television career included roles in the series Homicide and Bellbird, where she played Kate Andrews.

## Early life

King was born on 16 September 1930 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Initially aspiring to become a dress designer, she spent her early years in the United Kingdom before returning to Australia. She then pursued a career in theatre, training as a classical stage actress with the Melbourne National Theatre, specialising in straight drama and Shakespeare.

## Career
### Theatre

King began her career as a stage actress in the early 1950s and later became a playwright. She performed in a variety of roles, including productions of Victoria Regina, The Miser, Summer of the Seventeenth Doll, Richard II, Blithe Spirit, Absurd Person Singular, Half a Sixpence, A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur, Love for Love, and Love Letters. Her performances earned her several awards, including the Erik Award and the Melbourne Critics Award for her role in Four Poster.

### Television

In the early 1960s, King began her television career with teleplays on the ABC, followed by a variety of serials and guest roles in several Crawford Productions series, including Hunter, The Sullivans and The Box. She also appeared in police procedural dramas such as Matlock Police, Division 4, Bluey, Cop Shop, and Homicide. Her other television credits include Power Without Glory, Chopper Squad, Out of Love and Good Morning, Mr. Doubleday.
King became a regular cast member on the series Bellbird as Kate Andrews and as Governor Erica Davidson in Prisoner (also known as Prisoner: Cell Block H). She portrayed the first governor of the fictional Wentworth Detention Centre, appearing in 351 episodes. Following the conclusion of the series, King toured the United Kingdom in a stage play based on Prisoner.
King was also a notable children's television presenter, serving as an early host on the ABC show Play School. She additionally appeared on The Magic Circle Club and Adventure Island.

## Personal life

In 1959, she married English-born Australian theatre impresario John Sumner, the founder and artistic director of the Melbourne National Theatre. They divorced in 1967.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1972 | The Journey | | Film short |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Type |
| 1961 | The Rivals | Lydia | Teleplay |
| 1962 | Suspect (episode of The General Motors Hour) | Janet | Teleplay |
| 1964 | Wind from the Icy Country | Ella | Teleplay |
| 1965-1975 | Homicide | Sarah Adams / Helen Taylor / Trin Turner / Shirley Wallace / Kay Loder / Policewoman Burke / Janet Smith / Pat Palmer / Sybil Cochrane / Mary Hamilton / Joan Preston / Carol Long / Betty Nyberg / Joy | TV series, 14 episodes |
| 1965 | A Time to Speak (episode of Wednesday Theatre) | Annie | Teleplay |
| 1965 | Photo Finish (episode of Wednesday Theatre) | | Teleplay |
| 1966 | The Decision (episode of Australian Playhouse) | Sally Peters | TV series |
| 1966 | Play School | Presenter | TV series, 10 episodes |
| 1967 | Bellbird | Kate Andrews | TV series, recurring role |
| 1967 | Adventure Island | Miss Behaviour | TV series, regular role |
| 1968 | Hunter | Jean Gallagher | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Good Morning, Mr. Doubleday | Bridget O'Connor | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1969 | Dynasty | Kathy Mason | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1970-1975 | Division 4 | Mrs. Carr / Susan Hill / Carol Foster / Marion Dalton / Valerie Fisher | TV series, 5 episodes |
| 1970 | The Long Arm | Naomi | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1971-1974 | Matlock Police | Lily / Joan / Jan Ross | TV series, 3 episodes |
| 1974 | Marion | Mrs. Finnegan | TV miniseries, 3 episodes |
| 1974 | This Love Affair | | TV series, episode 2: "Tilting at Windmills" |
| 1974 | The Box | Gloria | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1974 | Out of Love | | TV series, episode 2: "It Will Never Work" |
| 1976 | Power Without Glory | Vera Maguire | TV miniseries, 4 episodes |
| 1977 | Bluey | Tina Golding | TV series, episode 33: "Final Devotion" |
| 1977 | Hotel Story | | TV series, 1 episode |
| 1977 | The Sullivans | Beryl Fletcher | TV series, 4 episodes |
| 1978 | Cop Shop | Sara Fitzsimmons / Julie Gibbons | TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1978 | Chopper Squad | Iris Deacon | TV series, episode 5: "8:52 A.M." |
| 1979 | The Franky Doyle Story | Erica Davidson | TV film |
| 1981 | Prisoner in Concert | Erica Davidson | TV special |
| 1979-1984 | Prisoner | Regular role: Governor Erica Davidson / Erica | TV series, 353 episodes |

## Theatre
### As actor

| Year | Title | Role | Venue / Co. |
| 1951 | Victoria Regina | | National Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1952 | National Theatre Festival of the Arts 1952: Season Six | | Princess Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1955 | The Lady from the Sea | | National Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1956 | Summer and Smoke | Nellie Ewell | University of Melbourne |
| 1956 | The Miser | | National Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1957 | The Wind of Heaven | | University of Melbourne |
| 1957 | Our Town | Rebecca Webb | University of Melbourne |
| 1957 | The Queen and the Rebels | Peasant | University of Melbourne |
| 1957 | The Matchmaker | Ermengarde | University of Melbourne |
| 1957 | Tonight in Samarkand | | University of Melbourne |
| 1957 | Ring Round the Moon | Diana Messerschmann | University of Melbourne |
| 1957 | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Margaret Wolfie Dixie | University of Melbourne |
| 1957 | A View from the Bridge | Neighbour | University of Melbourne |
| 1957 | Peter Pan (pantomime) | | Princess Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1957–60 | Summer of the Seventeenth Doll | Bubba Ryan | Darwin Town Hall, Australian regional tour, His Majesty's Theatre, Auckland, Opera House, Wellington, Theatre Royal, Adelaide |
| 1960 | See How They Run | Penelope Toop | University of Melbourne |
| 1961 | The Mystery of a Hansom Cab | Madge Frettleby | Russell Street Theatre, University of Melbourne |
| 1961 | The Importance of Being Ernest | Cecily Cardew | University of Melbourne |
| 1961 | Romanoff and Juliet | Juliet Moulsworth | University of Melbourne |
| 1962 | Dracula | Lucy Seward | University of Melbourne |
| 1963 | The Good Ship Walter Raleigh | Josephine | University of Melbourne |
| 1963 | Richard II | | University of Melbourne |
| 1963–65 | The Fourposter | Agnes | Russell Street Theatre |
| 1963 | The Happy Invalid | | University of Melbourne |
| 1965 | The Glazed Look | | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1966 | The Cavern | | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1967 | Half A Sixpence | Helen Walsingham | Comedy Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1968 | See How They Run /Charley's Aunt | | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1969 | Marching Song | | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1969 | Love for Love | Angelica | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1969–1970 | Blithe Spirit | Elvira | St Martins Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1974 | The Slaughter of St Theresa's Day | | Monash University |
| 1976 | Absurd Person Singular | Margaret | Theatre Royal, Hobart |
| 1978 | Innocent Bystanders | Lilith | Playbox Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1983 | A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur | Helena | Playbox Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1984 | Farewell Brisbane Ladies | | Universal Theatre, Melbourne |
| 1989 | Prisoner the Stage Play | Erica Davidson | UK |
| 2009 | Love Letters (charity performance) | Melissa Gardner | Chapter House at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne |

### As director

| Year | Title | Role | Venue / Co. |
| 1989 | Love with the Lights Out | Director | Carlton Courthouse with Melbourne Writers' Theatre |
| 1990 | A Constant Lover | Director | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Writers' Theatre |
| 1990 | An Office Romance | Director | Carlton Courthouse, Melbourne with Melbourne Writers' Theatre |