# Sally Bretton

Sally Bretton is an English actress.
She is best known for appearing as Lucy Adams in the long-running BBC television sitcom Not Going Out since 2007 and as Martha Lloyd in the BBC crime drama Death in Paradise between 2016 and 2017, a role she has reprised in the spin-off, Beyond Paradise, since 2023.
Other roles include Donna in The Office in 2001, Cat Durnford in Absolute Power in 2003 and Kim Alabaster in Green Wing between 2004 and 2006.

## Early life and education

Bretton trained in London at the Central School of Speech and Drama, and worked, part time, as a drama teacher at Top Hat Stage and Screen School during her time at Speech and Drama School. She chose the professional name Bretton as her birth name was already registered, by another, with actors' union Equity.

## Career
### Film

In "Rogue Landlord", in 2011, Bretton appeared with Sean Lock and Oliver Chris (who she had previously appeared with in Green Wing between 2004 and 2006). The film was part of a Shelter campaign bringing attention to the problem of questionable landlords and their tactics.

### Television

Bretton has appeared as Lucy Adams in the BBC television sitcom Not Going Out from 2007. She also featured in the TV programmes Absolute Power, Green Wing, and The Office'.
She played Martha Lloyd in the BBC crime drama Death in Paradise between 2016 and 2017, and from 2023 has reprised the role in the spin-off, Beyond Paradise.

### Theatre

On stage, she played Goneril in Shakespeare's King Lear at Shakespeare's Globe in 2008.
Bretton has made a number of appearances in the theatre. "An Ideal Husband" in 2018 was broadcast from London to cinemas across the country. It was also recorded as a film and is available to view, in the UK, through MarqueeTV (part of Prime Video).

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2000 | Peaches | Amy | Film |
| 2001 | Goodbye Charlie Bright | Susan | Film |
| 2001 | Tim Nice-But-Dim's Guide to Being a Bloody Nice Bloke | Big Brother - Nun | Television film |
| 2001 | Wayne and Waynetta's Guide to Wedded Bliss | Teacher | Television film |
| 2001 | Happy Together | Debi | Television film |
| 2005 | Open Wide | Karen | Television film |
| 2005 | Blackbeard: Terror at Sea | Mary Ormond | Television film |
| 2004 | If... We Could Stop the Violence | Dr. Sally Price | Television film |
| 2007 | A Fitting Tribute | Tammy | Short film Edinburgh International Film Festival Official Selection |
| 2007 | Outlaw | Kelly | Film |
| 2009 | Jubilee | Skinny Mum | Short Film |
| 2011 | The Last Temptation of William Shaw | Emily | Short Film |
| 2011 | Shelter - Rogue Landlords | Mother | Short Film |
| 2018 | Hassan's Tower | Sarah | Short Film |
| 2020 | Swan | Donna | Short Film |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1987 | Napoleon and Josephine: A Love Story | Hortense de Beauharnais as Child | 2 episodes |
| 1990 | Screen One | Jenny | Episode: "Can You Hear Me Thinking" |
| 2000 | Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Show | Various roles | 12 Episodes |
| 2000 | Sunburn | Lisa | Episode: "Unexpected Love and Golf" |
| 2001 | The Office | Donna | 4 episodes |
| 2001 | Night & Day | Lisa | 6 episodes |
| 2001 | Dr. Terrible's House of Horrible | Carmina | Episode: "Lesbian Vampire Lovers of Lust" |
| 2001 | Doctors | Chrissie Devonish | Episode: "Passive Resistance" |
| 2001 | Armstrong and Miller | Emma | 1 episode |
| 2001 | Beast | Carly | Episode: "Cow" |
| 2003 | Absolute Power | Cat Durnford | Main role (2 Seasons) |
| 2003 | Blue Murder | Grassmere | Pilot episode |
| 2004 | Wild West | Victoria | Episode: "The Film Crew" |
| 2004–2006 | Green Wing | Kim Alabaster | 16 episodes |
| 2005 | Blessed | Mary Hathaway | 8 Episodes |
| 2006 | Vincent | Tina | 1 episode |
| 2006 | The Bill | Dee Collier | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | Snuff Box | Pretty Lady Walking Dog | Episode: "Love Triangle" |
| 2007 | How Not to Live Your Life | Abby | Pilot episode |
| 2007 | Hotel Babylon | Elizabeth Scott | 1 episode |
| 2007 | Casualty | Stevie Thornell | Episode: "Stitch" |
| 2007–present | Not Going Out | Lucy Adams | Main role (95 episodes) |
| 2009 | My Family | Cheryl | Episode: "2039: A Christmas Oddity" |
| 2010 | Lewis | Eve Rigby | Episode: "Your Sudden Death Question" |
| 2011 | Casualty | Suki Williams | Episode: "A Quiet Life" |
| 2016 | Agatha Raisin | Amanda Ballard | 1 episode |
| 2016–2017 | Death in Paradise | Martha Lloyd | 5 episodes |
| 2018 | Thanks for the Memories | Sarah | 2 episodes |
| 2023–present | Beyond Paradise | Martha Lloyd | Main role (13 episodes) |
| 2025 | The Au Pair | Zoe Dalton | Main role (4 episodes) |

### Theatre

| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
| 2002 | Hay Fever | Sorel | Oxford Stage Company (UK tour) |
| 2002 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Honey | Library Theatre, Manchester |
| 2003 | Present Laughter | Daphne | Theatre Royal, Bath (Tour) |
| 2004 | All My Sons | Ann Deever | Library Theatre, Manchester |
| 2004 | A Conversation | Gail Williams | Royal Exchange, Manchester |
| 2006–07 | In Extremis | Heloise | Shakespeare's Globe, London |
| 2008 | King Lear | Goneril | Shakespeare's Globe, London |
| 2018 | An Ideal Husband | Lady Chiltern | Vaudeville Theatre, London / Theatre Royal, Bath |
| 2020 | Dial M for Murder | Margot Wendice | Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford |

### Radio

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2003 | Afternoon Play: Seven Floors | | |
| 2010 | Drama on 3 - The Carhullan Army | Corky | |
| 2012–2013 | Births, Deaths and Marriages | Mary | |
| 2014 | Start/Stop | Alice | Series 2 |
| 2015 | The Archers - The Ambridge Players - Dead Girls Tell No Tales | Carol Grey/ Anne Cullen | |

## Awards

* Nominated
** 2002 – Manchester Evening News Theatre Awards Best Actress (Theatre) – Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
** 2024 - TV Times Awards Favourite On-Screen Partnership - Beyond Paradise (TV series) with Kris Marshall