Frances Barber
Frances Barber (née Brookes, born 13 May 1958) is a British actress. She received Olivier Award nominations for her work in the plays "Camille" (1985), and "Uncle Vanya" (1997). Her film appearances include three collaborations with Gary Oldman in "Prick Up Your Ears" (1987), "We Think the World of You" (1988) and "Dead Fish" (2005); as well as "Sammy and Rosie Get Laid" (1987); "Soft Top Hard Shoulder" (1992); and latterly "Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool" (2017). Barber's numerous television credits include "The Street" (2009), "Doctor Who" (2011), and "Silk" (2012–2014). Life and career. Barber  was born in Wolverhampton, Staffordshire, England. Her parents are S.W. Brookes and Gladys Simpson; Barber is the fourth of six children. She attended the Wolverhampton Municipal Grammar School. Barber studied drama at the University College of North Wales in Bangor, where she was a contemporary of director Danny Boyle, who became her boyfriend. She appeared in the Pet Shop Boys' musical "Closer to Heaven" in 2001 as well as being guest singer for the song "Friendly Fire" on the Pet Shop Boys' 2006 live concert at the Mermaid Theatre. She also appeared alongside Ian McKellen and Roger Allam in the  Old Vic's pantomime production of "Aladdin" in the 2005–2006 Christmas season. She again starred with Ian McKellen in 2007 playing Goneril in Trevor Nunn's production of "King Lear" and as Arkadina in Chekhov's "The Seagull" with the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon followed by a world tour throughout the year. They again performed the two plays in repertory at the New London Theatre on Drury Lane, opening in November 2007 and closing mid-January 2008. In 2011, she guest-starred in the "Doctor Who" episodes "A Good Man Goes to War" and "The Wedding of  River Song" (and five other episodes, sometimes uncredited) as Madame Kovarian. She also acted in the television film "We'll Take Manhattan" as Diana Vreeland. In 2006, she received an honorary fellowship from the University of Wolverhampton. In 2019, she starred in the Pet Shop Boys' musical "Musik". Political views. Barber is a British unionist. She signed a letter supporting a No vote ahead of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum. After the Scottish National Party won 56 seats at the 2015 general election, she caused controversy after making comments on Twitter comparing the SNP to the Third Reich, further stating  God help us all is all I can say when the racist S.N.P. try to take over, England will react we will have civil war. She supported Remain during the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum. Barber urged a vote for the Labour Party at the 2017 UK general election. Critical of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, she said "I will vote Labour holding my nose. Urge you too." In September 2017, she resigned from the party, saying: "I can't belong to a party full of Misogyny, Anti-Semitism and Thuggery". In the 2019 United Kingdom general election, she  backed the Liberal Democrats. In 2018, she was among the signatories to a letter published in The Observer arguing that debate surrounding reforms of the Gender Recognition Act were being silenced. In September 2020, she signed a further letter in support of J.K. Rowling, against the backlash Rowling had received following her comments on gender identity.