A History Of Liverpool Thespians - Eithne Browne

Eithne Browne was born on the 25th of November 1954 in Huyton, Liverpool, the third of seven children and first lived in Page Moss and then Molyneaux Close, Huyton where she attended Huyton girls' school, (she forged a document to go to the girls' school rather than go to Broughton Hall to follow her sister!). Her father was a merchant seaman and went away to sea quite a lot and when he came home, she remembers music playing, lots of music playing. Her mum had a very good voice and taught herself to play piano and accordion. Eithne's Grandparents owned a pub on Vauxhall Road and at the weekend the family would be there because her Mum helped behind the bar and she would sing and entertain everyone. There was also a Dansette on the bar playing all the American records that were coming in. As there was always a piano at home, she was sent to piano lessons in a house in Huyton Quarry, but ended up self taught.
Becoming pregnant at 17, she worked at the George Henry Lee store in Liverpool and was asked by an actor, who she worked with in the China and Glass department, to do a play at the Neptune Theatre. This  she did and a couple of the Spinners came to watch, but although she really enjoyed it she had no intention of becoming an actor, but that all changed with 'Blood Brothers'. When working at Peter Kavanagh's pub, as she was living around the corner with her young son, a regular customer who worked at a gallery on Bold Street asked her to work for her. The shop manageress was friends with Liverpool legend, Brian Dodson, who was looking for a singer for his band and a guy from his band was also arranging the music for Willy Russell. Seven months later, having joined Gemini blinds on London Road, a phone call came and a man said, "I know you don’t know me, but I believe you can sing?" Thinking it was a joke at first, he then explained that he was the musical director for the Liverpool Playhouse and wanted someone who could hold a tune. She went to a small recording studio and started working on the music for 'Blood Brothers' and when Willy Russell heard the tapes and he wanted her in it. However the director Chris Bond explained that he already had one singing non actress in Barbara Dickson and didn’t need another in the chorus. On her birthday though, she received a call offering her a role in the chorus in 'Blood Brothers' so she spoke to her Mum and Dad about it and they said she must take the opportunity. Although she shouldn't have really got the offer on the West End because she didn’t have enough stamps on her equity card, Barbara Dickson wanted her to be her understudy because she felt she was like her and they got on so well together. Then one night, in the West End at 7.20 pm, there was an announcement on the tannoy: "Barbara Dickson will not be appearing tonight – Ethnie Browne to the dressing rooms for costumes." 

Eithne was not totally happy in London though and felt rather lonely as an unmarried mum with a young child Neil back in Liverpool, cared for by her parents who she visited every weekend. When 'Blood Brothers' finally came to an end just as it was selling out (there had been a gentleman's agreement to move out of the theatre), she found a role in another new Willy Russell play 'Stags and Hens', at the Young Vic. Now she was off on a career that she had never expected and over the years  appeared in everything from serious drama in Perth, pantomime in New Brighton, whodunits in Vienna, comedy at the Liverpool Playhouse and national tours. She had quickly become a versatile actress and singer, at home in a French farce or rock musical. Her theatre credits include, 'Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels' (2006) and the sequel 'The Wrath of Anne Twacky' (2018) , 'Funny Money', 'Lost Soul', '8 Miles High' at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool; 'Blood Brothers', 'The Odd Couple', 'Awfully Big Adventure', 'Tartuffe'  at the Liverpool Playhouse Theatre; 'Stags and Hens' at the Young Vic, London; 'Quicksand', 'The Rise and Fall of Little Voice', 'Home Fires' at the Duke’s Theatre, Lancaster; 'Say Who You Are', 'Intent to Murder' at Vienna’s English Theatre; 'To Kill a Mockingbird' at the New Vic, Stoke; 'A Sense of Justice' at Perth Repertory; 'The Secret Garden' at Byre Theatre, St. Andrews; 'Alfie', '8 Miles High', 'Pocket Dream' at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton; 'A Month in the Country', 'Billy Liar' at the Salisbury Playhouse; 'Shirley Valentine' at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter; 'Wish You Were Here' and 'The Beat Goes On' at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool.
National tours included 'Abigail’s Party', 'Educating Rita', 'The Full Monty', 'Wuthering Heights', 'Tartuffe' and 'An Inspector Calls'.

Her TV work began with an appearance in 'The Practice' (1985) 'The Marksman' (1987) and 'Business as Usual' (1988) but she achieved fame nationally for her five year role as Chrissy Rogers in the long running, British soap opera 'Brookside' (1987-93), 
She enjoyed her time in Brookside at first, it gave her good experience of learning to think quickly on your feet. She says. "Chrissy Rogers was not the most exciting role, a mother of three who worked in an estate agent, and nothing exciting ever happened to her. But her children had problems." When the axe came, she was not sorry to move on as her character had changed, but admits she would have liked another six months to help pay for the house she was doing up. In the event, she had to sell it. She had roles in many other TV productions but her other main part was in 'Emmerdale' (2002-2019) where she had 3 roles, the main one being Irene Stocks, the adoptive mother of Ryan Stocks and former midwife at Hotten General Hospital. She also made a guest appearance in 'Coronation Street' (2020) as Ellen Wheatley as she visits her daughter in hospital but shares all of her scenes alone with Nicky's friend and love interest Daniel Osbourne in the hospital waiting area.

Starring in Twopence Across the Mersey

 

Locally in Liverpool, Eithne is adored not only for the joy she has brought to local theatre goers over the years but for the depth and charisma she brings to each of her onstage characters.
A regular at the city’s Royal Court Theatre and a much-in-demand after dinner speaker she was named Merseyside Woman of the Year in 2013. Local credits include 'Twopence to Cross the Mersey', 'Scouse Trap' and 'Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels' which alone played to around 250,000 people. As a stage, film and TV actress, Eithne Browne is one of Liverpool’s most versatile stars and is always busy giving up her time helping others. Her early love of cinema made her want to perform and later in life she appeared on the big screen herself in the film 'Business as Usual' (1987). Effervescent Eithne says “cinema unlocks doors and makes the most of your imagination. When I went to see Doris Day in 'Calamity Jane' at the Abbey Cinerarma I danced down the majestic stairs. All great memories – I have never lost my love of cinema and I never will." 

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2024/02/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-margi.html