Gilly Coman was born on the 13th of September 1955 in Liverpool, where her parents ran a ballroom dancing school. Brought up in Wavertree, Liverpool, she joined the Shelagh Elliot-Clarke drama school on Rodney Street when she was eight, at a time when professional drama schools were rare. Two years later, she appeared in a Ready Brek commercial. On leaving school, she gained repertory experience at theatres including the Liverpool Playhouse, and made her London stage debut in Willy Russell's 'Stags and Hens' at the Young Vic in 1980.
She had her first TV role in 1978, when she was cast in 'Coronation Street' as Judy, who flirted with Deirdre's husband, Ray Langton, at a party. Three years later, she was back in the soap as Sugar La Marr, a stripper who performed at Fred Gee's stag party, though in an uncharacteristic instance of prudishness, the Rovers Return cellarman refused to let Sugar complete her routine and drove her home still fully clothed. Gilly took a third role in the series in 1983, as a receptionist, working at Mike Baldwin's newly opened Graffiti Club. She appeared in the first two episodes of 'Boys from the Blackstuff' (1982), as a benefit office clerk and in Jim Allen's period drama serial 'The Gathering Seed' (1983) and was a regular as Marie Morgan, lusted after by the schoolboy of the title, in another Bleasdale series, 'Scully' (1984). There were also many bit parts, including one in the film comedy 'A Private Function' (1984) and another in the TV sitcom 'Open All Hours' (1985), alongside Ronnie Barker.
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| As Aveline in 'Bread' |
Her big break and notoriety, though, came with 'Bread' (1986-88), and lifelong friend Jane Joseph, now the director of St Helens Theatre Royal, recalled her audition for the sitcom. "She came in dressed as Aveline and made everyone laugh and that's what got her the part." 'Bread' creator Carla Lane said, "She was brilliant. She played the daughter and was amazingly funny. Her character was as a crazy girl but lovely. The way she dressed up in those high heels and walked down the street represented 'Bread' for me." Gilly appeared in five series of the show with one of its most memorable moments being in 1988 when more than 21million people watched Catholic Aveline marry Protestant vicar Oswald. She left 'Bread' in 1989 to have a baby and was replaced in the role by Melanie Hill. Gilly retired from acting in 2000 to bring up her three sons and a daughter in Caldy, Wirral, where she lived with her photographer husband Phil. Following on from 'Bread' she appeared in 10 episodes of 'Children's Ward' (1990-91) and then in 5 episodes of 'Brookside' (1992).
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| as Liz Freeman in 'Springhill' |
Later, in the BBC play 'Snatched' (in the 'Against All Odds' series of true-life dramas in 1994), and won good reviews for her starring role as Linda McNeill, who staged a daring plan to get back her three children after they were abducted by her Turkish Cypriot husband. She was Liz Freeman in 26 episodes of the drama serial 'Springhill' (1996-97), set on a Liverpool estate, and Marigold Lockton, a neglected wife who hires the attractive title character in the mini-series 'The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous' (1997), based on Jilly Cooper's novel.
Gilly died on the 13th of July 2010 of a heart attack beside her mother's grave at Caldy, Wirral, a few weeks before she was due to have a pacemaker fitted for a heart condition. She had suffered from heart problems since the age of 18. She was married to Phil Cutts, a photographer, with whom she had three sons and one daughter who all survive her.
see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2024/02/a-history-of-liverpool-thespians-ted.html
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