A History Of Liverpool Thespians - Julia Swift

 

Julia Swift was born in July 1956 in Liverpool, the daughter of Paula Jacobs and David Smith. She followed her parents into the acting profession making her first TV appearance as a Hotel guest in 'The Duchess of Duke Street' (1977). More TV work followed in the TV series 'Shadows' (1978), as Annie in 'The Sailor's Return' (1978) and as Wimple in the series 'Dick Turpin' (1980). There followed more substantial parts as Beck Pott in 4 episodes of 'The History Man' (1981) and as Staff Nurse Peggy Worsley in 3 episodes of 'Nanny' alongside Wendy Craig. In 1982 she married the Manchester born actor David Bamber who had recently won the Gold Medal at RADA in 1979. Then there came 'The Fainthearted Feminist' (1984), as May, alongside Lynn Redgrave in the BBC2 sitcom about a woman who has two teenage children, a baby and a husband and decides to embrace the principles of feminism. 

'Ladies in Charge' (1986) was filmed when economic pressures (even more than feminism) were inducing many middle-class women to enter the workforce rather than being housewives. This sitcom is certainly designed to be viewed in that then-modern climate. It revolved around three women, Diana, Babs and Vicky returning from the First World War where they have served as volunteer ambulance drivers,  join together to form an agency dedicated to helping those who are struggling. Here she played the part of Vicky. More appearances followed in 'The Bill' (1990), 'Holby City' (2002), 'Midsomer Murders' (2002), 'The Royal' (2004) and 'Song of Songs' (2005). Julia then appeared in 2 episodes of 'Doctors' (2005-2018), 2 episodes of 'Casualty' (2010-14), 'Doc Martin' (2013) and 'Moshe and Amira' (2020).

The cast of Rosenbaum's Rescue at Park Theatre. Photo by Mark Douet

As well as her TV work Julia also appeared in stage productions such as 'The Two Gentlemen of Verona' at The Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon (1981-82), 'The Merchant of Venice' (1989-90) in New York at the 46th Street Theatre, 'Philadelphia Here I Come' (2012) at the Donmar Warehouse, London and 'Rosenbaum's Rescue' (2019) at Park 200, London, alongside husband David telling the story of how, in 1943, more than 7,000 Jews living in Denmark managed to escape by boat across the water to Sweden from a country increasingly in the grip of Nazi domination.

Julia and David have two sons, Theo born in 1991) and Ethan born in 1998.  

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