Sheila Steafel

Biography

Sheila Steafel (born 26 May 1935) is a South African-born actress who has lived all her adult life in the United Kingdom. Steafel, who was born in Johannesburg, appeared in many classic television series, including: The Frost Report, Z-Cars, Sykes, The Kenny Everett Television Show, Minder, The Ghosts of Motley Hall, Oh Brother! and The Laughter of a Fool. Her film appearances include: Daleks - Invasion Earth 2150 AD (1966), Baby Love (1968), Quatermass and the Pit (1967), Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969), Some Will, Some Won't (1970), which co-starred her ex husband's acting partner Wilfrid Brambell, Percy (1971), and Are You Being Served? (1977). Much of Steafel's work has been on BBC radio. For several years in 1970s and '80s she was a cast member of Radio 4's weekly satirical show 'Week Ending', providing the voices for a large number of characters and impersonating real-world figures such as Margaret Thatcher. Steafel appeared as herself in "The Lost Hitch-Hiker's Sketch" with Simon Jones, a sketch written by Douglas Adams for her 1982 BBC Radio 4 show Steafel Plus. In 1979, she starred in the West End stage production of A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine playing several roles, including Harpo Marx. Steafel was married to actor Harry H. Corbett from October 1958 until August 1964. In 2008, she was portrayed by Zoe Tapper in the BBC television play The Curse of Steptoe. Sheila also appeared regularly on the BBC One old-time music hall programme, The Good Old Days, portraying her comic creation 'Miss Popsy Wopsy' who invariably 'played up' to chairman, Leonard Sachs. In 1998 She released a CD album of Victorian songs entitled 'Victoria Plums'. In 2010 Sheila released her autobiography "When Harry Met Sheila" through Apex Publishing.