Claire Benedict (born 28 July 1951) is a British actress known for her work in classical productions on the British stage, but best known for portraying the principal character Mma Ramotswe in the continuing radio adaptations of The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. She won a Time Out Award for Best Performance for her portrayal of Sophia Adams in Errol John's Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, directed by Maya Angelou. She lives in Todmorden in the Pennines.
Early life Benedict was born in Antigua and began to act in London at Norwood Secondary School for Girls, then Kingsway Further Education College on Gray's Inn Road. After two years at Kingway College, she gained entrance to the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). After leaving LAMDA, Benedict worked with Theatre in Education (TIE) in London then trained with the Black Theatre Workshop of Montréal.
Career In her first ten years after completing her training, Benedict worked on the British stage in leading roles for smaller theatre companies and supporting roles for larger theatre companies until in 1988, when she received a Time Out award for Best Performance for her portrayal of Sophia Adams in Errol John's Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, directed by Maya Angelou.
In 1992, Benedict joined the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) to do three plays, Odyssey, Cleopatra and Tamburlaine. On Cleopatra, Benedict was taken on as an understudy for Clare Higgins when not many people of colour were playing the character of Cleopatra. In November 1992, Benedict was needed to step in at short notice and had not had time to fully rehearse the role. Carol Chillington-Rutter's book Enter the Body explores this subject with reference to Benedict's performance, where she explores why women of colour have traditionally been cast as Charmain and white women Cleopatra.
By 1994, The Independent included Benedict in a shortlist of "seasoned thoroughbred Shakespearians, gutsy actors who are assured verse speakers". She is now an associate artist at the RSC.
Benedict has for many years worked in radio drama, where she is known for portraying the principal character Mma Ramotswe in the radio adaptations of Alexander McCall Smith's The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency novels. On television, she played a series regular in Call Red, and numerous supporting roles.
Benedict has played the part of Iyaloja in four separate productions of Wole Soyinka's play Death and the King's Horseman: Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester directed by Phyllida Lloyd in 1990; Royal National Theatre directed by Rufus Norris in 2009; and two productions for BBC Radio 3 directed by Alby James in 1995 and directed by Pauline Harris in 2014.
Benedict has worked with Lenny Henry on many occasions: supporting roles in his television series; playing his character's father's girlfriend then wife in all four series of Rudy's Rare Records on BBC Radio 4; playing the lead role in the first radio play he wrote Corrinne Come Back and Gone; and in two of the series of Bad Faith radio plays in which he played the lead role. In February 1994, during rehearsals for the Young Vic's Omma, the entire cast, including Benedict and Toby Jones, quit the production when they thought director Tim Supple was failing to give them appropriate direction.
Credits
Theatre Date Title Role Director CompanyTheatre Notes – Hey You, Light Man Mabel Le Grain Terry Donald Black Theatre Workshop,Montréal, Québec – Evy Meara Terry Donald Black Theatre Workshop,Montréal, Québec – Dreadful Tales Common Stock Theatre Company – Away From It Teenager Common Stock Theatre Company – Mama Decemba The Best Friend Birmingham Repertory Theatre Company – Don Juan Donna Elvira Actors Touring Company – Twelfth Night Maria, Curio Actors Touring Company – So Long on Lonely Street Annabel Lee Palace Theatre, Watford – Flash Trash Mama Queenie Half Moon Theatre – The Nine Night Gloria Hamilton Umoja Theatre Company – 11 Josephine House Gloria Gloria Hamilton Umoja Theatre Company andBlack Theatre Co-operative Ratcliffe, Michael (24 May 1987). Review of 11 Josephine House by Alfred Fagon. Umoja Theatre Company and Black Theatre Cooperative. The Observer. – The Cape Orchard Dianne Cupido Roland Rees Foco Novo – King of England Susan Philip Hedley Theatre Royal, Stratford East – Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Sophia Adams Almeida Theatre Review of Moon on a Rainbow Shawl – Irving Wardle, The Times, 6 May 1988 – Agave Shared Experience – Doña Leonar Cheek by Jowl – Macbeth Lady Macbeth Nigel Jamieson Odyssey Theatre Company – Romeo and Juliet Nurse Hull Truck – Death and the King's Horseman Yaloja Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester – Cornelia Olivier, National, London – Medea Medea Royal Exchange, Manchester – Eurycleia Royal Shakespeare CompanyThe Other Place, Stratford-upon-Avon – Tamburlaine the Great Zenocrate Royal Shakespeare CompanySwan, StratfordBarbican Theatre, London – Antony and Cleopatra Charmian Royal Shakespeare Company – Antony and Cleopatra Charmian Royal Shakespeare CompanyTheatre Royal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Eurycleia Royal Shakespeare CompanyThe Pit, Barbican Arts Centre, London – Helen of Troy Royal Shakespeare Company – Titania, Hippolyta Julian Crouch English Shakespeare Company – To Kill A Mockingbird Theatre Royal, Bath – So Special The Mother, Nurse Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester – Antonio West Yorkshire Playhouse,Leeds Losing the magic – John Peter, Sunday Times, 14 February 1999Small storm in teacup, not many dead – John Gross, Sunday Telegraph, 14 February 1999 – Bernice Birmingham Repertory Theatre CompanyTricycle Theatre Kilburn, London – / The Dispute Mrs. Dangle Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester – Eastward Ho! Mistress Touchstone Lucy Pitman-Wallace Royal Shakespeare CompanySwan, Stratford – Quisana Royal Shakespeare CompanySwan, Stratford – Maquerelle Royal Shakespeare CompanySwan, Stratford – Maquerelle Royal Shakespeare CompanyNewcastle Playhouse, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Eastward Ho! Mistress Touchstone Lucy Pitman-Wallace Royal Shakespeare CompanyNewcastle Playhouse, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Quisana Royal Shakespeare CompanyNewcastle Playhouse, Newcastle-upon-Tyne – Maquerelle Royal Shakespeare CompanyGielgud Theatre, London – Eastward Ho! Mistress Touchstone Lucy Pitman-Wallace Royal Shakespeare CompanyGielgud Theatre, London – Quisana Royal Shakespeare CompanyGielgud Theatre, London – Fix Up Norma Angus Jackson National TheatreCottesloe Theatre, London – The Wife of Bath , Rebecca Gatwood, Jonathan Munby Royal Shakespeare Company – Angel House Jean Paulette Randal New Wolsey Theatre – Romeo and Juliet Nurse New Shakespeare CompanyRegent's Park Open Air Theatre Marlowe, Sam (11 June 2008), The Times.McGinn, Caroline (19 June 2008), Time Out London. – Twelfth Night Maria New Shakespeare CompanyRegent's Park Open Air Theatre – Death and the King's Horseman Iyaloja Olivier, National, London – Hamlet Player King, Marcella Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester This list from the original author to be verified and moved into table above:
1985 The Contact Theatre Co. Manchester. Oedipus Rex; The Messenger; Director: Anthony Clark.
1994 The Young Vic Theatre, London. Oedipus Rex; Antigone/Jocasta; Director: Tim Supple.This suggests Benedict left this production during rehearsals
1999 Centre Line Productions. Women on the Verge of H.R.T. Get away; Tassa. The Independent's review doesn't mention Claire The British Theatre Guide's review doesn't mention Claire
2005 The Royal Shakespeare Co. Canterbury Tales;Wife of Bath/ Miller's Wife/ Pertelote.
2006 The Royal Shakespeare Co. Canterbury Tales;Wife of Bath;/ Miller's Wife/ Pertelote; Directors' :Greg Doran / Jonathan Munby /and Rebecca Gatward.
2010 R.S.C. Silly Masque (opening of the new R.S.T); Goddess Juno; Director: Greg Doran.
Film Year Title Role Notes 1996 Merisairas aka Seasick Cook Saba 1997 The Fifth Province 1999 Felicia's Journey Miss Calligary 2015 Jupiter Ascending Bureaucrat 2015 Hamlet Marcella / Player King 2019 The Invisible Gertrude
Television Date Title Role Network Notes Dream Team Channel 5 Inconsistency in the referenced theatre programme: this series was Sky not Channel 5. Text In Time BBC tv This might be "Texts in Time", but Benedict is not credited for any of those on the BBC web site 1988 : Country Cousin (S 4: Ep 9) Mrs Williams Thames Television 1992 Prime Suspect 2 Esme Allen Granada Television 1994 : Land of the Blind (S 10: Ep 127) Miranda Kerr Thames Television 1996 Call Red Jude Patton Thames Television 1997 Grange Hill Mrs Phillips BBC tv 1998 Still Here: Just So Much A Body Can Take Ethel BBC tv 2003 Doctors: Docwatch (S 5: Ep 156) Christine Babbage BBC tv 2004 Casualty: Taking Care Lesley Chambers BBC tv 2004 Feather Boy Matron BBC tv 2005 Nurse BBC tv 2006 Eleventh Hour: Resurrection Amanda Ross Granada Television 2007 Holby City: The Apprentice Elizabeth McFarlane BBC tv 2008 Poppy Shakespeare Rosetta Channel 4 2009 Unforgiven Elaine (psychotherapist) ITV 2010 Above Suspicion: The Red Dahlia (S 2: Ep 1) Mrs Jenkins ITV 2010 Thorne: Scaredy Cat (Ep 1, 3) Maeve Reynolds Sky Television 2011 Waking the Dead: Conviction (S 9: Ep 7–8) Lisbetta Barclay BBC tv 2012 Esther BBC tv 2012 Secrets and Words: A Study in Time Connie BBC tv 2012 Holby City: Taxi for Spence Margaret O'Sullivan BBC tv 2015 Casualty: A Child's Heart: Part One and Part Two Olivia Costelloe BBC tv 2015–2016 In the Club (2 episodes) Myleene Browning BBC tv 2017 : ep 9, ep 10, ep 12 Mrs Wild ITV Encore
Radio