Mona Hammond (born Mavis Chin; 23 March 1935 – 4 July 2022) was a Jamaican-British actress and co-founder of the Talawa Theatre Company. Born in Tweedside, Jamaica,Tweedside Map, Google. Retrieved 5 July 2022. Hammond immigrated to the United Kingdom in 1959, where she lived for the rest of her life. Hammond had a long and distinguished stage career. She was best known for her work on British television and played Aunty Su Su in the Channel 4 sitcom Desmond's and Blossom Jackson in the BBC soap opera EastEnders.

Hammond was made an OBE in the 2005 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to drama. In 2018, she was awarded the Women of the World Lifetime Achievement Award for her long and distinguished theatre career and for championing Black British actors with the Talawa Theatre Company.

Early life

Hammond was born Mavis Chin,"Now It's Sir David" , 1 June 2005, The British Theatre Guide. Retrieved 22 April 2007. on 23 March 1935, in Tweedside, Clarendon Parish. Her father was Chinese and her mother was Afro-Jamaican. She moved to the United Kingdom in 1959 on a Jamaican scholarship and worked for Norman and Dawbarn Architects. She attended evening classes at the City Literary Institute in London for two years and was awarded a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA),Ann Ogidi, "Hammond, Mona", BFI Screenonline. Retrieved 22 April 2007. graduating in 1964.

Career

Hammond began her acting career as a voice actor when she appeared as Minette in the 1964 radio play adaptation of Roger Mais's novel Brother Man."BROTHER MAN | BBC Home Service", Radio Times. First broadcast Monday, 22 June 1964. Soon thereafter, she acted the role of Carole in Claude Whatham's television movie A Question of Hell (1964)."A Question about Hell (1964)", British Film Institute. She also made early appearances on television shows such as Softly, Softly (1968) and The Troubleshooters (1969). Her first leading role was as Lady Macbeth at the Roundhouse in 1970 in Peter Coe's African version of the play. She starred in many plays by an array of up-and-coming black writers: Sweet Talk by Michael Abbensetts, 11 Josephine House by Alfred Fagon and several plays written by Mustapha Matura, including As Time Goes By, Play Mas and Playboy of the West Indies. She also spent two years at the National Theatre in productions including Fuente Ovejuna and Peer Gynt directed by Declan Donnellan, and The Crucible.

In 1985, Hammond, along with Yvonne Brewster, Inigo Espejel and Carmen Munroe, founded Talawa Theatre Company, which became one of the UK's most prominent black theatre companies."New Black theatre companies", Moving Here – Migration Histories, The National Archives. Retrieved 22 April 2007. It has produced award-winning plays about the African diaspora, and championed reinterpretations of classical British pieces. Hammond performed in several of its productions, including The Black Jacobins, The Importance of Being Earnest and King Lear.

Television work followed, which included roles in The Sweeney (1976); Wolcott (1980–81), a three-part ATV mini-series about a black detective based in east London; Black Silk (1985); Juliet Bravo (1985); Playboy of the West Indies (1985), Casualty (1986) and When Love Dies (1990). Hammond appeared in ITV's Coronation Street twice, first playing the role of Jan Sargent, and the second time playing Velma Armitage, mother of Shirley Armitage in 1988.

In 1994, she was cast as Blossom Jackson in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. She remained in the role until 1997. This was Hammond's second character in the soap, having previously played the minor part of Michelle Fowler's midwife in 1986."Vicki Fowler's Birth | EastEnders: 80s", Vicki Fowler's Birth | EastEnders: 80s, YouTube. Retrieved 5 July 2022. She was also an occasional actress in the BBC radio soap opera The Archers, playing Mabel Thompson, the mother of Alan Franks' (John Telfer) deceased wife.

Hammond played many roles in television sitcoms, including Susu in Desmond's (1990–94) and its spin-off Porkpie (1995–96); Us Girls (1992–93), in which she played Grandma Pinnock; Chef! (1996), and Grandma Sylvie Headly in The Crouches (2003–05).

In 1999, Hammond played the role of Nan in the children's TV series Pig-Heart Boy, based on a novel by Malorie Blackman. Hammond's other television credits included Making Out (1989); Trial & Retribution (1998) as Bibi Harrow: Sunburn (1999); Storm Damage (2000); The Bill (2001); Babyfather (2001); White Teeth (2002); A Touch of Frost (2003); Holby City (2001; 2005; 2011); Doctors (2006) and Death in Paradise (2011). She also appeared in the Doctor Who episode "Rise of the Cybermen" as Mickey Smith's blind grandmother Rita-Anne in 2006. Her film credits included Fords on Water (1983), Manderlay (2005) and Kinky Boots (2006). Hammond appeared in the 2008 movie 10,000 BC, directed by Roland Emmerich."Mona Hammond in 10,000 BC", Merry Media. Retrieved 22 April 2007.

For a brief stint in October 2010, she reprised her role as Blossom Jackson in EastEnders: appearing in connection with screen great-grandson Billie Jackson's funeral, she returned with her on-screen grandson Alan Jackson."Mona Hammond OBE" , The British Blacklist.

Awards

Hammond was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2005 Birthday Honours, for services to drama. In 2006, Hammond was presented with the Edric Connor Inspiration Award, the Screen Nation Film and Television Awards' highest UK honour."Crash leads Screen Nation's nods", BBC, 23 August 2006. Retrieved 22 April 2007. In 2018 she was awarded the Women of the World Lifetime Achievement Award for her long and distinguished theatre career and for championing Black British actors with the Talawa Theatre Company.

Personal life and death

Hammond was married to Michael Sanders from 1965 to 1971 when the couple divorced. They had a son, Matthew. She married again in 1973 to John Pedler, they divorced in 1987. In her later years, Hammond moved to Brinsworth House, a retirement home for entertainers in Twickenham. In 2018, she welcomed Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on a royal visit to the home.

Hammond died in Hounslow, London, on 4 July 2022, at the age of 87. She is survived by her son Matthew and granddaughter Tallulah.

Filmography Features Year Title Role Notes 1967 Herostratus Sandy 1983 Fords on Water Winston's Mother 2002 Pure Woman Customer 2004 The Life and Death of Peter Sellers Ruth Attaway / Louise the Maid 2005 Manderlay Old WilmaImagine Me & You Mrs EdwardsKinky Boots Pat 2007 10,000 BC Old Mother2009 Burlesque Fairytales Death's Wife Ladies Who Lunch Betty 2011 Coriolanus Jamaican Woman2016 Bucky Rita Short

Partial Television Credits Year Title Role Notes1964 Play of the Week Carole Episode: "A Question of Happiness"1968 Thirty-Minute Theatre Nurse Barnes Episode: "Father's Day"Softly, Softly Nora Episode: "For a Rainy Day" 1969 The Troubleshooters Secretary Episode: "It's a Very Bad Day for Travelling"1970 Callan Nurse Episode: "Where Else Could I Go?"Special Branch Veronica Williams Episode: "Love from Doris"1974 Who Killed Lamb?Nurse 1986; 1994–1997; 2010 EastEnders Midwife, Blossom Jackson 240 episodes1988 Coronation Street Mrs. Amitage 3 episodes1989–1994 Desmond's Aunty Susu 4 episodes1992–1993Us GirlsGrandma Pinnock1999Pig-Heart Boy2003–2005 The Crouches Grandma Sylvie Crouch 12 episodes2006 Doctor Who Rita-Anne Smith Episode: "Rise of the Cyberman"2007 New Tricks Betty 1 episode2012 Whitechapel Voodoo Lady 1 episode2013 Run Pam Episode: "Richard"

References

External links "Mona Hammond OBE", The British Blacklist.

Burt Caesar, "Praisesong for Mona Hammond (1931–2022)", Writers Mosaic.