Di Botcher

Di Botcher
Born	Diane F. Botcher (1959-06-02) 2 June 1959 (age 65) Port Talbot, Wales[1]
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1986–present
Known for	Stella Little Britain Casualty Downton Abbey

Diane F. Botcher (born 2 June 1959) is a Welsh actress. She has starred in several British television sitcoms and dramas, including the Sky comedy drama Stella, BBC comedies Little Britain and Tittybangbang and the ITV period drama Downton Abbey. In 2018, she joined Casualty as Jan Jenning.

Early life

Botcher was born on 2 June 1959 in Taibach, Port Talbot, Glamorgan, in Wales, one of the two children of parents Bernard and Glenys Botcher. She read English and drama at Warwick University,[1] and after graduating, trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art drama school in London,[2][3] then obtained an Equity card in the 1980s.

Career

Throughout her long career on stage and screen, Botcher has been receiving warm reviews. In a performance of the musical Blood Brothers with the Sherman Theatre Company in 1986, Botcher's performance as the "warm-hearted mum" was singled out by a reviewer as one of the good points in a production which needed "beefing up".[4] Of Black Milk (2003), a reviewer wrote, "In a strong cast, Di Botcher is a beacon."[5] Her performance in the 2017/18 revival of Follies was universally appreciated[6] - "magical";[7] a "stunner of a set piece";[8] "wonderful".[9]

In 2018, she began appearing in the BBC medical drama Casualty as Jan Jennings. Later that year, she also began portraying the role of Nana Margie in the BBC Three series In My Skin.[10] 2022 BBC Radio 4 The Archers as Caitlin Thomas.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1997	Twin Town	Jean Lewis
2002	All or Nothing	Supervisor	Cameo role
2002	Ant Muzak	Diana Fluck the Checkout Assistant	Short film
2008	Albert's Speech	Gloria	Short film
2011	Hunky Dory	Viv's mum
2012	The Gospel of Us	The Mother	Set in Botcher's birthplace
2013	Svengali	Mrs Cooper
2013	One Chance	Nurse	Cameo role
2015	Under Milk Wood	Mrs Dai Bread Two
2020	Dream Horse	Nerys
2021	La Cha Cha	Mrs. Fruitcake

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1986	Screen Two	Officer Kyle	Series 2, Episode 2
1987	The District Nurse	Eirlys Prosser	Series 3, Episode 6
1993, 1997	The Bill	Mrs. Oakes/Mrs. Edwards	2 episodes
1997	Harpur and Iles	Jane Mellick	Television film
1999	Sunburn	Wendy's mum	Series 1, Episode 3
1999	Kavanagh QC	Tilly Burgess	Series 5, Episode 2
1999	Rhinoceros	Megan Jones	Television film
2001	Fun at the Funeral Parlour	Edith	Series 1, Episode 4
2001	People Like Us	Frances Churchfield	Series 2, Episode 6
2001	The Armando Iannucci Shows	Tinaturnerogram	2 episodes
2001	'Orrible	Di Clark	Recurring character
2002	Casualty	Louise Templeton	Series 16, Episode 26
2002	Tipping the Velvet	Woman with Cigar	2 episodes
2002	Cruise of the Gods	Mrs. Hatcher	Television film
2002–2008	High Hopes	Mrs. Coles	Recurring character; 20 episodes
2003–2005	Little Britain	Marion/Meals on Wheels Lady	6 episodes
2003–2009	Belonging	Vanessa	Recurring character
2004	Green Wing	Catering Manager	Series 1, Episode 3
2005	All About George	Dorothy Mickens	Episode 1
2005	The Thick of It	Pauline McKendrick, Piss Woman	Series 2, Episode 1
2005	Bleak House	Mrs. Woodcourt	2 episodes
2006–2007	Tittybangbang	Various characters	5 episodes
2006–2008	Pulling	Margaret	Recurring character
2007	Ideal	Nicki's mum	Voice only
2007	Hotel Babylon	Myra Walmesley	Series 2, Episode 8
2007	Murphy's Law	Brothel Madam	2 episodes
2007	After You've Gone	Sheila	Series 2, Episode 5
2008	Coming of Age	Ollie's mum	Series 1, Episode 5
2008	Dustbin Baby	Pat	Television film
2008–2009	Katy Brand's Big Ass Show	Various characters	5 episodes
2008, 2010, 2012	Doctors	Sharon Bretherton/Linda Bolton/Dorit Simpson	3 episodes
2009	No Signal!	Various characters	Series 1, Episode 9
2009	Collision	Mrs. Whitfield	2 episodes
2010	Lennon Naked	Dot	Television film
2010	Sherlock	Connie Prince	Episode: "The Great Game"
2010	Coming Up	Bernadette	Series 8, Episode 4
2011	Come Fly with Me	Mrs. Talbot	Episode 2
2011	Shirley	Mrs. Morrison	Television film about Dame Shirley Bassey
2011	DCI Banks	Grace	Series 2, Episode 3
2012	Mr Stink	A woman with a question	Television film
2013	Downton Abbey	Nanny West	Series 4, Episode 1
2013–2017	Stella	Aunty Brenda	Main role
2014	Inside No. 9	Jean	Episode: "The Understudy"
2014	Under Milk Wood	Mrs. Dai Bread One	Television film
2015	Coronation Street	Debbie Allinson	2 episodes
2015	Top Coppers	Sandra
2015	High Hopes	Mrs Coles
2018–present	Casualty	Jan Jenning	Main role
2018–2021	In My Skin	Nana Margie	Main role

Selected stage performances

Year	Title	Theatre	Role
1986	Blood Brothers[4]	Sherman Theatre	Mother
	Richard III[11]	Royal Shakespeare Company at the Adelaide Festival Theatre	Lady of the court
1986–1987	A Midsummer Night's Dream[3]	Royal Shakespeare Company	Titania[12]
1987	Speculators[3]		Carol Cutter[13]
1990	Sunday in the Park with George[14]	London Revival	Frieda (Act One) Elaine (Act Two)
	Cats[15]	New London	Grizabella
1993–1994	Sweeney Todd[16]	Ensemble[13]
1995–1996	A Little Night Music[14]	Mrs Anderssen[13]
1995	Under Milk Wood[3]	National Theatre	Miss Price; Mrs Beynon[13]
1997	Beauty and the Beast[14]	Dominion Theatre	Madame de la Grande Bouche
	Cardiff East[16]	Vera, Marge and Dolly's friend[13][17]
1999	Card Boys[3]	Bush Theatre	Iris[18]
2000	Flesh and Blood[16]	Hampstead Theatre	Marge[19]
2003	Terrorism[20]	Royal Court	Old biddy
	Black Milk[16][5]	Royal Court	Auntie Pasha[21]
2004	Les Misérables[3]	Copenhagen	Madame Thenardier[22]
2009	A History Of Falling Things[3]	Theatr Clwyd	Mum
	Chicago[16]	Cambridge Theatre	Matron "Mama" Morton[23]
2010	If So, Then Yes[3]	Jermyn Street Theatre	Welsh charlady[24][25]
2010–2011	A Flea in Her Ear[16]	Old Vic	Olympe[15]
2017–2018	Follies[14]	National Theatre	Hattie Walker

References

1. Wightwick, Abbie (24 April 2016). "Stella actress Di Botcher remembers her first job at Port Talbot steelworks". Wales Online. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
2. "Di Botcher". National Theatre. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
3. "Michael Sheen Leads THE PASSION for National Theatre Wales & WildWorks in April". Broadway World. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
4. Adams, David (14 February 1986). "Cardiff: Blood Brothers". The Guardian: 18 (lower middle). Retrieved 28 October 2018.
5. Clapp, Susannah (9 February 2003). "Toasters and shysters - Theatre". The Observer Review: 11. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
6. Wolf, Matt (8 September 2017). "Sondheim's 'Follies' Is Back, at Once Bleak and Beautiful". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
7. Taylor, Paul (7 September 2017). "Follies, National Theatre, London, review: It's jaw-droppingly great". Independent. London. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
8. Bano, Tim (7 September 2017). "Follies review at the National Theatre, London – 'not just triumphant, but transcendent'". The Stage. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
9. Kellaway, Kate (10 September 2017). "Follies review – a stupendous Sondheim revival". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2018.
10. "BBC orders a dark comedy about a teen and her mentally ill mum". Chortle. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
11. Sher, Anthony (16 August 1986). "Dirty Dick Down Under". The Age Saturday Extra. Melbourne, Australia: 1, 10. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
12. "A Midsummer Night's Dream RSC Staging History 1960-2007". Macmillan Internation Higher Education. Royal Shakespeare Company / Macmillan International. Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 6 January 2025.
13. "Di Botcher". Theatricalia. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
14. "Di Botcher Broadway and Theatre Credits". Broadway World. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
15. "Full Cast Announced For Old Vic's A FLEA IN HER EAR". Broadway World. 13 October 2010. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
16. "Di Botcher Announced As Special Guest Performer At The West End Gala Of The 12th Annual Stephen Sondheim Society". Broadway World. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
17. "Cardiff East". Peter Gill, playwright and theatre director. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
18. "Review: Card Boys". Variety. 2 April 1999. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
19. Tocher, Willie. "Review: Flesh , Blood/ Mike Peters Birthday Review". The Alarm. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
20. Billington, Michael (15 March 2003). "Reviews: The funny side of terror - Theatre: Terrorism". The Guardian: 18. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
21. Wolf, Matt (13 February 2003). "Review: Black Milk". Variety. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
22. "Les Misérables". Whose is that face in the shadows?. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
23. Koenig, Rhoda (21 July 2009). "Review: Chicago, Cambridge Theatre, London". Independent. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
24. Thaxter, John (10 September 2010). "If So, Then Yes review at Jermyn Street London". The Stage. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
25. Sierz, Aleks (9 September 2010). "If So, Then Yes, Jermyn Street Theatre First play in 30 years from the legendary absurdist N F Simpson". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 28 October 2018.

External links

• Di Botcher at IMDb