c/o Gavin Barker Associates, 2d Wimpole Street, London, W1G 0EB

or

c/o Artist Mail, BBC Information, PO Box 1116, Belfast, BT2 7AJ

"Two Flodears, neat!"

August 1994
Signed and personalised 6x4 colour photograph
accompanied by a fabulous and wonderfully detailed handwritten letter.

July 1996
Signed and personalised 7x5 b/w photo,
signed and personalised video sleeves from Carry Ons Doctor, Camping
and Spying/Cruising (all my own),
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Carry On Camping photo
(previously signed by Bernard Bresslaw)
and accompanying handwritten letter.

October 1996
Signed and personalised original British quad poster from Carry On Camping,
signed and personalised 8½x6 b/w photo,
6 signed and personalised 6x4 colour Carry On Cruising photos,
1 signed 6x4 colour Carry On Cruising photo,
4 signed and personalised 6x4 colour Carry On Camping photos,
3 signed 6x4 colour Carry On Camping photos and
fabulous handwritten letter accompanied by two CVs
(all photos and poster my own)

January 1997
Handwritten letter and
she signed a complete set of colour 10x8 FOH stills from Carry On Cruising
(also signed by Liz Fraser - July 1997)
(FOH set my own)

June 1998
Signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Carry On Camping photo,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Carry On Cruising photo,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Carry On Spying portrait,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Doctor at Large portrait,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Blue Murder At St Trinian's portrait,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Petticoat Pirates photo,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Please Turn Over photo and
lovely handwritten letter.
(all photos my own)

November 1998
Signed and personalised a fabulous 20x16 b/w posterprint
from Carry On Spying,
signed and personalised Carry On Spying poster
and lovely handwritten letter.
(poster and posterprint my own)

February 1999
Signed and personalised the Into The Woods theatre programme
that was sent by Sophie Thompson
(also signed by Sophie Thompson - February 1999)

February 1999
Signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Carry On Spying portrait,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Carry On Cruising photo,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Blue Murder At St Trinian's portrait,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w photo,
signed 5 Carry On postcards and a Blue Murder at St Trinian's postcard
and lovely handwritten letter.
(photo's and postcards my own)

April 2000
Signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Carry On Doctor photo,
signed and personalised 10x8 b/w Carry On Spying cast and crew photo,
signed and personalised 2 Carry On First Day Covers,
(previously signed by Valerie Shute)
and 2 fabulous hand written letters.

May 2000
Signed 6x4 black/white photograph
(purchased item)

November 2000
Signed 6x4 black/white photograph
(purchased item)

September 2001
Signed Carry On First Day Cover
(purchased)

30 June 2004
Lovely hand written letter

Carry On Cruising (1962) - Flo Castle  
Carry On Spying (1964) - Lila
Carry On Doctor (1967) - Mavis Winkle
Carry On Camping (1969) - Anthea Meeks
(And audio commentary for Special Edition DVD
with Sandra Caron and Robert Ross)


Carry On Television Performances

Can We Carry On Girls? (2001) - Contributor

Please Turn Over - Millicent Jones / Stella  

"...Cruising must be my favourite - it was my first 'Carry On' and I made many friends from it - though working with Bernard Bresslaw was a great delight.
      Yes - I sang 'Too Late' - but I think 'The Magic of Love' went in later - to be truthful I can't remember.
      The 'master' shot of the scene with Esma <where they are both drunk in Cruising> was done in one 'take' - then we had many different close-up shots - I think that also is my favourite scene - something to really get one's teeth into - very satisfying." - Dilys Laye - August 1994.

"I'm not sure if 'Please Turn Over' came before 'Cruising' but - yes - Joan was ill and I took over at 3 or 4 days notice for 'Cruising'. Ralph Thomas and Betty Box also used me - 'Doctor At Large' was one, so once again I'm not sure, but it might well have been Ralph who recommended me to his brother Gerald for the Carry On - whichever way I'm very happy to have been part of that team!" - Dilys Laye - June 1998.

"No - I wasn't asked to do any of the other Carry Ons - but certainly enjoyed the ones I did" Dilys Laye - February 1999.

Television

Newly rediscovered in the BBC's hunt for lost recordings is the drama Fanny's First Play in which Dilys starred opposite Timothy West. The programme was first aired 17 September 1966!
Played 'Laura Adams' in an episode of Ghost Squad called An Eye for an Eye in 1964.
Played a character called 'Karen' in an episode of The Man in Room 17 called Up Against a Brick Wall in 1965.
Appeared in the first series of the situation comedy The Bed-Sit Girl with Sheila Hancock in 1965.
Made several appearances on the celebrity panel game Call My Bluff.
Played 'Phyllis' in an episode of Fraud Squad called Robbing Peter to Pay Paul in 1970.
Dilys appeared in the 1975 series of The Jimmy Tarbuck Show for ATV.
Appeared in two series of Down the 'Gate with Reg Varney (1975-76). Dilys played 'Irene Furnell'. The 'gate in the title being Billinsgate fish market!
Played 'Annette' in an episode of The Gentle Touch called Vigil in 1981.
Starred in the series Chintz with Michele Dotrice in 1981. The series was written by Peg Lynch, Alex Adams and Dilys herself.
Appeared in the BBC's Waters of the Moon as 'Mrs Daly' in 1983. It also featured Joan Sims as 'Mrs Ashworth'.
Played 'Poppy Burridge' in Campion (1989).
Also appeared in Peter Tinniswood's play The Home Front for Central TV and Low Key Lady on a High Speed Train.
Played 'Maxine' - Nigel's Mother-in-law in EastEnders. 
Contributed to a BBC documentary about her 60s flatmate Julie Andrews.
Played a character called 'Shirley' who was dying in Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married.
Recently played yet another sick character in Coronation Street - Alzheimer's sufferer Isabel Stevens.
      NB - Isabel Stevens has now passed away! RIP Isabel.
The 2000/01 run of Holby City saw Dilys playing Maureen Newton.
Finally after what seems an age, Dilys has finally been given another comedy role on television, that of 'Margaret' the charity shop worker in Mr Charity. Dilys has been given some wonderful slapstick to do with that other great comedy actress Deddie Davies who plays 'Joan'.

2001 also saw Dilys take part in the tribute documentary Can We Carry On Girls?, in which she explained how the Carry Ons helped establish her as an actress.
Dilys was back for the 2001/02 run of Holby City in a far more romantic storyline. Her husband was played by fellow Carry On player Michael Medwin.

Film

Made her film debut as 'the young Trottie' in the film Trottie True (1949). The film also starred Bill Owen.
Played 'Violet Crier' in Paper Gallows (1950).
Played St. Trinian's schoolgirl 'Bridget' alongside Rosalind Knight in Blue Murder At St. Trinian's (1957). The film also featured Carry Oners Eric Barker, Terry Scott, Richard Wattis, Cyril Chamberlain, Peter Jones and Judith Furse. 
Tried to seduce Dirk Bogarde in Doctor at Large (1957). Dilys played 'Mrs Hackett' wife of Lionel Jeffries.
Appeared in Upstairs and Downstairs (1959) as an 'Agency Girl'.
Played 'Renee' in Idle On Parade (1959).
Played 'Isobel' in The Bridal Path (1959).
Got romantically involved with Charlie Drake in the film Petticoat Pirates (1961), playing 'Sue'.
Played an American lady in the Norman Wisdom film On the Beat (1962). (shown below)

Appeared as a 'Sales woman' in the Charlie Chaplin film A Countess from Hong Kong (1967). The film starred Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren.
2002 found Dilys playing romantic novelist Edith Scarman in Dog Eat Dog. (shown below)

Theatre

Appeared in rep as a child
Made her West End debut in And So to Bed at the Strand Theatre.
Intimacy at 8.30.
For Amusement Only.
High Spirits.
Make Me an Offer.
The Tunnel of Love with Ian Carmichael at Her Majesties Theatre.
Say Who You Are with Ian Carmichael at Her Majesties Theatre.
Played 'Dulcie' in the original Broadway production of The Boyfriend with Julie Andrews.
The Devil Himself at the Lyric Studio (1980).
'Maria' in Twelfth Night.
'Mrs Kopecka' in Schweyk in the Second World War.
'Francescina' in The Dutch Courtesan.
'Jessica Fauldgate' in Peter Ustinov's Beethoven's Tenth at the Vaudeville Theatre.
'Lady Bracknell' in the inaugural production of The Importance of Being Ernest at the New Wilde theatre in Bracknell.
'Ruth' in The Pirates of Penzance at the Opera House in Manchester with Paul Nicholas, Victor Spinetti and Bonnie Langford.
In 1986 Dilys appeared in Romeo and Juliet for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon, playing the part of 'The Nurse' and transferred with the company to The Barbican where she also played 'First Witch' in Macbeth; 'Mrs Needham' in The Art of Success; 'Irma' in The Balcony and 'Glinda, the Good Witch of the North' and 'Aunt Em' in The Wizard of Oz. She followed this by playing 'Parthy Ann' in Showboat for Opera North and the RSC at Leeds and Stratford.
'Mrs Lovett' in Sweeney Todd at the Library Theatre in Manchester with director Roger Haines.
Dilys has done national tours with Phantom of the Opera, 42nd Street, George and Mildred, The Keep and Oklahoma.
In 1996/97 she appeared in Nine at The Donmar Warehouse.
May 1997 Dilys appeared in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
She returned to The Donmar in 1998/99 to play three roles in the Stephen Sondheim musical Into the Woods.
Returned to the role of 'Lady Bracknell' in The Importance of Being Ernest at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter (Oct '99).
March 2000 saw Dilys in a short run at Hampstead in a play called Gone To L.A.
Spring 2000 appeared in Alan Bennett's Single Spies at Leicester.
2001 back with the RSC in The Secret Garden at Stratford. Transferred to West End. Dilys played 'Mrs Medlock'.

Radio

Guested with Morecambe and Wise and Frankie Howerd.
Worked with Leslie Crowther and Michael Miles in a programme called Accent On Youth. Dilys and Leslie were both in their teens at the time and remained friends until Leslie died a few years ago.
Numerous other radio appearances and performances.

Dilys has also had a long and happy association with the writer/director Peter Barnes, working in many of his productions on stage, television and film. Check out the site Barnestorming for more details.

Television

The Spirit of Man (1989). Played 'Marie Blin' in the segment A Hand Witch of the Second Stage.
Played 'Beatriz de Bobadillo' in Goodbye Columbus.
Appeared in the role of 'Mrs Sparsit' in Barnes' excellent adaptation of Charles Dicken's Hard Times. It was so good it was shown after the Queen's Speech on Christmas Day.
Plays 'the Governess' in Barnes' recent adaptation of Alice In Wonderland (1999) for NBC.

Film

Appears in Peter Barnes' co-scripted film Voices (1995), which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival.

Theatre

The Bewitched (1975) for the RSC.
Frontiers of Farce at the Old Vic with Leonard Rossiter.
For Those Who Get Despondent.
She also appeared in a fifteen minute monologue called The Theory and Practice of Bellydancing, which was written specially for her by Peter Barnes.
Played 'Bess' in the inaugural production of Barnes' Dreaming at The Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester (April 1999) then transferred to the Queen's theatre in the West End (June/July 1999). Below is part of a review for Dreaming:

Review by Jeffrey Wainwright, INDEPENDENT, March 31, 1999

"The best moments are in the acting: Greg Hicks's saturnine Skelton, Paul Jesson's pained joviality as Kell, Richard Bremmer's lanky Crouchback and, best of all, a performance of wonderful ease and subtlety from Dilys Laye as Bess, really the play's most interesting character - its true Mother Courage."