Patricia Greene

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Patricia Greene

MBE
Born
Patricia Honor Greene

1931 (age 92–93)
Allenton, Derby, England
NationalityEnglish
Other names
  • Paddy
  • Patricia Richardson
Education
Alma materRoyal Central School of Speech and Drama
OccupationActress
Years active1957–present
Known forThe Archers
Spouses
  • Henry George Selway
    (m. 1959, divorce)
  • Cyril Austen Richardson
    (m. 1972; died 1986)
Children1

Patricia Honor Richardson MBE (née Greene; born 1931)[1] is an English actress. She is best known as the voice of Jill Archer on the BBC Radio 4 radio soap opera The Archers.[2]

Greene is one of the world's longest-serving actors in a soap opera, in any medium.[3]

Early life[change | change source]

Patricia Honor Greene was born in Allenton, Derby, England in 1931.[1][4] She is the youngest of two children to Josie Greene (née Johnson), a housewife, and Edward Greene, an engineer and former piano salesman.[5] She has an older sister.[6] Greene and her family moved to Champion Street in the New Zealand area, before moving to Kirk Street in Chester Green.[7] She has recalled experiences of her mother having extramarital affairs, in which she would bring men to the family home and order Patricia not to tell their father.[5]

Greene attended Ashgate Infants School on Ashbourne Road and St Paul's Junior School. She also attended Parkfields Cedars Grammar School.[7] She later joined an amateur dramatic society. Greene trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London from 1951 to 1954.[4]

Greene worked as a ward orderly at the Derby Children's Hospital. She also worked as a secretary in the sheet metal factory of Hawk Industries. She worked as a bus conductress on the trolley bus in Derby, and as a waitress during the holidays.[4]

Greene once noticed her father crying at one of her theatre performances. She credits that moment with her wanting to become an actress.[8]

Career[change | change source]

Greene made her broadcasting debut in 1957,[4] after being told "you'll never be a broadcaster, you sound like a fairy in hockey boots" by her then 84-year old tutor at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.[8][9]

Greene joined the cast of the BBC Radio 4 radio soap opera The Archers on 25 July 1957. She is the long-standing voice of Jill Archer (née Patterson).[2] She was the sixth, and last, actress to audition for the role and thought she would not be cast. Greene found the first six weeks tough due to her inexperience. She recalled that on her second day, she took stage directions too far and threw a glass of water over Norman Painting, who portrayed Phil Archer, and nearly electrocuted him. This impressed the creator Godfrey Baseley and he kept her in the serial.[10] She was paid seven guineas a week.[4] Greene was tempted to leave the series when her son was a toddler but felt a loyalty to the programme and stayed.[8] She was paid £16,000 for her work on the series in 2017.[11]

Greene portrayed Margaret Richmond in the first episode of the BBC One medical soap opera Doctors on 26 March 2000. She reprised the role for a second time in the 20 April 2000 episode.[12] Greene portrayed Ivy Watson in the 22 October 2000 episode of the BBC One medical drama Casualty.[12] Greene was the guest on the 27 December 2015 episode of the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs.[5][13]

Personal life[change | change source]

Greene married actor Henry George Selway in October 1959 in Maidenhead, Berkshire. The couple divorced a few years later.[14][5]

Greene married Cyril Austen Richardson in April 1972 in Windsor, Berkshire.[15] The couple have one son.[16] She was widowed in November 1986.[17]

Greene is a patron of the Macular Society.[18]

Honours[change | change source]

Greene was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1997 Birthday Honours by Queen Elizabeth II for services to radio drama.[19]

Greene recieved an honorary degree from the University of Derby as a Master of Arts in 2017.[4]

Commonwealth honours[change | change source]

Country Date Appointment Post-nominal letters
 United Kingdom 13 June 1997–present Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) MBE

Honorary degree[change | change source]

Location Date School Degree Gave Commencement Address
 England 2017 University of Derby Master of Arts (MA) No

Filmography[change | change source]

Radio[change | change source]

Year Title Role Notes
1957–present The Archers Jill Archer 2,430+ episodes
1962 Jennings at School Gwen Day Burroughs 1 episode
1962 Norman and Henry Bones Matron 1 episode
1964 It's a Woman's World Mary 1 episode
1967–1969 A Traveller in Time Herself 10 episodes
1971 A Thin Man Screaming Prunella 1 episode
1972 The Captain from Nottingham Mary Hepworth 1 episode
1972 Requiem Mrs Harris 1 episode
1972 Sylvia's Lovers Hester 3 episodes
1972 The Compost Heap Caroline 1 episode
1973 When You Come Home Mother 1 episode
1974 A Deadly Wit Mrs Partridge 1 episode
1974 Lord Dracula 1 episode
1974 Heroes Sarah Broke 1 episode
1974–1975 Home to Roost Kath 24 episodes
1980 The Inheritance: 1: Alarm Among the Heirs Toinette 3 episodes
1981 Prayers for Timothy Betsy Boston 1 episode
1986 The Ticket Cynthia 1 episode
1989 The Beast of Ambridge Freda the Pig 1 episode
2001–2007 Radio 4 Appeal Herself 6 episodes
2007 The News Quiz Jill Archer 1 episode
2008–2020 With Great Pleasure Herself 4 episodes
2011 The Archers at 60 Jill Archer 1 episode
2014–2023 Woman's Hour Herself 8 episodes
2015 Desert Island Discs Herself 1 episode
2017 Feedback Herself 1 episode
2018 Lord Dracula 1 episode
2018 Great Lives Herself 1 episode
2020–2022 Home to Roost Kath 9 episode
2021 A Social History of The Archers Herself 1 episode

Film and television[change | change source]

Year Title Role Notes
1957 A Man for All Seasons Woman TV Movie
1961 The Kitchen Anne Film
1965–1969 Crossroads Mrs. Lynch, Margaret Robson, Mrs. Grey 6 episodes
1985 This Is Your Life Herself
1985 Wogan Herself 1 episode
1990 One Foot in the Grave Jill Archer (voice) 1 episode
2000 Doctors Margaret Richmond 2 episodes
2000 Casualty Ivy Watson 1 episode
2007 Arena Herself 1 episode

References: [20][21]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1931 7b 920 DERBY – Patricia H Greene
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Jill Archer - BBC Radio 4". BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  3. ↑ Sarrubba, Stefania (31 January 2023). "Who are the longest-serving actors in soap?". Radio Times. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 "Patricia Greene MBE". University of Derby. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Desert Island Discs, Patricia Greene". BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  6. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JUL 1929 7b 968 DERBY – Sheila Greene
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Derby Born star of The Archers Patricia Greene". Great British Life. 19 May 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Archers star Patricia Greene: Tutor said I'd never be a broadcaster". Belfast Telegraph. 27 December 2015. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  9. ↑ Pye, Helen (27 December 2015). "Archers Star Patricia Greene: Tutor Said I'd Never Be A Broadcaster". HuffPost UK. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "Desert Island Discs, Patricia Greene: 'I was totally useless'". BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Harvey, Chris (24 July 2017). "The Archers' Patricia Greene: 'I only get £16,000 a year - the BBC salary bill is obscene'". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Hawley, Zena (14 July 2017). "Longest serving soap actress Patricia Greene receives honorary degree from the University of Derby". Derbyshire Live. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  13. ↑ Smith, Andrew (25 November 2015). "Desert Island Discs with Patricia Greene (Jill Archer)". BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  14. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: OCT 1959 6a 91 MAIDENHEAD – Henry G Selway = Patricia H Greene
  15. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: APR 1972 6a 720 WINDSOR – Cyril A Richardson = Patricia H Greene
  16. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JUL 1972 5d 2644 ST MARYLEBONE – Charles Austen Richardson
  17. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: NOV 1986 19 706 WINDSOR and MAIDENHEAD – Cyril Austen Richardson
  18. ↑ "Patrons". Macular Society. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "No. 54794". The London Gazette. 13 June 1997. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  20. ↑ "Patricia Greene - BBC Programme Index". BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  21. ↑ "Patricia Greene". IMDb. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
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