Stars of the silver screen | Inspired by Kiss of the Spider Woman

Next week, Bristol Old Vic co-production Kiss of the Spider Woman opens at Leicester's Curve Theatre, just ahead of it making its way to us at the end of April. 

It's a musical packed-full of Hollywood glamour. So much so, it's inspired us to take a look back at some of the actresses of the silver screen who've also set our stage alight over the decades. Take a look at our top five...

• Rosemary Harris

One of the all-time greats. Rosemary Harris is an acclaimed English actress who was born in 1927. At the sprightly age of 98, she is still acting with a recent role in HBOs comedy series Search Party. 

We were lucky to have her as part of the Bristol Old Vic company in the 1950s, starring as Elizabeth Proctor in the UK premiere of Arthur Miller's The Crucible in 1954. She considers her year in rep at BOV as one of the happiest of her life.

She recalls: "It was a profoundly moving production and I felt it affected people a lot, but it didn't go to London because it was considered too strong meat. Arthur Miller wasn't that accepted at the time..The critics were blown away by our production. Apparently, they talked about it on the train all the way back to Paddington."

Harris kept a scrapbook of the reviews from that production. "They all say how brave of Bristol it was to take The Crucible on, and shame on the West End for not doing it." It took another 11 years before the production would reach London.

Throughout her illustrious career she's acted opposite Richard Burton, John Geilgud and Peter O'Toole, been directed by Lawrence Olivier, starred as Peter Parker's Aunt May in three Spider man films, earned numerous awards including a Tony, Emmy, BAFTA and Golden Globe and been nominated for an Oscar.

We think that's about as Hollywood as you can get.

• Lesley Manville

The team at BOV have fond memories of the mighty Lesley Manville's time with us in 2016 for the 250th Anniversary production of Long Day's Journey Into Night alongside Jeremy Irons.

Reviewers were blown away by her performance calling her "a glory" (The Guardian) and "breathtaking" (The Arts Desk).

She has balanced a career on stage and screen for 50 years, acting in eight of Mike Leigh's films including Grown-Ups, Secrets & Lies, Topsy-Turvy, Vera Drake and Mr Turner. 

She's won two Olivier Awards and two film BAFTAs, a Golden Globe and an Emmy for playing Princess Margaret in The Crown.

Her role in Phantom Thread opposite Daniel Day Lewis earned her an Oscar nomination. 

A class act indeed.

• Olivia Colman

Olivia trained at the theatre school and her first professional role was on our stage in 1999.

After breakthrough roles on TV in hit comedies like Peep Show and Fleabag, and acclaimed dramas including Broadchurch and The Night Manager, she took on the role of Queen Elizabeth in The Crown from 2019-2020 which won her a Golden Globe and an Emmy.

She achieved even wider recognition for her portrayal of Queen Anne in The Favourite which won her the Oscar for best Actress. She earned further Academy Award nominations for The Father, in which she starred alongside Anthony Hopkins, and The Lost Daughter directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal.

 • Greta Scacchi 

Born in 1960, Scacchi trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School where her contemporaries included Miranda Richardson and Amanda Redman. She performed in several productions here in the 1980s in the early part of her career.

Her first leading role on screen was in the 1983 film Heat and Dust (BAFTA nominated) opposite Julie Christie which saw her nominated for a BAFTA. this was followed by prominent roles in the 80s and 90s in movies like Presumed Innocent alongside Harrison Ford, The Player with Tim Robbins and Gwyneth Paltrow's 1996 remake of Emma.

Fun fact: She turned down the role of Catherine Trammell in 90s thriller Basic Instinct which eventually went to Sharon Stone.

• Erin Doherty

Erin Doherty studied at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and pretty soon she was taking our stage by storm in some powerhouse performances - her first professional role in Pink Mist playing Lisa, then returning in 2017 for the lead role of Fiz in Jack Thorne's musical Junkyard. 

Whastonstage reviewer Kris Hallett had a bit of a premonition about her career trajectory:

"Doherty is the star here, and by rights will soon be a star full-stop. It's been a pleasure seeing her develop from promising Bristol Old Vic Theatre School student, into her first professional role at this theatre's hit Pink Mist to this, where she holds herself front and centre. She dominates the stage and you can't take your eyes of her."

Netflix series The Crown saw her break into mainstream TV as Princess Anne and the 2025 phenomenon Adolescence followed, winning her a Primetime Emmy award for Outstanding Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.

Surely the big screen is next on her hit list - watch this space for updates!