My mother, Shirley Dynevor-White, who has died aged 89, was an actor in Joan Littlewood’s Theatre Workshop company in London during the 1950s.
Between 1953 and 1959 she took part in many productions with them at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, including A Christmas Carol (1953), The Dutch Courtesan (1954), Richard II (1954) and An Italian Straw Hat (1955).
Later she did some film work and moved into television, spending the last 15 years of her career as stage manager on the set of Coronation Street, which she loved.
Shirley was born in Cardiff to Hedley Teague, a landscape gardener, and Nancy (nee Sutton), a nurse. While at Hereford grammar school for girls she showed a talent for acting, and once she had left school she worked for a while in rep at Pontypridd, later moving to London, where she worked as an usherette at the Curzon cinema.
In 1953 she went for an audition at Stratford East, where Littlewood was in charge. “With her woolly hat on, she was the most magical director I could imagine, with an extraordinary approach to drama, theatre and life,” she said later. “When I got a telegram inviting me to join the company, it was one of the most exciting moments of my life.”
In early 1954 another actor joined the Theatre Workshop – Gerard Dynevor, my father. Within minutes of meeting each other he had invited her to the local cafe, where he proposed over a cup of tea. In November that year Shirley gave birth to my older brother, Jonathan. Her labour began in the stalls at Stratford East, while watching Gerard acting in The Good Soldier Schweik. “It was terribly funny, and I laughed so much between contractions,” she said. “I stayed till the end, and we just about got to Queen Charlotte’s hospital in time.”
After Shirley left the company she took on modelling jobs and joined a temp agency, but mainly stayed at home looking after my brother and me. In 1966, by which time the family had moved to Manchester, Gerard died.
As a consequence, Shirley had to give up acting to earn enough money to bring up her two sons alone. She started work in television production, mainly for Thames, London Weekend, and then Granada, where she was appointed stage manager on Coronation Street.
Throughout those years she continued to take on acting jobs whenever she could. She played Eva Braun in the 1976 Peter O’Toole film Rogue Male and on TV had parts in Charlesworth, Scotland Yard, Armchair Theatre, Family Solicitor, The Liars, Crown Court and The Wednesday Play.
In 1989 she married Simon White, a guitarist with the Manchester rock iconoclasts Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias. When she was diagnosed with dementia in 2009 Simon cared for her devotedly at home until her death. She was an immensely kind, considerate and vibrant soul with a deliciously wicked sense of humour that stayed with her almost to the end.
She is survived by Simon, Jonathan and me, grandchildren Rosie, Maddie, Phoebe, Sam and Hattie, and great-grandchildren Louis and Elio.
