Lynne Verrall

A prolific stage and TV actor since the 1970s, Lynne Verrall has died in Paris after a long illness.

Growing up in Wellington, Shropshire, in the 1950s, she trained at Birmingham School of Acting (now the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire). On graduating, she toured with the New Shakespeare Company, understudying the role of Celia in As You Like It.

She was one of the original acting members of Pentabus, a Midlands-based touring company set up by Sue Dunderdale in 1974. She performed in three UK tours, including a show about Charlie Chaplin, in which she played a number of roles.

In a varied stage career, she worked several times at Theatr Clwyd, where her roles included Kath in Entertaining Mr Sloane (1997), directed by Dominic Cooke, and Dora in Equus, directed by Terry Hands (1997). She also appeared at London’s Royal Court in Joe Penhall’s Pale Horse, directed by Ian Rickson (1995), and in Alan Ayckbourn’s House & Garden at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton (2001). Later, she appeared with Clean Break theatre company in Mercy Fine (2005).

One of her stand-out stage memories was playing Anna in Carrie Cracknell’s revival of A Doll’s House at London’s Young Vic in 2012, which was also filmed for streaming.

Verrall appeared on television in the 1970s and 1980s, with small roles in series such as Bill Brand and Hard Cases. After moving to Paris in 2012, she landed the role of Geraldine Spellman in Coronation Street (2017-18) and was cast in short films in France, usually playing an elegant Englishwoman.

The French director Cédric Klapisch cast Verrall as Kelly Reilly’s mother in the 2023 comedy-drama Greek Salad. It was shortly after filming that she was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

Her lifelong friend Dunderdale said, “She faced it with incredible courage. She was extraordinary. She remained in Paris because she’d been happy there. She created this wonderful persona of an eccentric, charming Englishwoman.”

Of Verrall’s career, Dunderdale concluded: “She was a fantastic actor but never got the recognition she deserved.”

Her agent, Samantha Boyd, said, “Lynne was always ready to try any role, to grow and learn and develop. She embraced life to the full.”

Lynne Verrall was born in March 1949, and died on November 8, aged 76.