Actor, Author, Director, Presenter, Campaigner. What you might call a varied career. From the original West End casts of Sweeney Todd, Annie and Sister Act to being the first Woman Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s tour; from playing Madame Ranyevskaya in The Cherry Orchard at the Royal National Theatre to Senna Pod in Carry on Cleo. From Celebrity Gogglebox to (literally) climbing a mountain in the title role of the feature film Edie. There have been numerous other plays, musicals, films, broadcasts, sit coms, quizzes, directing, and writing of 5 best-selling books. At 92 she writes a monthly column for Prospect magazine, and is just starting to write a new book.

At Chelsea Arts Festival, Sheila Hancock will feature as part of Women and Words: 30 Year Celebration of The Women’s Prize For Fiction alongside June Sarpong, Kate Mosse and more.