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Sue Jones-Davies

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Sue Jones-Davies
Born (1949-01-01) 1 January 1949 (age 75)
Wales
NationalityBritish
Alma materUniversity of Bristol
Occupation(s)Actress, singer, politician
Political partyPlaid Cymru
SpouseChris Langham (divorced)
Children3

Sue Jones-Davies (born 1 January 1949) is a Welsh actress, singer and local politician. She played Judith Iscariot in the film Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979) and was Mayor of Aberystwyth from 2008 to 2009.

Early life and education

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Sue Jones-Davies was born on 1 January 1949 in Wales. She lived in Dinas Cross, Pembrokeshire.[1] She is a graduate of the University of Bristol.[2]

Marriage and family

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She met the actor and writer Chris Langham, then a fellow student whilst studying at Bristol University.[3] They married soon after graduation and lived in London.[1] They later separated and divorced, and Jones-Davies moved to Aberystwyth with her three sons.[4][1]

Career

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Jones-Davies worked in London for several years. She appeared in the original London production of Jesus Christ Superstar.[5] Other credits include Monty Python's Life of Brian, Radio On, Rock Follies, French and Saunders, Victoria Wood As Seen On TV and Brideshead Revisited. Her role in Rock Follies earned her a chart hit single with "OK" in partnership with Julie Covington, Rula Lenska and Charlotte Cornwell, reaching no.10 in June 1977.[6] In August 1976, Jones-Davies was shortlisted for the part of Leela in the long running BBC series Doctor Who, but lost out to Louise Jameson for the role.[7]

In the 1970s she was singer in The Bowles Brothers Band. She sings in the Welsh-language acoustic band Cusan Tan along with Annie Jones.[2][8] She is also a regular performer on Welsh-language television. In 1981, she played in The Life and Times of David Lloyd George as Megan Lloyd George, the prime minister's daughter. She appeared in The Theory of Flight (1998), alongside Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter, Solomon and Gaenor (1999) and voiced the part of Sian in animated film Y Mabinogi (2003).[3]

In 2008, she became a Plaid Cymru town councillor in Aberystwyth.[9] Between June 2008 and May 2009, she was Mayor of Aberystwyth.[2]

Upon taking the office, she was informed that the town had banned Life of Brian and prohibited it for nearly 30 years because of her nude scene.[10][11] It subsequently emerged that although Ceredigion county councillors had reviewed the film in 1981, and found parts "quite unacceptable", they did not officially ban it.[12] She sponsored a charity screening of Life of Brian. In July 2008, Jones-Davies was interviewed on BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio 2 about the film and its status in Aberystwyth. She was also profiled on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour. The film was screened on 28 March 2009 at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre. It was attended by cast members and the co-writers of the film, Michael Palin and Terry Jones.[13] The event was broadcast on BBC One on 12 May 2009 as a documentary titled Monty Python in Aberystwyth: A Mayor and Two Pythons.[14]

Honours

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Aberystwyth University celebrates successes of Welsh learners". www.aber.ac.uk. Aberystwyth University. 26 October 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d "Welsh actor and singer Sue Jones Davies awarded Honorary Bachelor of Arts Degree". www.aber.ac.uk. Aberystwyth University. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Sue Jones-Davies". BBC. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  4. ^ Holmwood, Leigh (2 August 2007). "Langham's 'golden' era brought down by charges". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  5. ^ "1972 London Palace Theatre Production of Jesus Christ Superstar". Open-site.org. Retrieved 30 December 2016.
  6. ^ "Official Charts Company". Official Charts. Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  7. ^ Doctor Who: The Face of Evil. BBC DVD/2Entertain. ISBN 0-7806-8517-2
  8. ^ "Profile: Cusan Tan". Ceolas celtic music archive. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  9. ^ "In pictures: First impressions from Aberystwyth". BBC. Retrieved 19 July 2008.
  10. ^ "Town ends Python film 30-year ban". BBC News. 27 February 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
    - "Once Banned, Monty Python Flick Returns To Town". National Public Radio. 8 March 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2010.
  11. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (2 March 2009). "Welsh Town Lifts Ban on 'Life of Brian'". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  12. ^ Yapp, Carl (27 February 2009). "Python stars for special showing". BBC News. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  13. ^ "Monty Python stars flout Aberystwyth film 'ban'". Daily Post. 30 March 2009. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
    - Johnston, Ian (28 March 2009). "Aberystwyth embraces Monty Python's Life of Brian". The Telegraph. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  14. ^ "Monty Python in Aberystwyth". BBC. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
    - McCall, Douglas (2014). Monty Python : A Chronology, 1969-2012 (2 ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 282. ISBN 978-0-7864-7811-8.
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