"Sheer bloody magic" - Carole Woddis

In the past two decades British actresses, from "grand dames" to stars of popular "soaps", have become the focus of media and public attention. But what lies behind the public glamour? The author, a theatre journalist, talks to many of the actresses to find out the reality behind the image. Why for example does Maureen Lipman find the British Telecom ads an albatross round her neck? What does Prunella Scales think of Sybil Fawlty? And how does Sue Johnston deal with her cult following as Sheila in "Brookside"?;These interviews tell us what it's like for women working in a world still dominated by traditional images of women and beauty; what it means to be typecast as a black actress, how age and looks so determine casting, that, in the words of Shirley Ann Field, the feeling is that "there's always something wrong with you, never something right". They discuss the merits of working in film rather than stage, classical versus commercial work, radio and television - to reveal the slog behind the mystique of being a contemporary actress.