Alice Lowe

Alice Lowe
blurry photo of Alice Lowe wearing a grey sweater and black jacket, speaking into a microphone, looking right of camera
Lowe in 2012
Born
Alice Eva Lowe

(1977-04-03) 3 April 1977 (age 47)
Coventry, West Midlands, England
Alma materKing's College, Cambridge
Occupations
  • Comedian
  • actress
  • writer
  • director
Children2

Alice Eva Lowe (born 3 April 1977)[1] is an English actress, writer, director, and comedian. She has appeared as Dr. Haynes in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Madeleine Wool/Liz Asher in Garth Marenghi's Darkplace. She wrote, directed, and starred in the 2016 film Prevenge and starred in and co-wrote the 2012 film Sightseers. She also starred in the educational children's television series Horrible Histories.

Early life

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Lowe was born in Coventry, West Midlands, England.[2] She attended Kenilworth School and graduated from King's College, Cambridge, where she studied classics.[3][4] At university she became involved in theatre and comedy.[4]

Career

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Lowe began her career in surreal experimental theatre shows including City Haunts, Snowbound and Progress in Flying Machines[5] co-devising and performed along with colleagues such as Robert Webb and David Mitchell.[6]

Lowe worked under the directorship of Paul King,[7] who has since directed her in The Mighty Boosh and Garth Marenghi's Darkplace.[7] She was cast in Garth Marenghi's Fright Knight[7] alongside fellow Cambridge graduates Richard Ayoade and Matt Holness and they were nominated for the Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2000.[8] In 2001, she won an award for performing in the sequel to Fright Knight, Garth Marenghi's Netherhead,[7] at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[4]

Her television credits include Channel 4's spoof horror comedy Garth Marenghi's Darkplace,[7] Beth in the BBC comedy series My Life in Film, David Bowie in the BBC series Snuff Box,[7] and a recurring role in Rob Brydon's Annually Retentive.[7] She was part of the all-female comedy show Beehive[7] along with Sarah Kendall, Barunka O'Shaughnessy and Clare Thomson which was aired on E4, and was a regular cast member of the CBBC show Horrible Histories[7] during the second, third and fifth seasons. Her BBC Three pilot "LifeSpam: My Child Is French" was broadcast in 2009,[8] and she co-wrote and starred in Channel 4's Orcadia. In February 2010, she appeared in and script-edited the pilot for a "sort-of-sketch-show" called Missing Scene.[9]

She has also guest starred as Monkey in "The Priest and the Beast" episode of The Mighty Boosh, as Patricia in the "Fifty-Fifty" episode of The IT Crowd,[7] a solicitor in the "Travel Writer" episode of Black Books, Madonna in an episode of Channel 4's Star Stories,[7] and episodes of Little Britain,[7] Come Fly with Me,[7] Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul, Beautiful People and This is Jinsy.[7] She appeared in the music video for "Bastardo" by Charlotte Hatherley, directed by Edgar Wright.[7]

Lowe co-wrote and starred in the short film Stiffy, directed by Jacqueline Wright,[7] which premiered at Cannes in 2005 as part of the Kodak Straight 8 competition. Her self-penned short film Sticks and Balls was screened at Cannes in 2007.[7] In 2010 together with Wright she founded the production company Jackal Films,[7] making a short film each month of that year.[10]

Lowe appeared in the action comedy film Hot Fuzz,[8] and took a lead role in the 2012 film Sightseers,[7] the third production from director Ben Wheatley. Sightseers was written by Lowe with Steve Oram, with additional material by Amy Jump.[11] Lowe had a role in the Edgar Wright-directed film The World's End.[12]

On BBC Radio 4, she has written three series of Alice's Wunderland a dark, surreal comedy.[13]

In 2016, she made her directorial debut on the critically acclaimed [14] dark comedy Prevenge, which she directed while pregnant.[15] In 2018, Lowe appeared as Dr Haynes on Netflix's first adult-targeted interactive film, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch.[16]

In February 2021, Lowe's film Timestalker, was announced. The film will "chronicl[e] one woman's unrequited love across several centuries [...] from 1680s Western Scotland to the apocalyptic 22nd Century." Lowe stated that "[t]his film is my homage to the most romantic epics. Lavish, lush and overflowing with emotion."[17] Filming began in late 2022 and was released October 2024. [18]

Personal life

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Lowe was pregnant while filming Prevenge and later gave birth to her daughter Della with partner Paul Synnott.[19]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 Hot Fuzz Tina
2011 Kill List Radio Reporter
2012 Sightseers Tina Also writer
2013 The World's End Young Lady
2014 Locke Sister Margaret Voice
Paddington Geographer's Receptionist
Electricity Sylvia
2015 Aaaaaaaah! Sitcom Eudora
Burn Burn Burn Davina
Black Mountain Poets Lisa Walker
2016 Adult Life Skills Alice
Stoner Express Roxy
Prevenge Ruth Also writer and director
Chubby Funny Susan
The Ghoul Kathleen
2018 Wild Honey Pie Gerry
Solis Commander Roberts Voice
Sometimes Always Never Sue
The Fight Heather
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch Dr. Haynes
2019 Eternal Beauty
Dark Encounter Arlene
Days of the Bagnold Summer Carol
2022 Paso Doble[20] Karen Short film
2024 Timestalker Agnes Also writer and director
2025 Rogue Trooper Post-production

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2001–2002
2006
Comedy Lab Various characters 3 episodes; also writer of Orcadia
2004 Garth Marenghi's Darkplace Liz Asher / Madeleine Wool 6 episodes
Black Books Solicitor Episode: "Travel Writer"
My Life in Film Beth 6 episodes
2005 The Mighty Boosh Monkey Episode: "The Priest & the Beast"
Little Britain Mother on Bench / Woman on Bench 2 episodes
2006 The IT Crowd Patricia Episode: "Fifty-Fifty"
Snuff Box David Bowie Episode: "Matt's Diary"
Star Stories Madonna Episode: "The Wife's Life"
Man to Man with Dean Learner Various roles Episode: "Merriman Weir"
Pulling Alice Episode #1.6
2006–2007 Annually Retentive Various roles 3 episodes
2007 Angelo's Alicia 6 episodes
2008 Beehive Various roles 5 episodes; also writer
2008–2012 Ruddy Hell! It's Harry and Paul Various characters 12 episodes
2009 LifeSpam: My Child Is French Various characters Television film; also writer
Beautiful People Stacey Bile Episode: "How I Got My Turner"
2010 Come Fly with Me Young Mum Episode #1.1
2010–2011, 2013 Horrible Histories Various characters 12 episodes
2011, 2014 This is Jinsy Soosan Noop 16 episodes
2012 Skins Jemima Episode: "Franky"
2014 Sherlock Tessa Episode: "The Sign of Three"
2015 Inside No. 9 Amanda Episode: "Séance Time"
2017 Carters Get Rich Sue Golding Episode: "Co-Creator"
2018 Flowers Paula Episode #2.4
Hang Ups Celia Cain 3 episodes
2021 Back Joanna Episode #2.6
2023 Lockwood & Co. Adelaide Winkman Two episodes
Partygate Shelley Williams-Walker [21]

Audio

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Year Title Role Notes
2011-2015 Alice's Wunderland Various Writer and creator, BBC Radio 4[22]
2021 The Sink: A Sleep Aid Narrator
2024 The Mysterious Affair at Styles Director, Audible original[23]

References

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  1. ^ England & Wales births 1837 – 2006
  2. ^ "Coventry-born creator Alice Lowe brings Prevenge preview to Warwick Arts Centre". www.whatsonlive.co.uk. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Reporter 7/7/99: Congregations of the Regent House on 25 and 26 June 1999". cam.ac.uk. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  4. ^ a b c Bromwich, Kathryn (3 April 2016). "On my radar: Alice Lowe's cultural highlights". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  5. ^ "Alice Lowe-EN - Sites Film Festival". womaninfan.com. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  6. ^ "In Conversation: Alice Lowe". clashmusic.com. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Alice Lowe". independenttalent.com. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  8. ^ a b c "Classic interview Alice Lowe". beyondthejoke.co.uk. 7 February 2017.
  9. ^ 'Missing Scene' - taster pilot. Vimeo. Retrieved 30 August 2015.
  10. ^ "Jackal Films". Archived from the original on 23 February 2015.
  11. ^ Godfrey, Alex (23 November 2012). "Sightseers: Alice Lowe and the secret terrors of caravanning". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  12. ^ "Ultimate Guide to 'The Worlds End' PART 1 - Easter Eggs, Themes, and Symbolism!". viewerdiscretionadvised.net. 28 August 2013.
  13. ^ "Alice's Wunderland". BBC Radio. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  14. ^ "Prevenge (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. 24 March 2017.
  15. ^ Puckrik, Katie (14 February 2017). "Alice Lowe: 'It wasn't part of the plan to direct while pregnant'". The Guardian.
  16. ^ "Alice Lowe: Dr. Haynes". IMDb. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  17. ^ Grater, Tom (19 February 2021). "Sam Riley, Natasia Demetriou & Jacob Anderson Join Rom-Com 'Timestalker' From 'Prevenge' Director Alice Lowe; HanWay Boards Sales – EFM". Deadline. Archived from the original on 19 February 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  18. ^ "Timestalker". empire.
  19. ^ Dean, Rosamund (27 January 2017). "Alice Lowe Talks Pregnancy, Murder And Prevenge". Red Online.
  20. ^ Paso Doble (Short) - IMDb, retrieved 21 April 2023
  21. ^ "Meet the cast of Partygate on Channel 4". Radio Times. 3 October 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  22. ^ "Alice's Wunderland". BBC Radio. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  23. ^ Shafer, Ellise (2 October 2024). "Peter Dinklage, Jessica Gunning, Himesh Patel and More to Star in Audible Adaptation of Agatha Christie's 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
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