Dame Joan Plowright

Sue Lawley's castaway this week is the actress Joan Plowright.

Dame Joan Plowright is an actress who has been at the forefront of her profession since she first appeared at the Royal Court Theatre in London half a century ago. In those days she was identified with the new wave, appearing in plays by writers such as Arnold Wesker and John Osborne. She went on to make her name in more established roles - winning Actress Of The Year for her performance as Shaw's 'St Joan'. Through her marriage to Laurence Olivier, she became closely associated with his work at Chichester, and the foundation of the National Theatre. After his death, she added a career on screen to her theatre work. She was nominated for an Oscar for her performance in Enchanted April and her latest film, Mrs Palfrey At The Claremont will be released later this year.

[Taken from the original programme material for this archive edition of Desert Island Discs]

Favourite track: Piano Sonata in C Major- 1st Movement by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Book: Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust Luxury: A piano