Actress and filmmaker Josephine Melville, best known for her roles in the British soap operas “EastEnders” and “Prime Suspect 2”, died backstage on Thursday evening after performing in the drama “Nine Night”. She was 61 years old.
Melville received “immediate help” from Nottingham Playhouse first aid staff, an audience member and paramedics, who arrived soon after, according to one Press release, “He was treated quickly and efficiently but sadly he died on the spot,” it read. No cause of death was revealed.
“The entire company and the staff of both theaters are in a state of shock,” the statement from the show’s co-producers Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse said. “Josephine was a truly wonderful and well-loved person, a respected and deeply respected artist, director, producer, collector and writer, and a tremendous Aunt Maggie in ‘Nine Night. We are extending our full support to his family, our stage and production crew and all the staff at this terrible time. ,
In light of Melville’s passing, all performances of “Nine Night” have been cancelled.
Born in Essex in 1961, Melville appeared in several television series (“American Playhouse”) and films (“Empire State”) during her four-decade career. Most notably, she played Tessa Parker in “EastEnders”, the long-running BBC One series about working class life in London’s East End. In 2021, he directed and produced the short “Help”, a thriller about two women battling a guilty conscience. Before her death, Melville completed work on “Slammer”, a female-oriented science fiction thriller film.
Melville’s stage credits include 1988’s “O, Babylon!” is included. at the London Fringe and in 2018’s “Sleeping Beauty” at the Theater Royal Stratford East, in which she played the villainous Motishius Le Vicious. Time Out noted Melville’s performance in its review, saying that the actress “stole the show.” “Frightening yet charismatic, with a brilliant, resonant voice and effortless timbre, he really is a villain you love to hate,” wrote Tania Ballantyne.
Melville was nominated for the ensemble cast of “Nine Night” in August. The regional production opened in Leeds in late September before relocating to Nottingham in October, described as “a heartwarming comedy that celebrates the rituals of the traditional Jamaican Nine Night’s Wake”. The final performance was scheduled to take place on November 5.
Nottingham Playhouse Chief Executive Stephanie Sirr said: “We send our love and condolences to Joe’s family and friends.” “On a deeply sad and extremely difficult evening we would like to pay tribute to the company of Nine Knight and the entire Nottingham Playhouse team who handled the situation with empathy and professionalism.”
Leeds Playhouse Chief Executive James Brining said: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Joe and add our condolences to his family and loved ones. We are truly honored to be working with him in this wonderful co-production of Nine Nights. And we are doing everything we can to support his family, company and staff in both theatres.”
Read below for more tributes to the actor.