Frances Cuka

Frances Cuka (21 August 1936 – 16 February 2020)[1] was an English actress, principally on television, whose career spanned over sixty years. In her later years, she was best known for playing Grandma Nelly Buller in the sitcom Friday Night Dinner from 2011–2018.

Frances Cuka
Born(1936-08-21)21 August 1936
London, England, UK
Died16 February 2020(2020-02-16) (aged 83)
Hampstead, London, England, UK
OccupationActress
Years active1957–2018
Notable credit(s)
Casualty (2006–2009)
Friday Night Dinner (2011–2018)

Early life and career

Cuka (pronounced Chewka) was born in London, England, the daughter of Letitia Alice Annie (née Francis), a tailor, and Joseph Cuka, a process engraver.[2] The family subsequently moved to Hove. As a child, she appeared in BBC radio broadcasts as part of Children's Hour. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.[3]

Theatre roles

After the Guildhall, she joined Theatre Workshop; there she performed in Macbeth and then in 1958 created the role of Jo in Shelagh Delaney's play A Taste of Honey, continuing in the role when the play moved to the West End and Broadway. Between runs of A Taste of Honey she appeared in several plays at the Royal Court Theatre, including Endgame and Live Like Pigs.[4] In 1963 she played Becky Sharp in the musical Vanity Fair, alongside George Baker and Dame Sybil Thorndike.

Television

Cuka then moved into television. Her subsequent television roles included the 1971 BBC miniseries adaption of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility, Adam Adamant Lives, Hammer House of Horror (the episode "Charlie Boy"), The Champions and Minder. She also appeared as Doll Tearsheet in a BBC TV version of Henry IV, Part II. She had recurring roles in the soap operas Crossroads and Coronation Street. Her film roles have included Scrooge (1970) as Bob Cratchit's wife, and Henry VIII and his Six Wives (1972) as Catherine of Aragon.

Cuka was cast as Peggy Mitchell in the BBC1 soap opera EastEnders when the character was first introduced in 1991. She had filmed several scenes of the character but they were scrapped; Jo Warne was then cast in the role.[5]

From 2006 to 2009, she played the recurring role of a homeless woman called Mrs Bassey in the popular medical drama Casualty. Her final appearance was in September 2009, when her character died from severe burns after being involved in an explosion at a shopping centre.

In 2010, she played Lady Bracknell for Logos Theatre Company at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, in the unusual four-act version of The Importance of Being Earnest.

From March 2011, she appeared in the Channel 4 sitcom Friday Night Dinner, as Grandma Nelly Buller. She had to leave the show in 2018 due to illness, making one last cameo appearance in the series 5 episode 'The Violin.'[6]

Death

Cuka died after suffering a stroke at her home in Hampstead, London on 16 February 2020, aged 83.[7]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1961Over the OddsHilda Summers
1970ScroogeEthel Cratchit
1972Henry VIII and his Six WivesCatherine of Aragon
Hide and SeekMrs. Dickie
1980The Watcher in the WoodsMary Fleming
1987CrossroadsMary LancasterGuest role
1988The Attic: The Hiding of Anne FrankMrs. Van DaanTelevision film
CivvyStreetLil SewellEastEnders spin-off episode
1990Mountains of the MoonLady Houghton
1991EastEndersPeggy MitchellUnaired scenes
Afraid of the DarkMrs. Dalton
1997Snow White: A Tale of TerrorNannau
2001, 2003The BillMrs. Jones; Sandra Fletcher2 episodes
2001, 2005, 2007DoctorsLillie Goodwin; Maeve Richards; Martha Tanner3 episodes
2003Swimming PoolLady on the underground
2005Oliver TwistMrs. Bedwin
2006–2009CasualtyMrs. BasseyRecurring role, 7 episodes
2011–2018Friday Night DinnerGrandma Eleanor "Nelly" BullerSupporting role, 12 episodes
2012, 2014Holby CityEsther Levy3 episodes
2014Closer to the MoonSarah

References
  1. "Frances Cuka obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  2. http://www.filmreference.com/film/89/Frances-Cuka.html
  3. "Interview with Frances Cuka". The Theatre Archive. British Library. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  4. "Interview with Frances Cuka". The Theatre Archive. British Library. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
  5. "Friday Night Dinner star Frances Cuka dies aged 83". BBC News. 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  6. S, Ian; well (2020-05-01). "Friday Night Dinner pays tribute to late star Frances Cuka". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2020-08-06.
  7. "Frances Cuka: Friday Night Dinner star dies aged 83". BBC News. 21 February 2020. Archived from the original on 9 June 2020.
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