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Josie Lawrence, actress, comedian, writer, director and singer, visited the 成人论坛 WM studios in the Mailbox for a revealing hour-long interview. Josie, from Old Hill in Dudley, spoke to Carl Chinn on the 30th December 2007. Click the link, below, to listen again.

Josie as Mum in Vent

Most recently, Josie Lawrence was seen on British TV as Mrs. Jiniwin in The Old Curiosity Shop, widely regarded as one of the must-see programmes of Christmas 2007.

It's the latest role in a career that has taken her around the world, from the Barlow Players in Oldbury, to Los Angeles and "bloomin' 'eck - I'm getting hugged by Liza Minnelli", as she tells Carl.

In the interview Josie speaks about her childhood and family in Dudley. And about her acting. "It's always felt like a vocation" she says.

"I would have like to have tried for RADA, but Mum and Dad had this real thing about letting me go to London - they thought it was where the Devil lived."

After studying for a degree at Dartington College of Arts, Josie began looking for work as an actor. It wasn't easy. "I used to cry my heart out - thinking I would never get this Equity card".

Josie, 2006, with Vent cast (Radio 4)

Her career started to take off in the mid 1980's when she began singing - her first appearances were at Blackheath working men's club.

Important roots

Josie tells Carl about her family life. Many members of her family worked at the Marsh and Baxter sausage and pie factory in Brierley Hill, where "You'd hide sausages in your knickers - perks of the job!"

Although she now lives in London, the Midlands and the Black Country "are completely important... I've never ever left this place - I still call it home." Josie visits her family in Dudley every other weekend - when she's not working.

She would never lose her accent "because I'm so proud of my roots. I think there's such a warmth and a friendliness and a humour to this area - the West Midlands."

Her big break

In the late 1980's, Josie's ability to improvise admitted her to the Comedy Store Players, and she became a regular guest on the Channel 4 comedy series Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

Josie, 1993, The Masterson Inheritance

The interview then covers Josie's work on TV, radio and stage. Josie talks about improvising with Mike Myers, performing with Julie Walters on stage in Acorn Antiques The Musical, working with Timothy Spall in the TV series Outside Edge, her award-winning roles at the RSC...

The future

In 2008, Josie's radio series, The Lawrence Sweeney Mix returns to 成人论坛 Radio 4 for its second series - now in a 6.30pm slot.

In April 2008, she's at the Birmingham Rep, performing in Hapgood, a play by Tom Stoppard.

And Josie mentions "top secret" plans - it seems she's trying to find funding for a TV series based in the Black Country. She's proud of her roots and she wishes the West Midlands was better known.

As she says: "There's more to us than people saying Dud-laay".