Denise Welch

We were delighted to announce that from 2001 Denise became an Honorary Patron of Dramart Productions Ltd., representing the British TV industry. William first met Denise in 1997 when he was cast to play Nick Horrocks in 'Coronation Street' - Natalie's first husband: and as Denise is now one of the most recognisable faces in the country, we felt that she would be ideal as our patron to represent British TV. Dramart Productions would like to wish Denise every continuing success with her career.

Acting Biography

Denise was born on 22nd May 1958 in Tynemouth, Tyne and Wear. She attended Bygate School, Whitley Bay, La Sagesse, Newcastle and Blackfyne Grammar School, Consett. From 1976 to 1979 she studied at Mountview Theatre School, Crouch End, London. She was teaching dance at Watford Theatre when she gained her Equity card. She appeared on the West End stage in YAKKETY-YAK with the McGann brothers at the Astoria Theatre in 1983. Later that year she was in the first dramatisation on stage of a novel, THE GAMBLING MAN.

Denise joined Live Theatre Company, Newcastle where she starred in many productions and where she later met Tim Healey whom she married in 1988. They have 2 sons, Matthew, born in 1989 and Louis Vincent born in March last year.

Denise has many stage successes including the national tours of THERE'S A GIRL IN MY SOUP, and an Alan Ayckbourn quartet of plays including BEDROOM FARCE. She played Sandy in GREASE at the Haymarket Theatre Leicester in 1984. She had leading roles in A NIGHINGALE SANG at Newcastle Playhouse, GOING HOME, SHOOTING THE LEGEND (both with Tim Healey) and BEAUTIFUL GAME all at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle.

Denise has also recorded 15 plays for Radio 4.

Her first TV part was in BARRIERS for Yorkshire / Tyne Tees in 1981 and she has had many parts since in THE GODMOTHER, COME INTO THE PARLOUR, A KIND OF LIVING (with Tim), HARRY, BYKER GROVE and THE GLASS VIRGIN by Catherine Cookson.

Denise reached national prominence playing Frances, the wife of Jimmy Nail in SPENDER for three series and later played Marsha Stubbs in three series of SOLDIER SOLDIER alongside Robson Green with whom she had worked in live theatre. In 1997 Denise created the role of Natalie Horrocks in CORONATION STREET - William Ilkley later appeared as her first husband Nick Horrocks - and in 1998 she became Natalie Barnes and then the landlady of the Rovers Return. William and Denise worked on a feature film together - THE JEALOUS GOD, which was released in 2006. She is now in the BBC series WATERLOO ROAD and appears as a regular presenter on ITV's LOOSE WOMEN.

Denise presented her own show THE BUZZ on Tyne-Tees Television and released a record YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME which reached no 23 in the charts in 1995.

Denise, Tim, Matthew and Louis currently live in Cheshire.

Denise is delighted to be an Honorary Patron of Dramart Productions Ltd and wishes all the students every success with their courses and their future work

DRAMART PRODUCTIONS LTD
'Working with the Professionals'

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