Susan Sheridan

Susan Sheridan
Name	Susan Sheridan
Birth date	4 May 1967
Birth place	Oxford, England
Death date	8 August 2015
Death place	London, England
Occupation	Voice actress, stage actress
Years active	1980s–2015

Susan Sheridan

Susan Sheridan (4 May 1967 – 8 August 2015) was a British voice and stage actress celebrated for her work in animation, radio drama, children's television, and theatre. She gained prominence through recurring performances in pioneering British animated series and became a familiar voice across BBC Radio, Independent Television, and international co-productions. Over a career spanning three decades, Sheridan collaborated with leading figures and institutions in British broadcasting and performing arts.

Early life and education

Born in Oxford, England, Sheridan grew up amid the cultural scenes of Oxford and later London. She attended local schools before training at a conservatoire known for producing performers who joined companies such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. Early influences included radio broadcasts from the BBC and children's programming from Granada Television and ITV Meridian, which shaped her interest in voice work and dramatic arts. Sheridan's formative years placed her among contemporaries who later joined ensembles at institutions like the Royal Court Theatre and trained under tutors associated with the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Voice acting career

Sheridan established herself as a versatile voice actress, contributing to animated series commissioned by broadcasters including the BBC, Channel 4, and CBeebies. Her vocal range allowed collaboration with production companies such as Aardman Animations, Cosgrove Hall Films, and Peanut Productions on projects that reached audiences in the United Kingdom, United States, and Europe. She worked with producers from the Oxford Playhouse circle and voice directors who had credits on programmes like The Clangers, Bagpuss, and adaptations of works by Beatrix Potter and Roald Dahl. Sheridan also voiced characters in audio plays and serials produced by the BBC Radio 4 drama department, often appearing alongside actors affiliated with the Royal National Theatre and the Old Vic.

Film, television and radio roles

Sheridan's screen and radio credits include roles in animated films and television series commissioned by distributors such as ITV Studios and BBC Children's. She featured in adaptations of children's literature broadcast on BBC Two and performed in original children's series that toured international festivals like the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and the Cartoon Forum. On radio, Sheridan participated in serial dramas and comedies produced by BBC Radio 4 and guest-starred in anthology programmes alongside actors known from Doctor Who and Inspector Morse. Her work extended to narration for documentary strands on networks such as Channel 4 and voice work for educational series broadcast by Channel 5.

Stage and theatrical work

In the theatre, Sheridan performed in productions at venues including the Young Vic, the Donmar Warehouse, and regional stages linked with the Salisbury Playhouse and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. She appeared in plays by contemporary playwrights presented at the Royal Exchange Theatre and took part in touring productions that played at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and international theatres in New York City and Paris. Directors she collaborated with had affiliations with companies such as the Royal Court Theatre and the National Theatre, and she performed in adaptations of works by authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens for stage and radio formats.

Personal life

Sheridan lived in London and maintained ties with artistic communities across Oxfordshire and Greater Manchester. She was known to support charitable initiatives associated with performing-arts training at institutions like the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and mentored emerging voice actors connected to workshops run by Pinewood Studios affiliates. Her personal associations included colleagues from long-running series and actors with credits in Coronation Street, EastEnders, and Casualty.

Awards and recognition

Throughout her career Sheridan received recognition from organisations that celebrate achievements in voice and children's media, including nominations at events akin to the British Animation Awards and commendations from critics at festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Annecy Festival. Industry peers acknowledged her contributions in publications linked to the Radio Academy and panels convened by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences and the Writers' Guild of Great Britain.

Death and legacy

Sheridan died in London on 8 August 2015. Her death was noted by broadcasting institutions including the BBC and commentators in periodicals associated with the Guardian Media Group and the Telegraph Media Group. Her voice work remains in circulation through archives of animations, radio plays, and televised children's programming preserved by organisations such as the British Film Institute and the BBC Archive. Sheridan's influence is cited by contemporary voice actors and educators at conservatoires and workshops connected with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Category:1967 births Category:2015 deaths Category:English voice actresses Category:English stage actresses