Josephine Melville, ‘EastEnders’ Actor, Dies at 61 Backstage After Performing in Play

Harper Lambert
·4 min read
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Josephine Melville, an actress and filmmaker known for her roles in the British soap opera “EastEnders” and “Prime Suspect 2,” died backstage Thursday evening after performing in the play “Nine Night.” She was 61.

Melville received “immediate assistance” from Nottingham Playhouse first aid staff, an audience member and paramedics who arrived shortly thereafter, according to a press release. “She was quickly and expertly treated but sadly she passed away at the scene,” it read. No cause of death was revealed.

“The entire company, and staff at both theatres are in a state of shock,” said the statement of Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse, co-producers of the show. “Josephine was a truly wonderful and well-loved person, a revered and deeply respected performer, director, producer, archivist and writer, and a tremendous Auntie Maggie in ‘Nine Night.’ We are offering our full support to her family, our onstage and production crew and all staff at this awful time.”

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In light of Melville’s passing, all performances of “Nine Night” have been canceled.

Born in Essex in 1961, Melville appeared in a number of television series (“American Playhouse”) and films (“Empire State”) over the course of her four decade career. Most notably, she played Tessa Parker in “EastEnders,” the long-running BBC One series about the lives of the working class in London’s East End. In 2021, she directed and produced the short “Assistance,” a thriller about two women grappling with a guilty conscience. Before her death, Melville completed work on the film “Slammer,” a female-led science fiction thriller.

Melville’s stage credits include 1988’s “O, Babylon!” at London Fringe and 2018’s “Sleeping Beauty” at Theatre Royal Stratford East, in which she played the villainous Mautitious Le Vicious. Time Out singled out Melville’s performance in its review, stating that the actress “steals the show.” “Sinister yet charismatic, with a magnificent, resonant voice and effortless timing, she is truly a villain you love to hate,” wrote Tania Ballantine.

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Melville was named to the ensemble cast of “Nine Night” in August. Described as “a heartfelt comedy that celebrates the rituals of a traditional Jamaican Nine Night wake,” the regional production opened in Leeds at the end of September before transferring to Nottingham in October. The last performance was scheduled to take place Nov. 5.

“We send our love and condolences to Jo’s family and friends,” said Stephanie Sirr, Chief Executive of Nottingham Playhouse. “On a deeply tragic and extremely difficult evening we want to pay tribute to the company of Nine Night and to the whole Nottingham Playhouse team who managed the situation with empathy and professionalism.”

Said James Brining, Chief Executive of Leeds Playhouse: “We are profoundly saddened by Jo’s passing and add our condolences to her family and loved ones. We were truly honoured to work with her on this wonderful co-production of Nine Night and are doing everything we can to support her family, the company and staff across both theatres.”

Read below for more tributes to the actor.