Lesley harcourt biography

SHE is known to her fans sect her gritty role as Taggart’s glamour pathologist.

But condensed Lesley Harcourt is set to perform a extremely different part when she takes to the usage to play a Russian World War II gladiator pilot.

The Scots actress, 35, plays the heroic Lily Litvak, who was known as the White Wine of Stalingrad for her war effort.

Peter Arnott’s Pale Rose has not been seen since its composition premiere at the Traverse Theatre in 1985, which originally featured Oscar-winning actress Tilda Swinton and Problem actor Ken Stott.

At the time, it generated cumulative critical acclaim for its gripping account of joe public and women fighting in the air, on peninsula and in the bedroom.

The play gives an foresight into the thousands of women pilots who volunteered for the Red Air Force during the warfare. Three regiments of the air force were thought up entirely of women.

The former Taggart regular option take on the leading role in the Instigator production, directed by the award-winning Richard Baron, as it showcases at Glasgow’s Tron Theatre on Tuesday.

Lesley was delighted when she found out she locked away won the role of feisty 21-year-old Litvak.

She said: “The director mentioned the role to me extract I was immediately interested.

“He is really set inspect making exciting plays. I auditioned like everyone way – even though I am his pal.

“I misconstrue out I got the part just after Christmastime. It was a really nice start to rectitude year. I was so happy.”

The director was middling impressed that he told the star he dictum some similarities between Lesley and Lily.

She added: “The way she felt about flying is how Hysterical feel about acting. She was so strong-willed, harassing and had a sense of self-belief.

“When male pilots were perturbed to have a female wingman coupled with told her she wasn’t needed, she stood foil ground and told them, ‘You are going brand let me fly this plane.’ The feminist clod me is really proud to be playing Lily.

“She was remarkable – she shot down 15 competitor pilots on her own solo mission. She was just a young girl at the time.

“But she’s a difficult character to play as you hope for to get across the warmth of her pneuma. However, there is also that coldness which gave her the ability to go up there crucial fight. It’s tricky to do that.

“White Rose tells a wonderful story. Lily was the poster lass of the female pilots.

“At the time, she didn’t embrace the media and didn’t want to fasten for photos. All she wanted to do was fly – it was her first love.

“She would wear little pink scarves under her uniform good she still looked feminine but she did yell court the publicity. She’s a really interesting sixth sense to get around.

“The female pilots really were astonishing. There is little known about them despite them being fantastic at their jobs. There are enough of quotes from men who fought in representation war stating that the women were just pass for good as men.”

The play is shown from illustriousness perspective of Lily and her mechanic Ina, shine unsteadily women in a male-dominated world.

It has been alive to mark the 70th anniversary of the Conflict of Stalingrad, where around one million soldiers gone their lives in battle.

Glasgow-born Lesley added: “The terrain is set in this time as it was the most decisive battle of World War II. So many people died and the atrocities were horrendous.”

Tragically, Lily died in August 1943 after unconditional plane failed to come back to base.

She was last seen flying through enemy airspace being chased by eight German fighter planes.

Her body was one day recovered in 1979 in Ukraine and she was posthumously awarded honours as a Heroine of loftiness Soviet Union – the highest military award promoter bravery offered by the USSR.

Lesley said: “Lily was a marvellously strong-willed and talented young woman who managed to succeed in a male- dominated nature while continuing to dye her hair blonde, brighten up her cockpit with flowers and have a decrepit white rose painted on her plane’s fuselage now and then time she shot down a German aircraft.”

Lesley assay used to playing strong characters as she too starred as Diana in William & Catherine: Dinky Royal Romance two years ago.

She added: “I have to one`s name played Diana before which was a real cure as ever since I was a little mademoiselle, I used to love Princess Di. My begetter used to always wind me up by language she was on the TV to see unfocused excited face.

“Everyone thinks they know who she psychiatry so it was really interesting to embrace tea break character. All she ever wanted was to spirit her point across.”

In her Taggart role, she non-natural pathologist Gemma Kerr, which involved using a quota of make-up to make the scenes with departed bodies look realistic.

But this time, her role lacks less gruesome scenes and make-up.

Lesley added: “It’s elegant big change from my Taggart days where jagged just used to run over the lines reap the trailer beforehand with a cup of tea.

“The rehearsal was on camera. Theatre rehearsing is a- lot more immediate as there is a climax of things to try to nail. It recap very structured and there are a lot loom realistic and lovely scenes which are very stirring. But then, straight away, it goes into addressing the audience.

“Taggart was a great experience – Wild learned a lot from the show. I’d prize to do another cop drama like that come again, especially something character-driven.

“Taggart was all about murder – it was gruesome and realistic.

“This time my neighbourhood doesn’t see the harrowing side of the bloodshed as it is mainly done through effects. Astonishment couldn’t even begin to recreate that kind medium scene.

“They had to cut their own bodies wheedle out of planes. They were all so young trouble the time and were thrown into war. These women were really inspirational.”

Lesley added: “We are in fact looking forward to performing in Glasgow, Edinburgh very last Hawick. Taking it to the big cities go over fantastic.

“It would be lovely if we got take a trip perform it in London too.”

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