Main content

From Waynetta Slob to West End darling: Kathy Burke in quotes

18 January 2018

Kathy Burke was initially typecast as ‘the funny fat one’, but her talent, intellect and ambition went way beyond that. As her theatre production of Lady Windermere’s Fan opens, and she approaches genuine National Treasure status, we share ten quotes on acting and her love of directing.

Jennifer Saunders, back on the West End stage for the first time in 20 years, guests in Burke’s version of Oscar Wilde’s once shocking Victorian comedy. Doubtless Saunders is repaying an old debt; Burke played fast-talking fashion editor Magda in her Absolutely Fabulous series and also joined French and Saunders for their Bananarama sketch.

Burke has consistently spun comedy gold from seemingly base metal, such as Waynetta Slob in Harry Enfield's Television Programme and and brattish teenager Perry in Harry Enfield and Chums - plus the feature film spin-off Kevin & Perry Go Large. She then wrong-footed public and critics alike by winning the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 for her role as an oppressed wife to a violent alcoholic in Gary Oldman’s grim feature Nil By Mouth.

Now, believing that real power over your career comes with writing and directing, she has established herself as a theatre and television director of note. She also collects first edition books - and is eminently quotable.

More Oscar Wilde on Front Row

Kathy Burke (right) in Scrubbers, directed by Mai Zetterling, 1983 | Photo: Moviestore Collection Ltd | Alamy Images

Mai Zetterling gave me great advice: ‘You need to be strong. You need to not just be an actress, you should write, you should direct, you need to get power and that’s the only way you’ll get power and some control in your career.’

Kathy Burke as Waynetta Slob, 1990 | BBC Two
In fact, I didn’t realise I was ‘unattractive’ – in inverted commas – until I started acting. It was, ‘Oh no, you’re not right for the part – we’re looking for a pretty girl’.

Kathy Burke as Perry in Harry Enfield and Chums, 1994 | BBC Two
There was such snobbery, because now I was suddenly this serious actress, people couldn’t believe I was then going to do the Kevin and Perry movie. I should have been going off to America… and I was like, but Perry’s the best part I’ve ever played! And he’s mine! He belongs to me! So I’m never going to get a greater acting role than Perry.

(L-R) Chinese director Wong Kar-Wai, Kathy Burke, Sean Penn, John Travolta, Catherine Deneuve and Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami at Cannes, 1997 | Photo: Image Electronique | AFP | Patrick Hertzog | Getty Images
Until Nil By Mouth, I'd always felt in control of my own career. Then, when you're in a successful film, you're wanted for other films, which is nice – but before I knew it, I didn't have any control and I wasn't seeing family and friends. What should have been a really happy time was affecting my personal life. It also took me away from theatre, which is what I love most.

Kathy Burke in 1997 | Photo: Allstar Picture Library | Alamy Images
The thing with me is that I’m quite arrogant. I’ve got faith in my own talent and I always have. And if anyone turned around and said to me, ‘You’re never going to work again’, I used to say, ‘I will’.

Kathy Burke as Linda in Gimme Gimme Gimme, 2001 | BBC Two
We had a great time doing Gimme Gimme Gimme... but the critics absolutely hated it.

Catherine Tate as Nan in 2010 | Photo: Dave M. Benett | Getty Images
I had completely given up acting, but when I got the call, it was impossible to resist. I love Nan – who doesn't?
On appearing in Catherine Tate's 2007 Christmas special

Kathy Burke in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, 2011 | Photo: Jack English © Focus Features, courtesy Everett Collection | Alamy Images
Who wants to get up at five every morning? I did four days on Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and by the end of it, I was bored. I thought, 'I'm over this now. Let's go home. I've met Colin Firth, and he's lovely. Now, where are the sandwiches?’

Amy Morgan, Molly Logan and Katherine Rose Morley as Marys McGinty, Mooney and Gallagher in Once a Catholic, 2013 | Photo: Tristram Kenton | Guardian Images
As a director you choose your team. There were four very young girls in Once a Catholic. I could choose who played the male characters. I didn’t want anyone perving over the girls. That’s very important to me.

Jennifer Saunders in rehearsals for Kathy Burke's Lady Windermere’s Fan. Image courtesy of Classic Spring Theatre Company
I just didn't get a buzz from acting any more, so I made the decision to focus on directing.

Lady Windermere’s Fan, directed by Kathy Burke, is on at the Vaudeville Theatre until 7 April 2018. For more information visit Classic Spring.

More from Front Row

More from BBC Arts