Celia Bannerman is a renowned British actress and stage director, born to Hugh and Hilda Bannerman (née Diamond). She honed her craft at the prestigious London Drama Centre, making her theatrical debut as Juliet in a 1965 production of Romanoff and Juliet.
The following year, Bannerman appeared as Dolly in Shaw's 'You Never Can Tell' at London's Haymarket Theatre. From the mid-1970s, she acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC),most recently appearing as Phoebe in 'As You Like It' in 2023. In 1978, she became Staff Director at Olivier's Royal National Theatre, and from 1981 to 1983, she held the position of Associate Director of the Bristol Old Vic.
Bannerman's extensive television credits include Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice (1967),Lady Diana Russell in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971),Rachel Paterson in The Tamarind Seed (1974),and Celia in As You Like It (1992). She has been associated with Christine Edzard and Sands Films since 1983, starring in the title role of Biddy (1983),a kindly Victorian nursery maid.
Bannerman has also acted in Sands productions Little Dorrit (1987) and The Land Girls (1998),as well as serving as casting director for Little Dorrit, The Fool (1990),As You Like It, and A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia (1992). She has worked as a Children's Acting Coach for the BBC and as an acting/dialogue coach for children on the motion pictures Seven Years in Tibet (1997),Two Brothers (2004),and Nanny McPhee (2005).
Furthermore, Bannerman has tutored at prominent acting institutions, including R.A.D.A., The Drama Centre, and the Guildford School of Acting. Her impressive portfolio also includes working as an acting coach and casting director for Warner Brothers, including the first Harry Potter film, and Disney's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005).
