Vanessa Rosenthal
Vanessa’s most recent stage role is the older Karen Gershon in her own play Karen’s Way (see Home Page). Other recent roles have been at the Royal Exchange, the West Yorkshire Playhouse and in a national tour of The Importance of Being Earnest.
Her TV appearances include Emmerdale, Making Out, Love Among the Artists, Sorrel & Son, and the films Wetherby, and A Boat of Fools.
She's also written four novels and some dozen scripts for BBC Radio.
Radio plays
Vanessa has broadcast well over twenty plays for BBC Radio 4. Bye Bye Miss America High was nominated for the 2001 BAFTA Mental Health Drama Award and in 2003 Exchanges in Bialystok represented Radio Drama at the year’s European Union Script Fair in Helsinki. For Saturday Afternoon Theatre she adapted two of Arthur Schnitzler’s novellas, A Confirmed Bachelor and The Spring Sonata.
No Ice in Weymouth recreated the world of Jane Austen for Woman’s Hour. She also dramatised Jane Sellar’s Letters From My Mother again for Woman’s Hour.
Most recently, Vanessa originated, conceived and wrote almost half of the entire series – Writing the Century – a dramatisation of the history of the 20th Century told through unpublished letters, diaries and memoirs.
Other original titles include Germs Apart; Bottle Blonde and Beautiful; Jerusalem North West; Divided Harvest; Founders Day and Out In The Dark.
Vanessa’s 10-episode adaptation of the Paston Letters – The Paston Letters in the Paston World – was transmitted all over the world.
Vanessa’s adaptation of Hjalmar Soderberg’s Doctor Glas was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on November 4th 2006, with Adam Godley, Lia Williams and Jim Carter in the cast. Vanessa herself played the part of Kristin.
Other Work
Her version of Sleeping Beauty was the Christmas show at the Royal Armouries in 2002. Her novel Jubile was the Runner Up for the Constable Trophy Fiction Prize.
What others have said about Rosenthal’s writing:
“touching and truthful” – Laura Harvey, Literary Director the Stephen Joseph Theatre.
“funny, angry and very recognisable. Watch out for Vanessa Rosenthal she’s a rising star” – Gillian Reynolds, the Independent.
“The characters cover a larger range than one would expect” - Pascal Wyse, the Guardian.
“Beautifully told with dialogue so carefully crafted it carries with it a sense of being overheard” – Peter Barnard, the Times.
See here for Vanessa’s Acting CV
See here for Vanessa’s Writing CV
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