An actress who appeared in EastEnders, The Bill and Casualty has died backstage after appearing in a play. Josephine Melville had been starring in Nine Night at Nottingham Playhouse.
The theatre said staff had been left shocked after her death on Thursday, reports the Mirror. Josephine will be known to EastEnders fans for portraying Tessa Parker in the soap's early days in the 1980s.
She also had roles in other TV shows as well as on the stage. In a statement, Nottingham Playhouse described Josephine as a "revered and deeply respected performer".
It said: "We are deeply saddened to announce that last night the actor Josephine Melville, passed away backstage at Nottingham Playhouse following the performance of the play Nine Night, in which she was performing. Josephine’s family have been informed, and our thoughts and deep condolences are with them.
"Josephine received immediate assistance from Nottingham Playhouse first aiders and a medically qualified member of the Nine Night audience. The subsequent very swift arrival of paramedics meant she was quickly and expertly treated, but sadly she passed away at the scene.
"Nine Night is a co-production between Leeds Playhouse and Nottingham Playhouse. The entire company, and staff at both theatres are in a state of shock. 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."
Chief Executive of Nottingham Playhouse, Stephanie Sirr, said: “We send our love and condolences to Jo’s family and friends. 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.”
Chief Executive and Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse, James Brining said the theatre was "truly honoured to work with her" and was "doing everything" it could to support Josephine's family and theatre staff.
According to IMDB, Josephine was an assistant director on a short film last year, and assistant producer on a short in the same year.
One person who saw Josephine in Nine Night said on Twitter that she was a "wonderfully funny and talented actress" and a "brilliant Aunt Maggie".
