Jean Faulds

born December 13, 1913,

died on October 6, 2000

With the passing of Jean Faulds the Scottish theatre has lost a well-known and much-loved figure, who was involved in a wide variety of dramatic productions over a period of almost 70 years.

At an early age she showed a keen interest in the stage, and this would remain with her for the rest of her long life. After training in speech and drama in Glasgow and London, she began her career in premises in Woodside Terrace at what was called the Curtain Theatre, which would eventually, under the auspices of John Stewart, develop into the Pitlochry Theatre.

She enjoyed a happy, but too short, marriage with Gordon Wilkinson; as their family of three girls - Anne, Doreen, and Judith - grew up, she established a connection with the BBC

that would continue throughout her career.

Her marriage was sadly cut short by her husband's death in 1962, after which she made the big and courageous decision to return to theatre work, a brave choice since she had been absent from this sphere of activity for a number of years. But she made a notable success of it, and would become a familiar figure in various aspects of drama-stage, film, radio, and television, appearing in a long succession of TV dramas, from Sunset Song to A Square Mile of Murder, from Five Red Herrings to High Road, as well as parts in theatres up and down the land.

In all this remarkable catalogue of achievement, the secret of which lay in her enthusiasm for her work, and the con-

summate professionalism she brought to it - she enjoyed the consistent support of her family, who took unaffected pleasure in her successes.

And she never really gave it up. Some years ago she had to seek medical advice, and her consultant suggested she might pay a return visit, and gave her a date. She said she was sorry that would not suit, as she was to be working that day. As she was then in her early eighties, the doctor's incredulous surprise is perhaps understandable.

All in all, she was a remarkable personality: courageous, determined, resourceful, immensely talented. But there were deeper things: her constant commitment to the welfare of her family, her devotion to her daughters and their children, to whom she was a loving mother and grandmother, and finally greatgrandmother. She never let her professional engagements interfere with the priorities of home life. And she was well versed in the things of the spiritual side of life: a love of music and art, literature, and poetry - especially the works of Burns - and a deep and thoughtful religious faith that was reflected in her character.

And above all, Jean Wilkinson had a great capacity for friendship. She loved human company, and both gave and received so much enjoyment in sharing fellowship. She was always great fun to be with: her sense of humour, her often hilarious reminiscences, laughter was never far away when she was around her, always stimulating opinions. Nor were her friendships superficial or passing - she kept them right on into old age and a large number of people have had their lives enriched by being touch by hers.

She is survived by her three daughters and their families; and she will be remembered as a highly talented professional and a very warm-hearted human being.

Jean was often in demand for networked television drama of the ''Armchair Theatre'' standard, and for major BBC Scotland drama on radio as well as television writes Gordon Irving.

On the lighter side, she could handle many a bright role in comedy shows such as ''Rab C

Nesbitt'', Stanley Baxter comedies, and the Para Handy series. She worked with most of the leading performers in Scotland, among them the late Duncan Macrae, Jimmy Logan, and

Rikki Fulton.

A strong face and acute observation of character were among her assets, and few could play better the strong-minded, wilful Scottish woman of last century.

The popular appeal of present-day soap opera on television is shown in the fact that, in her native Scotland, Faulds is well remembered more recently for her portrayal of a deaf, mis-understood villager Mrs MacTaggart in the Scottish Television serial High Road. She gave to that portrayal the same sensitive treatment with which she enhanced her many heavier, serious roles.