Cast & creator
Rita May
Best known for Play for Today, Heartbeat, Last of the Summer Wine
Rita May is an English film and television actress, singer, and writer, best known for playing Mrs Kemp in Threads, Jean in Early Doors and Margaret in Trollied. She's also the only original cast remember who appeared in all episodes of the children's ITV drama series "Children's Ward" from 1989 to 2000.
18
film credits
17
television credits
31
1970–2025 · acting roles
7.1
average across scored titles
Signature credits
Known for
Across film & television
Filmography (35)
Showing 35 of 35 credits
Play for Today
Writer
1970
Heartbeat
Mrs. Nelly Sneddon
1992
Last of the Summer Wine
Celia
1973
Playhouse
Writer
1974
Shakespeare & Hathaway - Private Investigators
Emilia Merchant
2018
Hetty Wainthropp Investigates
Supermarket Shopper
1996
Children's Ward
Mags
1989
Trollied
Margaret
2011
Fat Friends
Joan Kirk
2000
Ackley Bridge
Julie "Nana" Booth
2017
The Syndicate
Nanna
2012
Red Riding
Aunty Win
2009
Edge of Darkness
Tea Lady
1985
Early Doors
Jean Dixon
2003
Threads
Mrs. Kemp
1984
Everybody's Talking About Jamie
Mrs. Cardwell
2021
In the Loop
Mrs Michaelson
2009
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1974
Aunty Win
2009
Sunshine
Doreen
2008
The Gathering Seed
Martha Kilbride
1983
When Saturday Comes
Mabel
1996
Sharpe's Justice
Mrs. Trent
1997
Walk Like a Panther
Mabel Higgins
2018
Survivors: The Spectre of Threads
Self
2025
The Royal
Aunt Mary Graham
2003
Fanny & Elvis
Rick's Mother
1999Scab
Janice
1987
England's Greens and Peasant Land
Pat
1982England's Greens and Peasant Land
Writer
1982
One Hundred and Eighty!!!
Writer
1981
The Price of Coal, Part 1: Meet the People
Kath Storey
1977
The Price of Coal, Part 2: Back to Reality
Kath Storey
1977
Nits
Nan
2004
Looks and Smiles
Receptionist
1981
The Gamekeeper
Mary
1980