Shirley (2011)
3.3 of 5 from 46 ratings
1h 10min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
Drama charting the rise to fame of singer Dame Shirley Bassey (Ruth Negga). Born in Cardiff's Tiger Bay to a white mother (Lesley Sharp) and Nigerian father (Babou Ceesay), Shirley is the youngest of eight children in a family living well below the poverty line. By the time she is a toddler, the family have moved to the all white area of Splott. Shirley takes no prisoners when faced with racist taunts and the stares of local kids. By the time she is 12, Shirley (Amira Arish) has discovered she has an extraordinary voice and can earn money singing in pubs around the docks. By the age of 15, she is already singing and dancing in 'coloured review shows' popular in the 1950s. But it is a chance meeting with struggling agent Mike Sullivan (Charlie Creed-Miles) that changes Shirley's life forever. He promises to make her a star, but has no idea of the personal sacrifice that will mean for the teenaged Shirley. Sullivan controls every aspect of Shirley's career, guiding her to success. When she meets and falls in love with young film producer Kenneth Hume (Henry Lloyd-Hughes), the relationship between Shirley and her mentor is tested to the limit. Oblivious to rumours about Hume's sexuality, the two marry and the power struggle between the two men for control over Shirley's life threatens to destroy her. - Actors:
- Ruth Negga, Lesley Sharp, Babou Ceesay, Victoria Pugh, Isaiah Cai Forrest, Larissa Wilson, Jack Llewellyn, Amira Arish, Danny Sapani, Charlie Creed-Miles, Colin Mace, Jeany Spark, Matthew Marsh, Di Botcher, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Geraint Wyn Todd, Divine Faith Utonga, Jonathan Rhodes, Helen Evans, Alex Grills
- Directors:
- Colin Teague
- Producers:
- Katherine Lannon
- Writers:
- Shelagh Stephenson
- Genres:
- Drama
