Sheila White

Sheila Susan White (18 October 1948 – 7 September 2018) was an English film, television and stage actress. Early life and career Sheila White was born in London. She began her career at the age of 12 as a member of Terry's Juveniles in the pantomime Cinderella at the Golders Green Hippodrome, starring Arthur Askey. This led to three years in the London production of The Sound of Music at the Palace Theatre, playing firstly Brigitta and then Louisa von Trapp. She then became a student at the Corona Stage School in Hammersmith, West London. White made her television debut at the age of sixteen in an episode of The Wednesday Play with Geraldine McEwan in 1965. A theatre tour of Counter Crime followed, then the musical tour of The Roar of the Greasepaint—the Smell of the Crowd starring Norman Wisdom and Willoughby Goddard, written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley in which she played one of the urchins alongside Elaine Paige, with choreography by Gillian Lynne. White's major break came playing the part of Eileen in the musical On the Level at the Saville Theatre. She was taken out of the chorus and the song "Bleep – Bleep" was written especially for her as a solo feature. This led to her being cast as Bet, Nancy's best friend in the film version of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver! (1968). She accompanied Shani Wallis as Nancy and Mark Lester as Oliver in the songs "It's a Fine Life" and "I'd Do Anything".