Patricia Greene

Archers actress Patricia Greene is castaway by Kirsty Young.

For nearly 60 years she's played the role of Jill in BBC Radio 4’s The Archers which celebrates its 65th anniversary on January 1st 2016. Over the decades the storylines have followed her character through one marriage, four children and since 2010, widowhood.

Born in Derby in 1931, Paddy’s love of acting began early on inspired by her father who was a keen amateur actor. As an only and independent child she was surrounded by the adult world and would often eavesdrop as she hid under the kitchen table. Her parents loved entertainment and would take her to the cinema every week to see Hollywood romances or comedies.

After attending a grammar school she went to the Central School of Speech and Drama in London in 1951. She wanted to be a classical actress, but then a phone call from the Archers production office changed her career path and she joined the cast initially on a six week contract in 1957. Her character Jill went onto marry the farmer Phil Archer, and is still there with a recent storyline seeing her return to Brookfield, the family farm.

Patricia has been married twice and was widowed in 1986. She was awarded an MBE in 2007.

DISC ONE: Brush Up Your Shakespeare - Emil Wolk & John Bardon
DISC TWO: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 - London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Bernard Haitink
DISC THREE: En Aranjuez Con Tu Amor - Grimethorpe Colliery Band
DISC FOUR: Nat King Cole - Unforgettable
DISC FIVE: Test Match Special – “Leg Over” Commentary, 9/8/1991
DISC SIX: Charles Trenet - Boum!
DISC SEVEN: Puccini - La Boheme- “Yes, they call me Mimì” - Kiri Te Kanawa & the London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Kent Nagano
DISC EIGHT: Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43 (4th Movement) - Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan

CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: Vienna Philharmonic, conducted by Herbert von Karajan - Sibelius’s Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43 (4th Movement)
BOOK CHOICE: Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett
LUXURY CHOICE: A sack of bird food

Producer: Cathy Drysdale

First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in December 2015.