Josephine Melville: Ex-EastEnders actress dies backstage after play

Actress, manager and writer Josephine Melville has died backstage aft performing successful a play.

Nottingham Playhouse said Ms Melville died connected Thursday aft appearing successful a accumulation of Nine Night.

The venue said she was treated by paramedics and a medically qualified assemblage subordinate but died astatine the scene.

Born successful Essex, her acting credits included parts successful EastEnders, The Bill and Casualty on with respective theatre roles.

She portrayed Tessa Parker successful EastEnders during the 1980s and earlier this twelvemonth appeared successful the video for Ella Henderson's azygous Brave.

Nottingham Playhouse paid tribute to the histrion and described her arsenic a "wonderful and well-loved person".

In a connection the venue said: "We are profoundly saddened to denote that past nighttime the histrion Josephine Melville, passed distant backstage astatine Nottingham Playhouse pursuing the show of the play Nine Night, successful which she was performing.

"Josephine's household person been informed, and our thoughts and heavy condolences are with them."

All remaining performances of Nine Night astatine the venue person been cancelled.

Nottingham Playhouse's main enforcement Stephanie Sirr said: "We nonstop our emotion and condolences to Jo's household and friends.

"On a profoundly tragic and highly hard evening we privation to wage tribute to the institution of Nine Night and to the full Nottingham Playhouse squad who managed the concern with empathy and professionalism."