Louise Gold (b. August 19, 1956) is a performer of stage and screen who trained at the Arts Educational School. She has worked extensively in British musical theater, and has been a recurring puppeteer in various Muppet productions since the 1970s. Her most well-known characters are Annie Sue and Funella Furchester.
Her first work with the Muppets was on The Muppet Show, becoming its only British on-screen talent. She began primarily doing voices for characters that would be manipulated by other puppeteers. Her first work was a recording of "Chanson D'Amour" for episode 204, sung in three-part harmony.[1]
While on The Muppet Show, she frequently worked as assistant to Jim Henson when performing characters that would require more than one person. She has also been teamed with Jerry Nelson often times over the years in various productions, especially for musical numbers. She commented on this, saying: "I guess people think we sound good together!"[2]
In the Muppet Show Fan Club newsletter (Volume 3, No 1, 1981), the 5'9" tall performer described the hiring process: "They were looking for a girl strong enough and tall enough to manipulate the puppets. I think I was chosen for my size, not my talent!"
As a puppeteer, she went on to become a founding member of the team behind the satirical TV show Spitting Image.
Some of her stage credits (as a singer actress in musical theater) include Tanya in Mamma Mia, Mrs Doasyouwouldbedoneby in The Waterbabies, Baroness Bomburst in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Miss Andrew in Mary Poppins, and Mrs. Sowerberry/Mrs. Bedwin in Oliver!.
As a cabaret performer she has attempted to bring together both strands of her career, particularly in her own cabaret act LOUISE GOLD...By Appointment.
In August of 2010, she led the Jim Henson's Camden walk. In the February 2013 issue of Empire, James Bobin confirmed that Louise Gold would perform in Muppets Most Wanted and that her character Annie Sue would be in the movie (though her character had no featured lines in the final edit of the film).
Muppet/Henson Credits
for a complete character gallery, see Louise Gold characters
- The Muppet Show: Annie Sue and others...
- The Great Muppet Caper: Additional Muppet Performer
- The Muppets Go to the Movies: Popcorn Girl
- The Dark Crystal: Gourmand Skeksis (puppetry only)
- The Tale of the Bunny Picnic: Mother
- The Ghost of Faffner Hall: Fughetta Faffner
- The Muppet Christmas Carol: Mrs. Dilber, Cockney Woman
- Sesame Street (Seasons 23, 24, 25, and 27): see Louise Gold characters#Sesame Street
- The Secret Life of Toys: Hortense, Raisin, Daffodil
- The Animal Show: Bunnie Bear, Tizzy, Rhonda Rat, and others...
- Muppet Treasure Island: Additional Muppet Performer
- Alice in Wonderland: Guinea Pigs, Flowers
- Animal Farm: Mabel the chicken (voice only)
- Mopatop's Shop: Meesey Mouse, Princess Lulabelle, Phoebe the Fortune Teller, Shula the Shark
- Muppets Most Wanted: Annie Sue, Kangaroo
- That Puppet Game Show
- The Furchester Hotel: Funella Furchester, The Countess, and others...
- The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance
See also
Sources
- ↑ The Barretta Brothers Episode #43 Feb 14, 2021
- ↑ "Loud, Left-handed and Lovely" by Emma Shane