Jenny Runacre Director

Jenny was born in Cape Town, South Africa. She relocated to London as a child, attended The Actor's Workshop there, and trained in the Stanislavski System.

While attending the Actor's Workshop, Jenny was approached by fellow student (and future agent) Tom Busby, who was working as a runner for an American film production that was seeking fledgling English actresses to play opposite John Cassavetes in Husbands, a movie to be shot the following year in London. The young actress auditioned with Cassavetes, Ben Gazzara and Peter Falk, and was told six weeks later that she was being offered the part of Mary Tynan in the movie. Jenny accepted the offer and Husbands became her first important film role.

Jenny then joined the original London cast of Oh! Calcutta!. She left the cast after a year and starred in such films as Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Canterbury Tales, John Huston's The Mackintosh Man, Robert Fuest's The Final Programme, Michelangelo Antonioni's The Passenger, and Derek Jarman's Jubilee (in which she starred as Elizabeth I and "Bod"). She was active in the theatre as well as on British television, including a part in the noted series Brideshead Revisited, playing Brenda Champion.

Jenny focused on higher education in the 1990s. She has a Master's in Fine Art Practice from Central Saint Martin's College of Art and Design. She is currently a lecturer in residence in Art, and has worked in installation art and experimental filmmaking.

In 2007 Jenny directed Gareth Parker and Andrew Swann's Frozen, which was nominated for Best Direction, Best Writing and Best Overall Production in the LOST Theatre Festival. The production, starring Jack Bowman (Crossroads) and Josephine Hart came second overall. Runacre also directed the Wireless Theatre Company's audio adaption of Frozen after its successful stage run, featuring the original cast.

In 2008 Jenny made her Edinburgh Fringe directing debut with Gullibility Factor by Peter Yates.

More recently she appeared in John Maybury's The Edge of Love released Summer 2008.

Her latest film is Boogie Woogie [Duncan Ward]  which premieres at the Edinburgh Film Festival concurrently with 14 SECONDS at the Fringe.

As Elizabeth in derek Jarman's Jubilee [1977]

As Miss Brunner in The Final Programme [1975]

Jenny's Filmography:

1. Boogie Woogie (2009/I) .... Mrs. Havermeyer
2. The Edge of Love (2008) .... Woman in Yellow Dress
   
   
3. Restoration (1995) .... Painter Lady
4. The Witches (1990) .... Elsie
5. "Taggart" .... Countess von Aschenberg (1 episode, 1990)
       - Love Knot (1990) TV episode .... Countess von Aschenberg
   
   
6. That Englishwoman (1989) .... Lany Hobhouse
7. "Call Me Mister" .... Zoe Matthews (1 episode, 1986)
       - Running Time (1986) TV episode .... Zoe Matthews
8. "Lovejoy" .... Sandra (1 episode, 1986)
       - The Real Thing (1986) TV episode .... Sandra
9. "The Optimist" (1 episode, 1985)
       - The Double (1985) TV episode
10. Shadey (1985) .... Shop assistant
11. "Play for Today" .... Peach (1 episode, 1984)
        - Only Children (1984) TV episode .... Peach
12. "Brideshead Revisited" .... Brenda Champion (2 episodes, 1981)
        - Julia (1981) TV episode .... Brenda Champion
        - The Bleak Light of Day (1981) TV episode .... Brenda Champion
13. Hussy (1980) .... Vere
    
    
14. The Lady Vanishes (1979) .... Mrs. Todhunter
15. "The Sweeney" .... Sharon (1 episode, 1978)
        - The Bigger They Are (1978) TV episode .... Sharon
16. Jubilee (1978) .... Queen Elizabeth I / Bod
17. The Duellists (1977) .... Mme. de Lionne
18. Spectre (1977) (TV) .... Sydna
19. "Romance" .... Nemesis (1 episode, 1977)
        - The Black Knight (1977) TV episode .... Nemesis
20. Joseph Andrews (1977) .... The Gypsy
21. Three Dangerous Ladies (1977) .... Mrs. Santander (segment "The Island")
22. "The New Avengers" .... Irene Brandon (1 episode, 1976)
    ... aka "Chapeau melon et bottes de cuir" (France: dubbed version)
    ... aka "The New Avengers in Canada" (Canada: English title: last season title)
        - The Tale of the Big Why (1976) TV episode .... Irene Brandon
23. Professione: reporter (1975) .... Rachel Locke
    ... aka The Passenger (International: English title) (UK)
    ... aka El reportero (Spain)
    ... aka Profession: reporter (France)
24. All Creatures Great and Small (1975) (TV) .... Pamela
    ... aka All Things Great and Small
25. Son of Dracula (1974) .... Woman in Black
    ... aka Count Downe (UK)
    ... aka Young Dracula
26. L'évasion de Hassan Terro (1974)
27. "Once Upon a Time" .... Dandini (1 episode, 1973)
        - Buttons (1973) TV episode .... Dandini
28. The MacKintosh Man (1973) .... Gerda
29. The Creeping Flesh (1973) .... Marguerite Hildern
30. The Final Programme (1973) .... Miss Brunner
    ... aka The Last Days of Man on Earth (USA)
31. I racconti di Canterbury (1972) .... Alison
    ... aka Les contes de Canterbury (France)
    ... aka The Canterbury Tales (USA)
32. Dyn Amo (1972) .... 1st Girl
    ... aka Dynamo
33. Husbands (1970) .... Mary Tynan
    ... aka Husbands: A Comedy About Life, Death and Freedom (USA: complete title)
    
    
34. Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1969)
    

Self:

• 2000s
• 1980s

1. Jubilee: A Time Less Golden (2003) (V) .... Herself
   
   
2. The Alternative Miss World (1980) .... Miss Slightly Misanthropic
   ... aka Gay Confessions (UK: reissue title)
   ... aka I Wanna Be a Beauty Queen (USA: video title)