Patricia Shakesby (born 6 November 1942) is an English actress and playwright whose career spans television and the stage. She is widely remembered for playing Polly Urquhart in the BBC drama Howards' Way and as Susan Cunningham, an original cast member of the long-running ITV soap Coronation Street. Her work across genres has made her a recognizable figure in British television from the 1960s through the 1980s and beyond.

Shakesby was born in Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and her early life in that region helped shape her entry into performance. She trained and worked in regional theatre before moving into television roles, a common path for many British actors of her generation. The combination of stage discipline and early screen experience positioned her for parts in both serial drama and prime-time series.

One of her first notable television appearances was with the ensemble of Coronation Street, where she portrayed Susan Cunningham. The character served as an early romantic interest for the young Ken Barlow (Ken Barlow) and contributed to the domestic storylines that established the soap's tone. Being part of the programme’s original cast linked Shakesby to a major milestone in British television history.

In the 1980s she reached a new generation of viewers as Polly Urquhart in Howards' Way, a BBC serial about business, family and yachting culture. Polly became one of the memorable figures in that ensemble, demonstrating Shakesby’s ability to move between soap-style realism and more melodramatic prime-time drama. Outside those two high-profile roles she continued to take character parts in television and to appear in theatre productions.

Alongside acting, Shakesby has worked as a playwright. Her dramatic interests reflect a performer’s understanding of dialogue and character, and she has written material for smaller venues and for colleagues in the theatre community. This facet of her career illustrates a common crossover among actors who translate stage experience into written work for performance.

Selected roles and notes

  • Susan Cunningham — original cast member, Coronation Street (early 1960s)
  • Polly Urquhart — prominent role in the BBC drama Howards' Way (1980s)
  • Acting and playwriting work across regional theatre and television; born in Cottingham

Patricia Shakesby’s career is often cited as an example of an actor who successfully bridged popular serial television and the theatre. Her presence in the inaugural era of one soap and in the later era of a popular BBC serial gives her a distinctive place in the landscape of British screen performers. For more on the shows and characters associated with her work, see programme histories and cast lists linked to their respective archives and fan resources.