Scottish actress who appeared in Series 2 Knightmare as Gretel and as the first Oracle of Confusion. She may also have voiced the cavern wraith encountered by Team 9 of Series 2. Her acting showreel can be viewed on Vimeo here.

Audrey was born to Audrey and Eddie Jenkinson, becoming a younger sibling to Haig and Fiona (who later made Audrey a three-times aunt). Grew up in Edinburgh. Watched Bill And Ben and Camberwick Green as a child. Her father worked as the local evening newspaper's sports editor. She would later describe herself as 'the girl from Leith who had dreamt of going to London and getting a part on television.'

Aged around 10, Audrey dreamt of a life in the circus. Her desire to perform later took her towards acting instead.

Aged 16, Audrey studied in the Scottish Youth Theatre in Stirling. During this time, Audrey's mother had a minor stroke. She suffered another when Audrey was 17.

Aged 19, Audrey spent the summer after her first year of drama school in the USA, doing 'summer stock theatre'. Her 'claim to fame was having been a Magic Mouse and a runaway hen!' Upon returning home, she learnt that her father had had treatment for cancer.

1980s:

Audrey appeared in four episodes of Take The High Road, a Scottish soap.

Having graduated from drama school, Audrey moved to London, pursuing her acting career.
'After a slow start in London, life is going well. I have played a damsel in distress in a new children's series [i.e. Gretel], a tarty barmaid in a BBC play, then straight to Panto [Cinderella at the Tewkesbury Theatre].' While spending Christmas Day with her boyfriend's family in Wiltshire, Audrey learnt that her mother had suffered a severe stroke, leaving her unable to speak and paralysed down her right side.

When her pantomime tenure ended in January, Audrey returned home, spending 5 months caring for her mother. Thereafter she spent alternating fortnights in London and Edinburgh.

1990s:


Audrey starred in BBC series Trainer as 'rough 'n' tumble stable-girl' Mo Ratcliffe. Filming took place in Berkshire. In her first episode, she was thrown into a heap of dung. Back in Scotland, her father was admitted to hospital after his cancer returned.

In 1991, Audrey's father died, aged 63. During two month's holiday from Trainer, Audrey spent time on the Greek island of Aegina, where she drew attention when she was spotted dancing cathartically in the nude. (Ironic, perhaps, for a woman whose name is an anagram of 'enjoys naked ruin', as noted by a Knightmare fan.)

In October, filming of Trainer ended. Audrey and her mother holidayed in Portugal for three weeks. On the return flight, Audrey Snr. suffered a suspected stroke, and after a month in hospital required 24-hour care.

Around New Year, Audrey's mother had a heart attack, and spent close to a month in hospital. This was followed by another heart attack at the end of February, and another two months in hospital. Audrey returned to Berkshire for Trainer Series 2, and 'settled into a routine of filming and phoning home.'

October 1992: On Audrey Snr.'s suggestion, she and her daughter took a cruise, which included a visit to Naples. Audrey Snr.'s heart was weakened by another attack during the cruise; but determined to make the most of her remaining time on holiday and on Earth, refused to stay in the ship's hospital any longer than she had to.

In 1993, Audrey's mother died, aged 60. Audrey moved to a houseboat named Ondine in Henley-on-Thames to give herself a hedonistic year out. She would later relate how she "went away to a part of the country where I didn't know anyone. I was numb; I was saturated; I knew I had to stop and wanted to go away and shrug off any responsibility, any pressure."

By the age of 30, Audrey was 'out of retreat' but still dealing with tremendous grief and inadequacy, and was living with 6 Australians in a London basement flat she would refer to as her 'dungeon'. She dated a management consultant from California.

At one point, Audrey's loss of self-esteem extended to her face, exacerbated by seeing herself on TV; and the woman who, as Gretel, once demanded to know if dungeoneer Julian thought she was pretty, ended up visiting Harley Street and having minor rhinoplasty. She regretted the decision in retrospect, and a friend dissuaded her from having more.

Later, Audrey 'bought a Rough Guide and a backpack and set off on a long journey to Australia, Los Angeles, New York, searching. I swapped Henley for the New York Hudson, where a cat called Scotty and I lived on a blue-and-white rickety houseboat through two suffocating summers and a blue ice winter.' Unable to boost her confidence, Audrey returned to Scotland and bought a flat close to her family. Continuing to feel lost, she finally hit upon the idea of writing a book about life after caring, and having sent letters to a number of celebrities seeking support, received several encouraging replies. She also returned to stage after a gap of 7 years - though at the time of writing, her last screen acting credit to date on IMdB is an appearance in C15: The Professionals (Episode 12, broadcast 12/12/1999) - and began a new relationship. She would later reflect that 'to my amazement I began to care again. I uncovered love. I recovered my roots and though two people less, there was my family.' In a sentiment mildly reminiscent of dungeoneering, Audrey also 'came to know that in being lost, we find.'
In 2003, Audrey's book, Past Caring, was published, followed by a second edition in 2004. The first self-help guide for former carers, it contains the fruits of many nationwide interviews conducted by Audrey in person and by correspondence, as well as details of her own experiences. Audrey complemented the book by giving interviews to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and (as mentioned above) to The Guardian newspaper. All three are sources for the facts and quotations in this, IKM Lexicon Definition #1000.

[Earlier version: 2009-09-20 19:30:30]

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