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Patricia Ann Brake, a classically trained English comedy actress, graduated from the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She launched her acting career at the Salisbury Playhouse in 1960. In 1962, she joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, performing alongside renowned actors such as Ian Richardson, Diana Rigg, Judi Dench, James Booth, and Ian Holm.
On television, Brake is best known for her role as Ingrid, Ronnie Barker's on-screen daughter, in Porridge (1974) and its sequel Going Straight (1978). Her blonde, lively appearance and talent for comedy, particularly in cockney roles, led to frequent casting in sitcoms: she played Vicki in Second Time Around (1974), Eth in The Glums (1978), Dolly Delights in Mann's Best Friends (1985)—a tenant in a chaotic boarding house run by Porridge co-star Fulton Mackay—and Cherry in Troubles and Strife (1985). She also appeared in various characters on The Two Ronnies (1971) sketches. Her work in classic literary adaptations includes Lorna Doone (1963) and Nicholas Nickleby (1977), where she portrayed Miss Madeline Bray, Nickleby's love interest and eventual wife.
Brake was also familiar to soap opera audiences, with recurring roles in Emmerdale Farm (1972), Eldorado (1992)—where she met her future second husband during filming in Spain—EastEnders (1985), and Coronation Street (1960).
Her guest appearances extended to shows like The Bill (1984), Midsomer Murders (1997), and the long-running hospital drama Casualty (1986). Until 2002, she remained active on stage, performing in London's West End and at the Theatre Royal in her hometown of Bath, Somerset.
In a 2017 interview, Brake revealed she was an enthusiastic theatre-goer and enjoyed gardening in her free time.
Patricia Brake passed away in May 2022 at the age of 79, following a prolonged battle with cancer.
