Fiona Button

Fiona Button is an English actress. She is best known for playing Rose Defoe in The Split.

Fiona Button
Born	Lausanne, Switzerland
Nationality	English
Alma mater	Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art University of Birmingham
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2007–present
Spouse	Henry Fleet ​ (m. 2014)​
Children	1

Early years and education

Button was born in Lausanne, Switzerland.^[1] She grew up in Newbury, Berkshire where she attended Park House School and the sixth form of St. Bartholomew's School. She studied drama at the University of Birmingham before enrolling at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 2007. She made her professional stage debut at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury aged 10 in the Wizard of Oz.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Television

After graduating, Button played parts in Midsomer Murders and The Bill. In 2008, she played Lucy Bedford in The Palace. From 2010 to 2012 she played Tess Roberts in two series of Lip Service. From 2014 to 2016 she played Jennifer Chambers in series 1 and 2 of Grantchester. In 2018, she was cast as Rose Defoe in the BBC series The Split.

Button has made guest appearances in How Not to Live Your Life, Outcasts, Foyle's War, Cardinal Burns, Pramface, You, Me and the Apocalypse and as Vera in My Mother and Other Strangers.

Theatre

Button made her West End debut in 2007 in Rock 'n' Roll by Tom Stoppard playing young Esme and Alice. In 2009 she appeared in Madame de Sade for the Donmar Warehouse opposite Judi Dench and Rosamund Pike, then as Sonya in Vanya at the Gate Theatre. In 2010 she played Rachel in the original cast of Posh at the Royal Court Theatre,^[2] then Mabel Chiltern in An Ideal Husband at the Vaudeville Theatre.^[3]

In 2013 Button originated the role of Wendy in Wendy and Peter Pan for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Written by Ella Hickson, it is a feminist reimagining of Barrie's original novel, putting Wendy 'the girl who would grow up' in the spotlight.^[4] The show became a sell out hit and the production was revived in 2015.

In 2014 Button went on to play Annabella in 'Tis Pity She's a Whore at the Globe Theatre. Dominic Maxwell from The Times said of her performance, "Button has the ability to transmit the knottiest thoughts from behind an easy, poised demeanour. She is an exceptional performer."^[5]

In 2016 she played Stef in They Drink It in the Congo at the Almeida Theatre. In 2018 she played Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest in the West End.^[6]

Personal life

Button lives in London and has been married to screenwriter Henry Fleet since 2014. In 2017, their daughter, Fordy, was born.^[7]

Filmography

Key

Denotes projects that have not yet been released

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2012	We'll Take Manhattan	Lavinia	TV film
2015	Bugsplat!	Gina McCutcheon	TV film
2018	The Importance of Being Earnest	Cecily Cardew
2021	No One Is Talking About This	Storyteller	Short film
2022	Fishermen's Friends 2: Bound for South Australia	Petra	Post-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007	The Bill	Susie Matthews	Episode: "Behind Closed Doors"
	Midsomer Murders	Willow McKinley	Episode: "The Axeman Cometh"
2008	The Palace	Lucy Bedford	Recurring role; 5 episodes
2010	How Not to Live Your Life	Jenny	Episode: "Don's Angry Girlfriend"
2010-2012	Lip Service	Tess Roberts	Series regular; 12 episodes
2011	Outcasts	Trix	Episode: "Series 1, Episode 3"
2012	Cardinal Burns	Various roles	Series regular; 5 episodes
2013	Pramface	Gaby	Episode: "The Edge of Hell"
	Foyle's War	Mary Nelson	Episode: "Sunflower"
2014-2016	Grantchester	Jennifer Chambers	Recurring role; 3 episodes
2015	You, Me and the Apocalypse	Skye	Recurring role; 2 episodes
2016	My Mother and Other Strangers	Vera Curtis	Episode: "Vera"
2018-2022	The Split	Rose	Series regular; 17 episodes
2019	Flack	Annie	Episode: "Anthony"
2020	Out of Her Mind	Lucy	Series regular; 6 episodes
2021	Trying	Sky	Episode: "Big Heads"

Theatre credits

Year	Title	Role	Venue	Ref
2007	The Lesson	Claire	Arcola Theatre, London	^[8]
	World's End	Kat	The Pleasance, Edinburgh	^[9]
	Rock 'n' Roll	Alice/Young Esme	Duke of York's Theatre, London	^[10]
2008	Ring Round the Moon	Isabelle	Playhouse Theatre, London	^[11]
	Hay Fever	Sorel Bliss	Royal Exchange, Manchester	^[12]
2009	Madame de Sade	Anne	Wyndham's Theatre, London	^[13]
	Vanya	Sonya	Gate Theatre, London	^[14]
2010	Posh	Rachel	Royal Court Theatre, London	^[15]
	An Ideal Husband	Miss Mabel Chiltern	Vaudeville Theatre, London	^[16]
2012	The Girl with the Yellow Dress	Celia	Theatre503, London	^[17]
	Heartbreak House	Ellie Dunn	Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester	^[18]
2013	King Lear	Cordelia	Theatre Royal, Bath	^[19]
	Wendy & Peter Pan	Wendy Darling	Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon	^[20]
2014	'Tis Pity She's a Whore	Annabella	Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London	^[21]
2016	They Drink It in the Congo	Stef	Almeida Theatre, London	^[22]
2018	The Importance of Being Earnest	Cecily Cardew	Vaudeville Theatre, London	^[23]

References

1. Editorial Staff (16 December 2013). "20 Questions with... Fiona Button, star of RSC's Wendy and Peter Pan". WhatsOnStage.com.
2. Terri Paddock (16 April 2010). "Review Round-up: Were Critics Outclassed at Posh?". WhatsOnStage.com.
3. Michael Coveney (11 November 2010). "An Ideal Husband". WhatsOnStage.com.
4. Holly Williams (15 December 2013). "And what about Wendy? Introducing a feminist return to Peter Pan's roots". The Independent. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
5. Dominic Maxwell (30 October 2014). "'Tis Pity She's a Whore, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, SE1". The Times. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
6. Fiona Mountford (27 July 2018). "Fiona Button on The Importance of Being Earnest: 'It's a lot to do with sex. Oscar Wilde would have loved it'". Go London.
7. Fiona Mountford (17 July 2018). "Fiona Button on The Importance of Being Earnest: 'It's a lot to do with sex. Oscar Wilde would have loved it'". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 15 January 2020.
8. "THE LESSON". Arcola Theatre. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
9. McBay, Nadine (20 August 2007). "World's End". Metro.co.uk. Metro. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
10. "20 Questions with... Fiona Button, star of RSC's Wendy and Peter Pan". WhatOnStage. WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
11. Billington, Michael (20 February 2008). "Theatre - Ring Round the Moon". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
12. Shenton, Sarah (24 July 2004). "You Write The Reviews: Hay Fever, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester". The Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
13. "Madame de Sade". British Theatre Guide. BritishTheatreGuide.info. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
14. "VANYA". Gate Theatre. GateTheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
15. Cooke, Rachel (4 April 2010). "Laura Wade: the girl in the Tories' soup". The Observer. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
16. Billington, Michael (11 November 2010). "An Ideal Husband - review". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
17. Marlowe, Sam (30 March 2012). "The Girl in the Yellow Dress at Theatre 503, SW11". The Times. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
18. Billington, Michael (13 July 2012). "Heartbreak House – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
19. Baber, Andy (1 August 2013). "King Lear, Theatre Royal Bath, until August 10". Gazette & Herald. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
20. Billington, Michael (19 December 2013). "Wendy and Peter Pan – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
21. Billington, Michael (29 October 2014). "'Tis Pity She's a Whore review – naked passion illuminated by candlelight". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
22. Brennan, Clare (28 August 2016). "They Drink It in the Congo review – on the rocky road of good intentions". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
23. Mountford, Fiona (17 July 2018). "Fiona Button on The Importance of Being Earnest: 'It's a lot to do with sex. Oscar Wilde would have loved it'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 16 January 2022.

External links

• Fiona Button at IMDb