Alison Steadman Plessey, an electronics firm. Steadman was educated at Childwall Valley High School for Girls, a state grammar school in the Liverpool suburb of Childwall, followed by East 15 Acting School, to which she secured a place in the autumn of 1966 and where she met Mike Leigh during her second year. Having left the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex, Steadman worked in various regional repertory theatres, starting at Lincoln in 1968, where her first role was that of the seductive schoolgirl Sandy in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". She created the role of the monstrous Beverly in
Sunshine (1973 film) film "retained her spirit, and many of the words from her tapes." Some critics also viewed Helton's story as having inspired a second made-for-TV movie, "Message To My Daughter" starring Bonnie Bedelia and Martin Sheen, which was first aired on December 12, 1973 on ABC. In "Message", the dying mother of a baby girl makes tape recordings of advice which her daughter receives many years after the mother's death. However, the film's writer and director denied that "Message" was inspired by Helton, and said that the script was written before "Sunshine". Parts of the film were shot on location in