Anita's first starring role was in the 1983 sitcom Up the Elephant and Round the Castle, but she is most famous for playing the emotionally battered and alcoholic landlady, Angie Watts, in the BBC1 soap opera, EastEnders, a role which she played from the shows inception in 1985 to 1988. Interestingly, Anita was not the first person to be cast as Angie - another actress, Jean Fennell, had already began recording when it was decided that her performance did not gel with the original idea of the character, and so Anita landed the role at the last minute. Whilst playing Angie Watts, Anita worked closely with actor Leslie Grantham, who played her adultourous husband 'Dirty Den Watts'. 30.1 million viewers tuned in on Christmas day in 1986, to witness Den handing Angie her divorce papers, giving the soap its highest ever episode rating, which has yet to be beaten by any other plotline from any other soap in the UK.
Since quitting EastEnders in 1988, Anita has been asked to reprise her role numerous times, but never accepted the offer; recently she commented “Why tarnish the gorgeous creation that was Angie Watts?”. The character of Angie Watts was subsequently killed off-screen in 2002 (dying of a drink related illness) and brought home to be buried by her on-screen daughter Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), who had recently returned to the show.
Since her exit from EastEnders she has appeared in many television, film and theatre roles, including the BBC sitcoms Red Dwarf, Rab C Nesbitt and her own sitcom series Split Ends (1989), which failed to succeed and lasted for only one series. She has also starred in the BBC drama's Dangerfield (1995) and Sunburn (1999); hospital dramas Casualty (2000) and Holby City (2003), and the ITV detective series The Last Detective (2004) among others. She has also been reunited with fellow EastEnder Leslie Grantham in the Sky production called The Stretch and Five's Horror series Urban Gothic (2000). Most recently she signed up for the ITV1 police drama The Bill in 2005.
Dobson trained at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, whose alumni also include Terence Stamp, Hugh Bonneville, Rupert Friend, Angela Lansbury, Matthew Goode, Sue Johnston, Minnie Driver and Julian Fellowes.
She was nominated for a 2003 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress for her performance in Frozen at the Royal National Theatre: Cottesloe. In August 1986 she reached No. 4 in the UK Singles Chart with "Anyone Can Fall in Love," a song based on the theme music of EastEnders, which was written by Simon May. She has also released several other singles and albums with minor chart success.
Anita is currently playing the role of Gertrude in the English Touring Theatre production of Hamlet, at the New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End, following a UK tour in Autumn 2005.
She once dated her EastEnders cast mate Tom Watt who played Lofty Holloway, but is now married to Queen guitarist Brian May.
Credit: wikipedia
On Broadway
Anita Dobson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On Broadway
They say there's always magic in the air
But when you're walking down that street
And you ain't have enough to eat
The glitter rubs right off and you're nowhere
They say the boys are somethin' else
But lookin' at them just gives me the blues
'Cause how ya gonna make some time
When all you got is one thin dime
And one thin dime won't even shine your shoes
They say that I won't last too long
On Broadway
I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home, they say
But they get wrong, I know they are
I won't stop now I've come this far
And I won't quit till I'm a star
On Broadway
(On Broadway)
The song "On Broadway" by Anita Dobson is a powerful commentary on the reality of the famed Broadway district in New York City. The lyrics suggest a stark contrast between the glamorous image of Broadway, portrayed through the bright neon lights and the feeling of magic in the air, and the harsh reality of life on the streets. This is shown through images of poverty and desperation - walking down the street with not enough money to eat, and a single dime being unable to even shine your shoes.
The song also highlights the false promises and superficiality of the Broadway scene. Though the boys on Broadway are said to be "somethin' else," the reality is that the singer is unable to make time with them due to her lack of resources. There is a sense that Broadway is a place where image is everything, and those without the right appearance or connections are left behind.
The chorus, however, offers a message of hope and determination. Despite the challenges she faces, the singer declares that she won't quit until she becomes a star on Broadway. The song thus becomes a powerful anthem of perseverance and ambition, offering a glimmer of hope in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
They say the neon lights are bright
On Broadway
Broadway's streets glow with bright neon lights, giving off a magical aura.
They say there's always magic in the air
People believe Broadway is filled with wonder and magic.
But when you're walking down that street
And you ain't have enough to eat
The glitter rubs right off and you're nowhere
When you're hungry and broke while walking around Broadway, the magnificence of the surroundings becomes meaningless.
They say the boys are somethin' else
On Broadway (on Broadway)
People talk about how different and extraordinary the men are on Broadway.
But lookin' at them just gives me the blues
The artist feels sad and melancholic when she looks at the men on Broadway.
‘Cause how ya gonna make some time
When all you got is one thin dime
And one thin dime won't even shine your shoes
The singer cannot engage in socialization when she has no money to spend, and even her one thin dime is not sufficient to shine her shoes.
They say that I won't last too long
On Broadway
People often claim that the singer cannot succeed on Broadway for an extended period.
I'll catch a Greyhound bus for home, they say
People say that the artist will inevitably have to return home by taking a Greyhound bus because she won't make it on Broadway.
But they get wrong, I know they are
I won't stop now I've come this far
The artist is confident about her potential to succeed and will not give up now after making it this far.
And I won't quit till I'm a star
On Broadway
(On Broadway)
The artist is ambitious and won't stop until she becomes a star on Broadway.
Contributed by Chase W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.