Souad Faress

Souad Faress was born in Accra, Ghana on 25 March 1948 to Irish and Syrian parents and came to London to study drama at the Guildhall School. She made her television debut in a small role in 'I, Claudius' in 1976 and has since appeared in numerous series including as Dev Alahan's mother in 'Coronation Street' and an ongoing role in 'Casualty'. In 1990 she took over the role as lawyer Usha Gupta, a Sikh who would marry Christian vicar Alan Franks on the radio show 'The Archers'. In 2004 she began writing, initially short stories, with her play 'Seed', about mixed race relationships in colonial India also being staged that year. She has also appeared in 'Beauty and the Beast' and Tony Kushner's 'Homebody/Kabul' at the Young Vic and David Hare's 'Permanent Way' at the National Theatre and in 2015, 'Hurried Steps' with the New Shoes Theatre Company. Additionally she has served as a panelist at the Croydon International Playwriting Festival and in 2016 could be seen in the sixth season of 'Game of Thrones'.