Editing Joan Sims (section)

==Early life and education==
Sims was born on 9 May 1930, the only child of John Henry Sims (1888–1964), Station Master of [[Laindon railway station]] in Essex,<ref name="BBCObit"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Butters |first=Wes |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/reader/1906358958/ref=sib_dp_kd#reader-link |title=Carry On Actors |year=2011 |publisher=Apex |access-date=9 June 2012}}</ref> and his wife Gladys Marie Sims, ''[[née]]'' Ladbrook (1896–1981).<ref>Ross, Andrew (2014) ''Too Happy A Face – The Authorised Biography of Joan Sims''. Fantom Films. p. 2. {{ISBN|978-1781961216}}.</ref> Sims's early interest in being an actress came from living at the railway station. She would often put on performances for waiting passengers. She decided that she wanted to pursue show business during her teens, and soon became a familiar face in a growing number of amateur productions locally. One of her first stage appearances was as Miranda Bute in the Langdon Players production of [[Esther McCracken]]'s comedy ''[[Quiet Wedding (play)|Quiet Wedding]]'' in May 1946.

In 1946, Sims first applied to [[Royal Academy of Dramatic Art]] (RADA), but her audition was unsuccessful. Her first audition included a rendition of [[Winnie the Pooh]]. She did succeed in being admitted to PARADA, the academy's preparatory school, and after her successful fourth attempt, she joined and was trained at RADA,<ref name="BBCObit">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/1412026.stm|title=Joan Sims obituary|work=BBC News|date=28 June 2001|access-date=18 August 2008}}</ref> graduating in 1950 at the age of 19.<ref name="BBCdeath">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/1411839.stm|title=Carry on actress Joan Sims dead|work=BBC News|date=28 June 2001|access-date=18 August 2008}}</ref> One of her first stage performances was in the 1951 [[pantomime]], ''The Happy Ha'penny'', opposite [[Stanley Baxter]] at [[Glasgow]]'s [[Citizens Theatre]].<ref name="Stevens">{{cite book	
|last= Stevens	
|first= Christopher
|title= Born Brilliant: The Life Of Kenneth Williams
|publisher= John Murray
|year= 2010
|isbn = 978-1-84854-195-5
|page=370
}}</ref>