dressed, rude, loud-mouthed American. The other women only tolerate her and let her live with them due to her hefty trust fund and her agreement to pay the majority of the rent. Candice Valentine (Tracey Ullman): A promiscuous, lazy, manipulative gold-digger. Ullman left after the first series due to her first pregnancy; as a result, the character is written out in the first episode of the second series. Lady Chloe Carlton (Joan Greenwood): An eccentric elderly romance novelist and the women's landlady. In the first series, she has a taxidermied dog named Josephine, which she believes to be alive. Guest and recurring stars included: Helen Atkinson-Wood as Jane, a worker in a leasing agency ("Four-Play") Mark Arden and Stephen Frost as dancers at a club ("C.O.D.") Suzanne Bertish, Angela Pleasence, and Harriet Walter as RSC actors ("Mr Yummie Brownie") The Beverley Sisters as themselves ("Bring Me More Flamingoes") Simon Brint and Rowland Rivron as Shelley's backing band ("Cancel Toast") Robbie Coltrane as Morris and Paul Brooke as Lawrence, two kidnappers ("C.O.D.") Harry Enfield as Dr. Banks, Candice's doctor ("Mr Fluffy Knows Too Much") Katherine Helmond as Goldie DuPont, Shelley's mother ("Mr Yummie Brownie") Hugh Laurie as Tom, Amanda's crush ("Big Snogs") Helen Lederer as Debbie, a worker in a leasing agency ("Four-Play"), and Felicity, one of Amanda's co-workers ("Big Snogs", "Bring Me More Flamingoes") Pauline Melville as Yvonne, Amanda's boss ("Skankin'", "Big Snogs", "Bring Me More Flamingoes") Geraldine McNulty as Tina, a friend of Candice's ("Staying Alive" and "Ident: Candy Time") Pauline Quirke as Jennifer's supervisor ("Who's Ya Uncle Shelley?") Alan Rickman as Dmitri, Candice's boyfriend ("Four-Play"), and the voice of RADA ("Cancel Toast") John Sessions as Rodney, a stockbroker ("Who's Ya Uncle Shelley?") Arthur Smith as a delivery man ("Lower the Donkey") Harriet Thorpe as Chris, another of Amanda's co-workers ("Cancel Toast", "Big Snogs") Many of the guest stars were fellow members of the Royal Shakespeare Company enlisted by Wax. Wax wanted to write a guest part for Ian McKellen, but it never happened. Music The theme tune, like the series' score, was written and performed by Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford of the band Squeeze. Originally, the opening theme was sung by the cast (minus Greenwood). Three episodes of series one added an introductory verse sung by Ullman over the end credits. From the second episode of the second series, the opening theme was instead sung by Tilbrook.