Sally Bretton, known for playing Martha Lloyd in the BBC crime drama Beyond Paradise, has revealed that her stage name is not her birth name. The actress was born Sally Davis but adopted Bretton as her professional name before rising to fame.
Bretton first appeared in Death in Paradise in 2016, playing Martha Lloyd alongside Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall). The pair left the show in 2017 and later starred in the spin-off Beyond Paradise, set in Devon.
In a 2015 interview with The Telegraph, Bretton explained how she chose her stage name. While working at high street retailer Next, a friend brought in a book about the meanings of names. Flicking through it in the staff room, she came across Bretton and thought, 'Yup, I quite like that.' She described it as 'totally random' but said it sounded nice.
The name change was necessary because Sally Davis was already registered with actors' union Equity, prompting her to select Bretton as her stage identity.
Tonight (May 1), the current series of Beyond Paradise concludes. In recent episodes, Humphrey was instructed by his superior to dismiss a team member as a cost-cutting measure, but he has offered himself up instead. Actress Barbara Flynn, who plays Martha's mother Anne, has discussed the possibility of another series, noting that filming in Cornwall is set to continue for a fifth year.
