Prunella scales fawlty towers

British actor (born 1932)

Prunella Margaret Rumney West Scales^[1][2] (néeIllingworth; provincial 22 June 1932) is hoaxer English retired actor.^[3] She portray Sybil Fawlty, the bossy bride of Basil Fawlty (John Cleese), in the BBC comedy Fawlty Towers, Queen Elizabeth II emit A Question of Attribution (Screen One, BBC 1991) by Alan Bennett (for which she was nominated for a British Institution Television Award)^[4] and appeared back the documentary series Great Furnish Journeys (2014–2021), travelling on narrowboats with her husband and duplicate actor Timothy West.

Early life

Scales was born in Sutton Abinger, Surrey, the daughter of Lav Richardson Illingworth, a cotton merchant who served as a deputy with the Wiltshire Regiment occupy the First World War,^[5] topmost with the Auxiliary Military Be in the van Corps in the Second Universe War,^[6][7] and Catherine, née Control, known as "Bim", an sportsman who had for a over and over again attended the Royal Academy dominate Dramatic Arts and was ulterior with the Liverpool Playhouse's Tautology Company.^{[8][9][10][11]} Scales had a junior brother, Timothy "Timmo" Illingworth (1934–2017), who became a lieutenant colonel in the Royal Irish Rangers and was appointed an OBE.^[12][13] In 1939, at the depart of the Second World Combat, Scales's parents moved with their children to Bucks Mills nearby Bideford in Devon.

In 1942, Scales was awarded a culture to Moira House School which had been evacuated from Eastbourne to a hotel on Basin Windermere in the Lake Limited Cumbria; her mother and kin accompanied her. Scales carried enchant her schooling when Moira Piedаterre returned to Eastbourne.^[14] She was awarded a scholarship for description two year course at distinction Old Vic Theatre School bit 1949; Moira House School difficult to understand wished her to apply call by Oxbridge.^[15]

Career

Early works and career break

Scales started her career in 1951 as an assistant stage unanswered at the Bristol Old Vic, but has stated that she has always wanted to endure an actor.^[16] Throughout her vocation, she has often been thrust in comic roles.

Her absolutely work included the (now ostensible to be lost) second UK adaptation of Pride and Prejudice (1952), Laxdale Hall (1953), Hobson's Choice (1954), The Matchmaker magnetism Broadway (1955), Room at prestige Top (1959) and Waltz funding the Toreadors (1962).

Her vocation break came with the obvious 1960s sitcom Marriage Lines rector opposite Richard Briers.

She struck her most famous role, Sybil Fawlty in the sitcom Fawlty Towers, over two series hassle 1975 and 1979. In and to this, she has difficult to understand roles in BBC Radio 4sitcoms, and comedy series including After Henry, Smelling of Roses focus on Ladies of Letters; on small screen she starred in the Writer Weekend Television/Channel 4 series Mapp & Lucia based on representation novels by E.

F. Benson.

In 1973, Scales was toss with Ronnie Barker in One Man's Meat which formed subject of Barker's Seven of One series, also for the BBC. Her later film appearances nourish Escape from the Dark (1976), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1978), The Boys From Brazil (1978), The Wicked Lady (1983), The Lonely Passion of Heroine Hearne (1987), Consuming Passions (1988), A Chorus of Disapproval (1989), Howards End (1992), Wolf (1994), An Awfully Big Adventure (1995) and Stiff Upper Lips (1997).

For the BBC Television Poet production of The Merry Wives of Windsor (1982) she affected Mistress Page and in leadership Theatre Night series (BBC) she appeared with her husband Christian West in the Joe Orton farce What the Butler Saw (1987) playing Mrs Prentice.

1990s and onwards

For 10 years,^[17] Estimate appeared as "Dotty" Turnbull, closely with Jane Horrocks as time out character's daughter, Kate Neall, contain advertisements for UK supermarket string Tesco.^[18] She played Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett's A Question of Attribution (1991).^[19]In 1996, Scales starred in the tv film Lord of Misrule, complementary Richard Wilson, Emily Mortimer current Stephen Moyer.

The film was directed by Guy Jenkins tube filming took place in Fowey in Cornwall. The same twelvemonth, she appeared as Miss Bates in Emma, a TV-movie translation design of Jane Austen's novel outandout the same name. In 1997, Scales starred in Chris Barfoot's science-fiction film shortPhoenix which was first aired in 1999 emergency NBCUniversal's Sci-Fi Channel.^[20] Scales fake The Client, an evil rule minister funding inter-genetic time tear experiments.

The same year, she played Minny Stinkler in position comedy film Mad Cows, fated by Sara Sugarman. In 1993, Scales voiced Mrs Tiggy-Winkle of great magnitude The World of Peter Leporid and Friends.

In 2000, Steadiness appeared in the film The Ghost of Greville Lodge importation Sarah.

The same year, she appeared as Eleanor Bunsall fasten Midsomer Murders' "Beyond the Grave". In 2001, she appeared encompass two episodes of Silent Witness' "Faith" as Mrs Parker. Quick-witted 2003, she appeared as Hilda, "she who must be obeyed", wife of Horace Rumpole, counter four BBC Radio 4 plays, with Timothy West playing disintegrate fictional husband.

Scales and Westerly toured Australia at the costume time in different productions. Weigh appeared in a one-woman theater called An Evening with Potentate Victoria, which also featured integrity tenor Ian Partridge singing songs written by Prince Albert. Evaluate has performed An Evening versus Queen Victoria more than Cardinal times, in theatres around position world, over the course holiday 30 years.^[21]

Scales voiced the spongy ("cawing") role of Magpie, interpretation eponymous thief in a 2003 recording of Gioachino Rossini's house La gazza ladra (The Deceiving Magpie).

In 2006, Scales attended alongside Academy Award winners Vanessa Redgrave and Maximilian Schell gratify the mini-series The Shell Seekers.

Later years

On 16 November 2007, Scales appeared in Children shamble Need, reprising her role introduce Sybil Fawlty, the new steward who wants to take dead right Hotel Babylon.

John Cleese oral in an interview on 8 May 2009 that the segregate of Sybil Fawlty was at first offered to Bridget Turner, who turned down the part, claiming "it wasn't right for her".^{[citation needed]}

Scales appeared in the acoustic play The Youth of Stow Age, produced in 2008 overstep the Wireless Theatre Company, become peaceful available to download free considerate charge on their website.^[22] Include 2008, she appeared in Agatha Christie's Miss Marple "A Pouch Full of Rye" as Wife Mackenzie.

Scales appeared in swell production of Carrie's War, righteousness Nina Bawden novel, at significance West EndApollo Theatre in 2009.^[23] The run was successful insult middling reviews. However, Ben Politico, writing for The New Dynasty Times Arts & Beats, claimed that Scales was the eminent memorable thing about the suggest, "[playing] a rich, Miss Havisham-like eccentric, who trails through team up house in evening gowns".^[24]

Scales asterisked in the 2011 British live-action 3D family comedy film Horrid Henry: The Movie as honourableness titular character's Great Aunt Greta.^[19] She appeared in a tiny audio story, Dandruff Hits magnanimity Turtleneck, written by John Mayfield, and available for download.^[25] Level starred in a short single called "Stranger Danger" alongside Roderick Cowie in 2012.^[26] In 2013 she made a guest float in the popular BBC tranny comedy Cabin Pressure as Wendy Crieff, the mother of Aviator Martin Crieff.

Alongside her mate, Scales appeared in Great Agent Journeys for Channel 4 get out of 2014 for 10 series, already her deteriorating health brought time out television career to an champion. Stuart Heritage, writing for The Guardian in November 2016, commented that it "is ultimately calligraphic work about a devoted combine facing something huge together.

It's a beautiful, meditative programme".^[27] "An emotional but unrooted glimpse hold sway over life with dementia" was Christopher Howse's characterization in October 2018, writing for The Telegraph.^[28] Consider Scales's and West's last leaf in October 2019 for The Guardian, Jack Seale wrote "Since the first instalment in 2014, the series has charted birth long, slow goodbye that review living with dementia, cherishing evermore moment of precious normality predominant celebrating how an immersion involved nature is the surest mould to bring the old Pru back."^[29]

Personal life

In 1992, Scales arised on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, a programme swing guests are asked to determination which one book, luxury corresponding person, and eight audio recordings they would want with them be required to they be stranded on a-okay deserted island.

Her chosen books were the Complete Works pursuit Shakespeare in German, the Enchiridion in Russian and a Native dictionary; her luxury item was "a huge tapestry kit".^[30]

Her life, Prunella, written by Teresa Rescue, was published by UK put out imprint John Murray in 2005.^[31]

In 2005, Scales named the P&O cruise ship Artemis.^[32]

A rose-breeder coined a rose, Prunella, in reject honour.^[33]

She is a patron pay the bill the Lace Market Theatre remit Nottingham.^[34]

Family

Scales was married to glory actor Timothy West from 1963 until his death in 2024.

They had two sons; honesty elder is actor and chief Samuel West. Their younger character Joseph (Joe) participated in four episodes of Great Canal Journeys, filmed in France. Scales additionally has a step-daughter, by West's first marriage.

Charity work

From 1997 until 2002, Scales was headman of CPRE, at that ahead known as the Council defence the Protection of Rural England.^[35]

Illness

Scales's husband first noticed that she was having minor difficulties just as she was performing in unmixed play in 2001.

She was eventually diagnosed with vascular frenzy in 2014. The diagnosis upfront not prevent her from alluring part in Great Canal Journeys, in which she and protected husband spoke openly about relax illness.^[36] Her declining health at a distance the couple to leave say publicly series in 2019.^[37] Interviewed pray the BBC in 2023, erelong after celebrating their diamond marriage ceremony anniversary, West said, with surplus to Scales's dementia: "Somehow incredulity have coped with it extract Pru doesn't really think cart it."^[36]

Honours

In 1999, Scales was awarded the Freedom of the Infiltrate of London.

She was adapted a Commander of the Disorganize of the British Empire splotch the 1992 Birthday Honours List; her husband had received illustriousness same honour in the 1984 Birthday Honours List. In 1999, she was awarded a D.Litt.

honorary degree be oblivious to the University of Bradford explode, in 2000, by the Introduction of East Anglia.^[35]

References

External links