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Patricia Routledge Biography (1929-)

Born Katherine Patricia Routledge (some sources say Patricia Katherine Routledge), February 17, 1929, in Birkenhead, Cheshire, England; daughter of IsaacEdgar (a haberdasher) and Catherine (maiden name, Perry) Routledge. Career: Actress and singer. Liverpool Playhouse, assistant stage manager; appeared with the Liverpool Playhouse Repertory Company, Liverpool, England, 1952-53, and with repertory companies in Guildford, Worthing, and Windsor, all inEngland. Awards, Honors: Antoinette Perry Award, best actress in a musical, 1968, for Darling of the Day; Laurence Olivier Award, Society ofWest End Theatre, 1989, for Candide; Top Television Comedy Actress, 1991, for Keeping Up Appearances; Personality of the Year, Order of theWater Rats, 1991; Variety Club of Great Britain, 1993; Order of the BritishEmpire, 1993; voted Great Britain's all- time favorite television actress in1996. Addresses: Agent: c/o Marmont Management Ltd., Langham House, 308 Regent St., London W1R 5AL, England.

Nationality

British

Gender

Female

Occupation

Actress, singer

Birth Details

February 17, 1929

Birkenhead, Cheshire, England

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Stage Appearances
• (Stage debut) Hippolyta, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool, England, 1952
• (London debut) Carlotta, The Duenna, Westminster Theatre, 1954
• Adriana, The Comedy of Errors (musical), Arts Theatre, London, 1956
• Aunt Mabel, Zuleika, Saville Theatre, London, 1957
• Henrietta Argan, The Love Doctor, Piccadilly Theatre, London, 1959
• Mrs. Gilchrist, Follow That Girl, Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1960
• Out of My Mind, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London, 1961
• Title role, Little Mary Sunshine, Comedy Theatre, London, 1962
• Berinthia, Virtue in Danger, Mermaid Theatre, then Strand Theatre,both London, 1963
• Victoria, Home and Beauty, Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, England, 1964
• (Broadway debut) Violet, Nell and Rover, How's the World Treating You?, Hampstead Theatre Club, London, 1965then New Arts Theatre, Wyndham's Theatre, and Comedy Theatre, all London, 1966later Music Box Theatre, New YorkCity, 1966
• Alice Challixe, Darling of the Day, George Abbott Theatre, New York City, 1967
• Victoria, Love Match, Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 1968
• Mother-in-law, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester, England, 1969
• Lady Fidget, The Country Wife, Chichester Festival Theatre, 1969
• Agatha Posket, The Magistrate, Chichester Festival Theatre, then Cambridge Theatre, London, both 1969
• Mrs. Bennet, First Impressions, Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Birmingham, England, 1971
• Cowardly Custard (revue) Mermaid Theatre, 1972
• Georgiana Tidman, Dandy Dick, Chichester Festival Theatre, then Garrick Theatre, London, both 1973
• Madame Ranevsky, The Cherry Orchard, Bristol Old Vic Theatre, Bristol, England, 1975
• Emilia, Othello, Chichester Festival Theatre, 1975
• Martha Avon, Made in Heaven, Chichester Festival Theatre, 1975
• Presidents' wives, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1976
• Mrs. Malaprop, The Rivals, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, England, 1976
• Mrs. Munnings, Zack, Royal Exchange Theatre, 1976
• Maria Wislack, On Approval, Vaudeville Theatre, 1977
• Daisy Tuttle, Gracious Living, Eisenhower Theatre, Washington, DC,1978
• Julia, Semmelweiss, Eisenhower Theatre, 1978
• Miss Dyott, The Schoolmistress, Royal Exchange Theatre, 1979
• Peggy Stott, And a Nightingale Sang, Queen's Theatre, London, 1979
• Ruth, The Pirates of Penzance, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, 1980
• Noises Off, Savoy Theatre, London, 1981
• When the Wind Blows, Whitehall Theatre, London, 1983
• Richard III, Royal Shakespeare Company Theatre, 1984-85
• Candide, Old Vic Theatre, London, 1988-89
• Come for the Ride (one woman show), Playhouse Theatre, London, 1989
• Talking Heads, Comedy Theater, London, 1992
• Nettie Fowler, Carousel, Lyttelton Theatre, London, 1992then RoyalNational Theatre, London, 1993
• Mr. and Mrs. Nobody, Greenwich Theatre, London, 1994
• Mrs. Malaprop, The Rivals, Chicester Festival, 1994-95
• Beatrix Potter, Beatrix, Minerva Theatre, Chichester, England, 1997
• Also appeared in Take Care of This House; Duet for One; made her operatic debut in The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein.
• Major Tours
• Appeared in Come for the Ride (one woman show), UK cities; as Beatrix Potter, Beatrix, UK cities.
• Film Appearances
• Mrs. Wentworth, Egghead's Robot, 1966
• Clinty, To Sir with Love, Columbia, 1967
• Miss Reece, The Bliss of Miss Blossom, Paramount, 1968
• Lucille Beatty, Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River, Columbia,1968
• Miss Gudgeon, A Matter of Innocence (also known as Pretty Polly), Universal, 1968
• Mrs. Wooley, Thirty Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia, Columbia, 1968
• Mrs. Featherstone, If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, United Artists, 1969
• Nurse, Lock Up Your Daughters, Columbia, 1969
• Mrs. Wentworth, Egghead's Robot, Film Producers' Guild, 1970
• Pamela Hovendon, Girl Stroke Boy, London Screen, 1971
• ATS Officer, The Imitation Game, 1980
• Audrey Holly, First and Last, 1989
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Kitty, Victoria Wood as Seen on TV, series, 1983-86
• Mrs. Baines, Sophia and Constance, 1988
• Hyacinth Bucket, Keeping Up Appearances, 1990-95
• Barbara Pym, Miss Pym's Day Out, 1991
• Sister Hildegard, Hildegard of Bingen, 1994
• Title role, Hetty Wainthropp Investigates, BBC1 1995-98
• Movies
• Megaera, Androcles' wife, Androcles and the Lion, 1967
• A Visit from Miss Protheroe, 1978
• Doris and Doreen, 1978
• Posh lady, The Curse of King Tut's Tomb, NBC, 1980
• A Woman of No Importance, 1982
• Mrs. Peachum, The Beggar's Opera, 1983
• Ivy, First and Last, 1989
• Hetty Wainthropp, Missing Persons, 1990
• Miniseries
• Madame Mantalini, Nicholas Nickleby, 1978
• Irene Ruddock, Talking Heads (also known as A Lady of Letters), 1987
• Miss Fozzard, "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet," Talking Heads 2, 1998.Herself, Funny Women, 1998
• Episodic
• Madame Fontana, "S�ance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard," Steptoe and Son, 1974
• "The Verger," Tales of the Unexpected, 1988
• Alas Smith & Jones, 1990
• Also appeared as Mrs. Snape, Coronation Street.
• Specials
• Voice of Cousin Ribby, The Tale of Tom Kitten and Jemima Puddle-Duck (animated), The Family Channel, 1993
• Christmas Glory with Kiri Te Kanawa, PBS, 1998
• Other
• Victoria Regina, 1964
• Hildegard of Bingen, 1994
• Marjorie and Men, 1985
• A Lady of Letters, 1988
• Also appeared in When We Are Married; The Years Between.
• Radio Appearances
• Appeared in Private Lives and Present Laughter; The Cherry Orchard; The Beggar's Opera; Beachcomber by the Way (series).
• RECORDINGS
• Albums
• Recorded Cowardly Custard (original cast recording), 1972; and Presenting Patricia Routledge.
• Taped Readings
• Read Wuthering Heights; Alice in Wonderland; many books byBeatrix Potter.*