Avril Angers

Florence Avril Angers (18 April 1918 – 9 November 2005) was an English stand-up comedian and actress. In 2005 The Daily Telegraph described her as "one of the most zestful, charming and reliable character comediennes in the postwar London theatre".

Life Angers was born in Liverpool, Lancashire in 1918. Her father, Harry Angers, was a music hall comedian who also appeared in films in the 1930s and 1940s. She was a dancer with the Tiller Girls before joining ENSA during the Second World War. She never married nor had children. Angers lived in Covent Garden, London, where she died from pneumonia, aged 87.

Career She joined dance troupes from the age of 14, before performing with ENSA and touring the Middle East and Africa during the Second World War. While performing in Cairo she was seen by BBC radio producer Douglas Moodie, who found her a place on radio broadcasts including Variety Bandbox and Carroll Levis' Discoveries. Along with Terry-Thomas, she was one of the original cast of British television's first ever comedy series How Do You View? in 1949. In 1961, she played Norah Dawson in Coronation Street, who was Arnold Tanner's new fiancée ('Madame Toffee Shop' as Elsie Tanner called her).

She played Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Murder at the Vicarage at the Savoy Theatre in 1976 in the West End.

Vocal work In 1958, she, Roger Livesey, Terry-Thomas, Rita Webb, Judith Furse, and Miles Malleson, recorded 'Indian Summer of an Uncle', and 'Jeeves Takes Charge' for the Caedmon Audio record label, (Caedmon Audio TC-1137). It was released in stereo in 1964.

Partial filmography

Brass Monkey (1948) – Herself Miss Pilgrim's Progress (1949) – First Factory Girl The Six Men (1951) – Herself Don't Blame the Stork – Renee O'Connor Women Without Men (A.K.A. Blonde Bait) (1956) – Bessie Bond of Fear (1956) – Girl Hiker The Green Man (1956) – Marigold Coronation Street (1961) – Norah Dawson Be My Guest (1965) – Mrs Pucil Devils of Darkness (1965) – Midge The Family Way (1966) – Liz Piper Three Bites of the Apple (1967) – Gladys Tomlinson Two a Penny (1967) – Mrs Burry The Best House in London (1969) – Flora's Mother Staircase (1969) – Miss Ricard There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) – English Tourist in Lift Mr. Forbush and the Penguins (1971) – Fanny Hill Confessions of a Driving Instructor (1976) – Mrs Truscott Are You Being Served? - Season 7, Episode 4: "Mrs. Slocombe, Senior Person" (1979) - Edna Comlozi Victoria Wood – Episode 5: "Val de Ree (Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha)" (1989) – Mim