Beryl Reid

Beryl Elizabeth Reid (17 June 1919 – 13 October 1996) was a British actress. She won the 1967 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for The Killing of Sister George, the 1980 Olivier Award for Best Comedy Performance for Born in the Gardens, and the 1982 BAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for Smiley's People. Her film appearances included The Belles of St. Trinian's, The Killing of Sister George (1968), The Assassination Bureau (1969), and No Sex Please, We're British (1973).

Early life Beryl Elizabeth Reid was born on 17 June 1919 in Hereford, Herefordshire, daughter of Leonard Reid, an estate agent and valuer, and Anne Burton, née McDonald. Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents and grew up in Manchester, where she attended Withington and Levenshulme High Schools. As a child, she established a lifelong friendship with Nancy Wrigley, the daughter of the prominent classical soprano, Dame Isobel Baillie. Years later, Reid fondly recalled how Baillie would "tell us the most wonderful things...you can imagine nine-year-old girls goggle-eyed at six princes serenading her in Hawaii!"

Career Leaving school at 16, she made her debut in 1936 as a music hall performer at the Floral Hall, Bridlington. Before and during the Second World War, she took part in variety shows and pantomimes. She had no formal training but later worked at the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her first big success came in the BBC radio show Educating Archie as naughty schoolgirl Monica and later as the Brummie, "Marlene".

Her many film and television roles as a character actor were usually well received. She reprised her Tony Award-winning performance of a lesbian soap opera star in The Killing of Sister George for the 1968 screen version and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture Actress in a Drama. The tour of the play was not a success; people in shops refused to serve her and other performers due to the gay characters in the play.

She was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1976 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews in the car park of Thames Television's Teddington Studios.

In both Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979) and Smiley's People, (1982) Reid played Connie Sachs. Having been nominated for a British Academy Television Award for Best Actress for both performances, winning for Smiley's People.

Between 1981 and 1983, Reid co-presented the Children's TV programme Get up and Go for Yorkshire Television, her co-presenter "Mooncat" being a green, talking, puppet cat. Stephen Boxer was her human co-star. After she left the show, it became titled simply Mooncat and Co.

In 1982, Reid appeared in Doctor Who in the Fifth Doctor serial Earthshock, as Captain Briggs.

Reid wrote an autobiography in 1984, So Much Love.

She played the part of an elderly feminist and political subversive in the 1987 television drama, The Beiderbecke Tapes.

She appeared in many situation comedies and variety programmes on TV including BBC TV's long running music hall show, The Good Old Days.

Personal life and death She married twice, but had no children. Her second husband, Derek Franklin, was a member of the Hedley Ward Trio. An authorised biography, Roll Out the Beryl, was published by Fantom Films on 22 August 2016. Written by Kaye Crawford, it was the first biography of the actress and coincided with the twentieth anniversary of her death.

From a date in the late 1950s until not long before her death in 1996, Beryl Reid lived in a small African-styled rondavel house, Honey Pot Cottage (at the time spelled Honeypot Cottage), built in 1933 as, originally, a holiday home, and overlooking the Thames at Wraysbury, west of London. She bequeathed the property to a friend, Paul Strike, an actor later regularly featured (in a voice-only role) in the BBC TV series, Casualty and who, as of 2021, still owned it.

In 1987, Reid and Honeypot Cottage featured in the comedy panel game show, Through the Keyhole, presented by David Frost and Loyd Grossman.

Reid died at the age of 77 from severe osteoarthritis and kidney failure

Filmography +Film Year Title Role Notes 1940 Spare a Copper Singer Uncredited 1954 The Belles of St. Trinian's Miss Wilson 1956 The Extra Day Beryl 1960 Two-Way Stretch Miss Pringle 1962 The Dock Brief Doris Fowle 1968 Inspector Clouseau Mrs. Weaver Star Rose The Killing of Sister George June Buckridge 1969 The Assassination Bureau Madame Otero 1970 Entertaining Mr Sloane Kath 1971 The Beast in the Cellar Ellie Ballantyne 1972 Dr. Phibes Rises Again Miss Ambrose 1973 Psychomania Mrs. Latham Father, Dear Father Mrs. Stoppard No Sex Please, We're British Bertha Hunter 1977 Joseph Andrews Mrs. Slipslop 1978 Rosie Dixon – Night Nurse Matron 1978 Carry On Emmannuelle Mrs. Valentine 1981 Late Flowering Love (unknown role) Short (segment: "Invasion Exercise on the Poultry Farm") 1983 Yellowbeard Lady Lambourn 1985 The Doctor and the Devils Mrs. Flynn

+Television Year Title Role Notes 1950 Showcase (unknown role) (unknown episodes) 1951 Vic's Grill 6 episodes 1955 The Benny Hill Show Various roles Series 1 (3 episodes) 1957 Mr Bowling Buys a Newspaper Alice TV film The Most Likely Girl Arethusa Wilderspin Series 1 (4 episodes) 1960 Someone Who Cares (unknown role) TV film 1962 The Dickie Henderson Show Series 4, episode 2 1963–64 Bold as Brass Bessie Briggs Pilot & Series 1 (7 episodes) 1964 Comedy Playhouse Mrs. Teresa Fanwyn Series 3, episode 14 1965 Who Is Mary Morison Maggie TV film 1966 The World of Wooster Mrs. Wilberforce Series 2, episode 7 Frankie Howerd (unknown role) Series 2, episode 2 Love Story Kate Reilly Series 4, episode 3 1967 Thirty-Minute Theatre Miss Price Series 2, episode 34 The Bruce Forsyth Show (unknown role) Series 2, episode 6 Before the Fringe Series 2 (4 episodes) The Very Merry Widow Mrs. Breasley Series 1, episode 2 1968 Armchair Theatre Hilda Capper Series 8, episode 14 Comedy Playhouse Irene Jelliot Series 7, episode 2 Beryl Reid Says Good Evening Various roles Series 1 (6 episodes) 1969 Armchair Theatre Mrs. Blaxill Series 9, episode 8 Wink to Me Only Rene Jelliot Series 1 (6 episodes) 1970 BBC Play of the Month Mrs. Malaprop Series 5, episode 8 Father, Dear Father Mrs. Brockbank Series 3, episode 5 1969 Cinderella Ugly Sister Marlene TV film 1971 The Misfit Mrs. Low Road Jones Series 2, episode 2 Father, Dear Father Miss Pretty Series 4, episode 3 Armchair Theatre Ameila Series 13, episode 8 The Goodies Mrs. Desiree Carthorse Series 2, episode 11 1972 Alcock and Gander Mrs Marigold Alcock Series 1 (main role, 6 episodes) Late Night Theatre Madame Thompson 1 episode 1973 Smike! Mrs. Squeers/Mrs. Steele TV film 1975 BBC Play of the Month Amanda Series 10, episode 5 Maria Helliwell Series 11, episode 4 1977 Beryl Reid (unknown role) (unknown episodes) 1978 BBC Play of the Month Victoria Series 13, episode 3 Two's Company Mrs. Shelton Series 3, episode 3 1979 Dick Emery's Comedy Hour Ada Special Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Connie Sachs Miniseries (1 episode) An Honourable Retirement Mrs. Heysham TV film 1980 Peter Cook & Co. Various Special Nanny Knows Best Nanny Price TV pilot Rhubarb Rhubarb Home Owner's Wife Special Comedy Tonight (unknown role) Special (sketch "Laughing Gas") 1981 Agony Cherry Lightfoot Series 3, episode 2 Worzel Gummidge Sarah Pigswill Series 4, episode 1 1982 Doctor Who Captain Briggs Serial: "Earthshock" Smiley's People Connie Sachs Miniseries (1 episode) The Irish R.M. Mrs Knox Series 1 (2 episodes) 1983 Cuffy Matron Series 1, episode 2 The Wind in the Willows Mrs. Carrington-Moss TV film 1984 The Wind in the Willows Other Voices Series 1, episode 1 Minder Ruby Hubbard Series 5, episode 4 1985 Late Starter Helen Magee Series 1 (3 episodes) The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ May Mole Series 1 (main role, 5 episodes) Bergerac Miss Broome Series 4, episode 4 1987 The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole May Mole Series 1 (main role, 6 episodes) The Beiderbecke Tapes Sylvia Miniseries (2 episodes) 1988 The Comic Strip Presents... Mrs. Moss Series 4, episode 5 Sophia and Constance Madame Foucault Series 1, episode 4 Alexei Sayle's Stuff Hettie Series 1, episode 3 1990 Boon Pat Goran Series 5, episode 12 The Ruth Rendell Mysteries Mrs. Mountnessing Series 4, episode 9 1991 Duel of Hearts Lady Augusta Warlingham TV film Perfect Scoundrels Aunt Molly Series 2, episode 4 1992 Bunch of Five Gran Series 1 (2 episodes) 1993 Cracker Fitz's Mum Series 1, episode 3 1994 Blue Heaven Jeweller Series 1, episode 4 (final role)