Joyce Carey

Joyce Carey (30 March 1898 – 28 February 1993) was an English actress, best known for her long professional and personal relationship with Noël Coward. Her stage career lasted from 1916 until 1987, and she was performing on television in her 90s. Although never a star, she was a familiar face both on stage and screen. In addition to light comedy, she had a large repertory of Shakespearean roles.

Career

Joyce Carey was born Joyce Lilian Lawrence, the daughter of actor Gerald Lawrence, a matinée idol who had been a juvenile in Henry Irving's Shakespeare company, and his wife, actress Lilian Braithwaite, a major West End star. Carey was educated at the Florence Etlinger Dramatic School. She later played all three roles in London. After the war she played in new Coward plays, Quadrille (with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne) and Nude with Violin (with Gielgud in London and Coward in New York). Her last stage performance was in 1984, as Mrs Higgins in Pygmalion, opposite Peter O'Toole; the critic Michael Coveney described her performance as plaintive and touching. She continued working on screen into her nineties, attracting enthusiastic notices for her portrayal of a frail old lady faced with eviction in Michael Palin's BBC play No 27. She died in London, aged 94. The New Avengers (1976, ITV) as Lady with Dog The Cedar Tree (1976–1979, ATV TV series) as Alice, Lady Bourne My Son, My Son (1979, BBC) as Mrs. Bendall Miss Marple - A Murder is Announced (1985, BBC) as Belle Goedler Number 27 (1988, TV movie, BBC) as Miss Barwick