Mel O'Drama
Admin
LV
12
- Messages
- 13,298
- Solutions
- 1
- Reaction score
- 27,036
- Awards
- 29
- Member Since
- 28th September 2008
Aged 91...
I've enjoyed a great deal of her work - and I've appreciated her so much more over the last couple of years from watching her incredible working partnership with Ronnie Barker in his various projects as well as on The Two Ronnies and the David Frost shows.
A few comments I've made while watching her - some as recent as last week...
Actor Josephine Tewson of Keeping Up Appearances dies aged 91
Star who played Elizabeth Warden in BBC sitcom also appeared in Last of the Summer Wine
www.theguardian.com
I've enjoyed a great deal of her work - and I've appreciated her so much more over the last couple of years from watching her incredible working partnership with Ronnie Barker in his various projects as well as on The Two Ronnies and the David Frost shows.
A few comments I've made while watching her - some as recent as last week...
Ronnie and Josephine Tewson sparkle. They've worked together numerous times and their ease with one another comes across strongly. You can tell that it's done very quickly, and it's all the better for it. It has a spontaneous, "live" feel to it, and they're very generous with one another.
Josephine Tewson whose chemistry with Barker is completely evident here. They work so well together and there's no sense of even the slightest nerve at the chaos going on around them in the studio.
They're playing a broad variety of characters, with Tewson's versatility really shining here, her roles ranging from tarts to an old grey haired wife in spectacles to a hilarious (and slightly wicked) portrayal of Joan Bakewell.
Josephine Tewson was in the [Happy Ever After] version, with some thoroughly enjoyable panicking at having to interact with Terry whom she believes to be a mugger.
Most notably, there's Josephine Tewson as Lord Rustless's secretary Miss Bates (it's the kind of timid, subservient but all-seeing and all-knowing role in which she specialises. This first series being black and white she actually looks older here than she would in the early Nineties).
I'm assuming the series was shot live, and that came across in a wonderful little incident that seemed unplanned early in the episode. Miss Bates turned to walk away from the front desk, but found her skirt was caught in one of the metal shields adorning the front of the desk. I suspect this gave us a few seconds of ad libs which gave Ronnie Barker and Josephine Tewson the chance to show what pros they are. Barker's quick retort "Kindly leave my insignia alone" was wonderful.
It's a given that in each episode certain notes will be hit. Elizabeth will be requested to take tea with Hyacinth. Hyacinth will face the window and mourn the loss of another Royal Doulton with the hand-painted periwinkles.