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Dame Patricia Routledge!

Most famous for Hyacinth on Keeping Up Appearances, but only until recently did I see more of her work. Incredible acrtress at both drama and comedy. I like Judi Dench and Maggie Smith but watching Patricia Routledge's body of work, I don't think they compare. I don't know if Keeping Up Appearances was too broad or too comedy her to be taken seriously but in this monologue is brilliant.

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by Anonymousreply 56August 4, 2020 6:01 AM

And then to move into this....

Maggie or Judi couldn't even.

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by Anonymousreply 1August 3, 2020 2:11 AM

Does she live with Moira Stuart or Pam St. Clement?

by Anonymousreply 2August 3, 2020 2:17 AM

Any other fans? Excuse my first post. English is not my first language and see a couple of errors.

by Anonymousreply 3August 3, 2020 2:17 AM

I can't believe that bitch is ninety one!

by Anonymousreply 4August 3, 2020 2:17 AM

R2 I guess she's the femme if Pam St Clement is her GF

by Anonymousreply 5August 3, 2020 2:18 AM

Everyone in that original Talking Heads series is amazing. (OP, watch the one with Maggie Smith, she's just as good.)

by Anonymousreply 6August 3, 2020 2:29 AM

She has a Tony Award for Lead Actress in a Musical.

by Anonymousreply 7August 3, 2020 2:38 AM

That was fantastic, r1. Thank you.

by Anonymousreply 8August 3, 2020 2:50 AM

She was in one of the most legendary Broadway flops of all time, Leonard Bernstein and Alan Lerner's 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where she played every First Lady from 1800-1900. It only played seven performances on Broadway.

by Anonymousreply 9August 3, 2020 3:05 AM

She starred in Darling of the Day, for which she won a Tony opposite Vincent Price. She was wonderful in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, getting standing ovations at every performance. You can see her in the Joseph Papp production of Pirates of Penzance (filmed during a performance at the Delacorte. (She opted not to do the Broadway transfer and was replaced by Estelle Parsons.) You can also check her out in the film To Sir With Love.

Her partner of the last 20 years is Betty Boothroyd.

by Anonymousreply 10August 3, 2020 3:51 AM

Interesting that both Pat and Betty's Wiki pages say something very similarly phrased:

"Never married nor had children"

by Anonymousreply 11August 3, 2020 4:02 AM

Thank you OP. She is an extraordinary actress. Those who only know her as Hyacinth are missing out on a treasure.

Thanks, r1, that was delightful.

by Anonymousreply 12August 3, 2020 5:01 AM

As a boy I got to see her in Pirates Of Penzance in central park. Don’t remember her but I’m convinced my hubby the broadway queen fell in love with me over that. She did a performance in something that was is considered legendary by the theatre queens. I don’t know what & i can’t ask hubby or i’ll get a bway history

by Anonymousreply 13August 3, 2020 5:07 AM

I suppose you mean 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, R13. She had a show stopping number, "Duet For One (First Lady)" where she played two first ladies singing a duet. I have a live recording of the show and it stops for a full four minutes of applause.

by Anonymousreply 14August 3, 2020 5:11 AM

R14 are you my husband? I thought you were through with the data lounge - i’m using your account - did you join again??

by Anonymousreply 15August 3, 2020 5:17 AM

Sadly, I am just a single theatre queen, R15.

by Anonymousreply 16August 3, 2020 5:26 AM

I like the other Alan Bennett one Patricia does about the foot fetish podiatrist

by Anonymousreply 17August 3, 2020 5:34 AM

R14 I don't understand how she could play two ladies singing a duet?

by Anonymousreply 18August 3, 2020 5:44 AM

gawd i hate hyacinth bucket.

by Anonymousreply 19August 3, 2020 6:00 AM

R19 I loathe the character and everything about the show.

But I heard Routledge interviewed on radio and she was VERY actressy doing lots of voices and impersonations and getting sentimental and she did keep me and her other listeners enthralled for the hour long interview.

by Anonymousreply 20August 3, 2020 6:05 AM

She was the first choice of both Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim for Mrs. Lovett in the original production of Sweeney Todd. She turned the part down. First, she had been living in the U.S. for several years but had just recently moved permanently back to England and wasn't interested in being uprooted again. But mainly, after reading the script, she told them she found the subject matter "too distasteful." That probably was the real reason she didn't take it because she was also offered the role in the original London production and she turned that down too.

by Anonymousreply 21August 3, 2020 9:52 AM

Love her!

by Anonymousreply 22August 3, 2020 10:47 AM

My favorite Talking Heads monologue with Patricia Routledge, through Miss. Fozzard Finds Her Feet is runner up.

This one gets me every time. When first saw literally sat weeping by the end.

A Woman of No Importance is just that; a woman so self-absorbed with herself, her routines and job and fancies herself indispensable. Truth is quite the opposite, no one really likes her, and she's too self-absorbed to notice her declining health and fact she's indeed dying. Few if any of her "friends" from the office come to see her in hospital, and those that do only because had other business there anyway. Replaced at her job (where everyone is getting on quite well without her), when the end comes no one misses her; she truly was a woman of no importance.

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by Anonymousreply 23August 3, 2020 11:22 AM

Another great Alan Bennett monologue with Patrica Routledge; Miss. Fozzard Finds Her Feet.

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by Anonymousreply 24August 3, 2020 11:27 AM

Before there was Hyacinth Bucket, Patrica Routledge did a series of skits on Victoria Wood show called "Kitty".

If you watch carefully many of the mannerisms Patricia Routledge uses with Kitty, she would also use later with Hyacinth.

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by Anonymousreply 25August 3, 2020 11:33 AM

In an interview years ago, Jeremy Gittins (aka The Dishy Vicar) described Dame Routledge as a "natural clown".

I also saw a reference to her and her "companion" (some female name I can't remember) in an article years ago. I've always assume she was lesbo.

by Anonymousreply 26August 3, 2020 11:36 AM

Sorry, wrong link.

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by Anonymousreply 27August 3, 2020 11:37 AM

Off Topic: Speaking of the beauteous Jeremy Gittins, partake of a young, pre KUA, Jeremy.

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by Anonymousreply 28August 3, 2020 11:39 AM

Older, but still dishy.

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by Anonymousreply 29August 3, 2020 11:40 AM

Another Kitty...

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by Anonymousreply 30August 3, 2020 11:41 AM

Patricia Routledge sings!

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by Anonymousreply 31August 3, 2020 11:42 AM

Before Talking Heads proper, there was a one-off monologue by Alan Bennett that really started them, A Woman of No Importance, also with a great performance from Patricia Routledge. She was also a magnificent Old Lady in Candide. I don't see the point of comparing her to Dames Judi or Maggie however (although the former has a good sit com record and the latter did a lot of revue). Pat ain't ever giving a Lady Macbeth, Medea or Mother Courage for the ages. Has she ever dome Lady Bracknell, even?,

by Anonymousreply 32August 3, 2020 11:47 AM

Jeremy Gittins was quite fit as a young man.

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by Anonymousreply 33August 3, 2020 11:49 AM

Patrica Routledge was in original London production of Noises Off to rave reviews.

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by Anonymousreply 34August 3, 2020 11:56 AM

Not On Your Nellie is one of the great tracks ever recorded in Broadway cast recording history. The sounds she is able to make are astounding. In fact, the entire OBCR is wonderful and an underrated gem.

I too have an audio from 1600 Penn and she is wild. Duet for One is a knockout, but the rest of the score is fascinating too.

by Anonymousreply 35August 3, 2020 11:57 AM

'Talking Heads' aficionados will be able now to compare and contrast. The BBC gave us brilliant lockdown viewing as twelve monologues were broadcast with new actors.

Despite Dame Pat being so unforgettable, Imelda Staunton and Maxine Peake newly inhabited their given roles quite as expertly.

'Talking Heads' being absolute TV classics now, there's quite enough room for all that talent. But at least Pat claimed those great roles first!

by Anonymousreply 36August 3, 2020 11:58 AM

Know this is PR's thread, but have to mention another Alan Bennett monologue "Soldiering On" with Stephanie Cole.

Those who only know Ms. Cole as "Diana Foul Mouth Trent" from television series "Waiting For God" will appreciate the actress is far more than that role. In fact for much of her career shes played women older than herself.

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by Anonymousreply 37August 3, 2020 11:59 AM

She is great. Love her.

by Anonymousreply 38August 3, 2020 12:05 PM

Out and proud Alan Bennett did few turns in front of camera for a few of his monologues.

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by Anonymousreply 39August 3, 2020 12:07 PM

She did a pretty good job with Climb Every Mountain. I had no idea.

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by Anonymousreply 40August 3, 2020 12:21 PM

PR, is apparently quite religious in addition to being (apparently) a lesbian. She is also, known for being difficult to work with, more the prickly kind than the raging bitch kind. Josephine Tewson (Elizabeth the neighbor) had stared in a few TV shows before KUP. Apparently, PR made it clear from the beginning that Elizabeth was a supporting role, and she shouldn't get any ideas.

During lockdown, my partner and I have been trying to watch her Hetty Wainthropp mysteries. To be honest, I find them a very hard slog. It has more to do with the writing than her performance, but to be honest I can understand why the show was cancelled. Apparently, she was so angry that she would not appear on the BBC for years.

by Anonymousreply 41August 3, 2020 12:29 PM

No this is NOT the Chinese take-away!

by Anonymousreply 42August 3, 2020 1:22 PM

I'm not sure whether you'd describe this as a song or a monologue, but the Dame is brilliant in it.

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by Anonymousreply 43August 3, 2020 2:45 PM

Ah, poor old Pat Routledge. She is best remembered for a character she came to hate, because to this day the infamy of Hyacinth Bucket eclipses all her other work - and she has had some huge successes on both stage and screen. But few people remember them, and want her to do Hyacinth impressions.

I have a cousin who has acted on stage with her, and she concurs with the “prickly” epithet, but also says she is only like that around other people who are equally prickly. She is also very kind to aspiring actors and will give up a bit of stage presence to the benefit of a young actor she thinks has potential - but only if they are working hard. She is intolerant of laziness.

by Anonymousreply 44August 3, 2020 3:40 PM

R41 i had the impression too that she could be difficult, or snide. there's a PBS fund raiser type show called British Comedy or similar, a fast sweep fro the goon show to izzard, and she talks about who would play Richard. "i thought they were going to give me some clapped-out old vaudevilian!" well, that's a nice thing to say. "instead they gave me a member of the royal shalespeare company" (clive swift). befitting herself, i imagine.

by Anonymousreply 45August 3, 2020 8:52 PM

^ I think it's a shame that clive swift is better known for that vulgar TV comedy instead of the fact that he was formerly married to a Methodist writer of rare genius—

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by Anonymousreply 46August 3, 2020 8:57 PM

R40

Usually (but not always) when an actor sings very badly in a role, it means the opposite; they have a trained or legitimate voice.

It takes someone with knowledge of rules to break them well, and that is what singing off key and the rest is about.

Even as Hyacinth Bucket "Emment" and "Liz" would comment that the woman had rich powerful voice. It was person in charge of it that was problem.

Madeline Khan does a bit of this in film "Blazing Saddles" playing Lili von Shtupp, character channeling Marlene Dietrich who cannot sing. Joke is MK had a perfectly wonderful trained and legitimate voice, even tried out for Metropolitan Opera.

As for Patricia Routledge and Hyacinth Bucket, yes she does get annoyed would imagine since for all work she did before and after, that is what people remember. She quit Keeping Up Appearances because felt it was time to go, and wanted to do other things. Sadly next television series (Hettie Wainwright Investigates) while totally opposite KUA just wasn't that great.

by Anonymousreply 47August 3, 2020 9:04 PM

The joke in Blazing Saddles is absolutely not that Madeline Kahn was a trained singer.

by Anonymousreply 48August 3, 2020 9:06 PM

R45

Have seen that British comedy series, and don't think PR meant anything by that statement. She was by then a trained actress with a varied and strong C.V. and rightly as star of show wanted someone of similar or equal status.

Keeping Up Appearances worked so well because Clive Swift's "Richard" was perfect against Dame Pat's Hyacinth.

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by Anonymousreply 49August 3, 2020 9:08 PM

Pat & Betty...

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by Anonymousreply 50August 3, 2020 9:11 PM

R48

You misunderstood.

Was saying joke is about Marlene Dietrich who really couldn't sing, or at least had a very limited range. Whereas Madeline Khan was opposite.

by Anonymousreply 51August 3, 2020 9:12 PM

This is what you wrote:

[Quote] Joke is MK had a perfectly wonderful trained and legitimate voice, even tried out for Metropolitan Opera.

by Anonymousreply 52August 3, 2020 9:13 PM

Thank you, r28. To be as handsome as that amounts in itself to nobility.

by Anonymousreply 53August 3, 2020 10:25 PM

As great as Lansbury was, Routledge would have been insanely wonderful as Mrs. Lovett. She had the voice to sing it, the comic timing to nail the humor and the dramatic chops to handle the serious parts. What a loss she turned it down.

by Anonymousreply 54August 3, 2020 10:30 PM

Would she have been believably in lust with a male co-star?

by Anonymousreply 55August 3, 2020 10:35 PM

"… She's a bit of an ugly duckling You must honestly confess And the width of her seat Would surely defeat Her chances of success …'

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by Anonymousreply 56August 4, 2020 6:01 AM
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