Peggy Ashcroft | |
|---|---|
 Ashcroft in 1936 | |
| Born | Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft (1907-12-22)22 December 1907 Croydon, England |
| Died | 14 June 1991(1991-06-14) (aged 83) |
| Alma mater | Royal Central School of Speech and Drama |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Deirdre Hart-Davis (sister-in-law) Fyodor Komissarzhevsky (father-in-law) Vera Komissarzhevskaya (sister-in-law) St John Hutchinson (father-in-law) Mary Hutchinson (mother-in-law) Emily Loizeau (granddaughter) |
Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft (22 December 1907 – 14 June 1991), known professionally asPeggy Ashcroft, was an English actress whose career spanned more than six decades.
Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was determined from an early age to become an actress, despite parental opposition. She was working in smaller theatres even before graduating from drama school, and within two years she was starring in theWest End. Ashcroft maintained her leading place in British theatre for the next 50 years. Always attracted by the ideals of permanent theatrical ensembles, she did much of her work for theOld Vic in the early 1930s,John Gielgud's companies in the 1930s and 1940s, theShakespeare Memorial Theatre and its successor theRoyal Shakespeare Company from the 1950s, and theNational Theatre from the 1970s.
While well regarded inShakespeare, Ashcroft was also known for her commitment to modern drama, appearing in plays byBertolt Brecht,Samuel Beckett andHarold Pinter. Her career was almost wholly spent in the live theatre until the 1980s. She then turned to television and cinema with considerable success, winning threeBAFTAs, oneGolden Globe Award and anAcademy Award, and received nominations for an additional Golden Globe Award and twoPrimetime Emmy Awards.
Ashcroft was born inCroydon, Surrey, (now inGreater London) the younger child and only daughter of Violetta Maud,née Bernheim (1874–1926) and William Worsley Ashcroft (1878–1918), a land agent. According toMichael Billington, her biographer, Violetta Ashcroft was of Danish and German Jewish descent and a keen amateur actress.[1] Ashcroft's father was killed on active service in the First World War. She attended Woodford School, East Croydon, where one of her teachers encouraged her love of Shakespeare, but neither her teachers nor her mother approved of her desire to become a professional actress. Ashcroft was determined, however, and at the age of 16, she enrolled at theCentral School of Speech and Drama, run byElsie Fogerty, from whom her mother had taken lessons some years before.[2] The school's emphasis was on the voice and elegant diction, which did not appeal to Ashcroft or to her fellow pupilLaurence Olivier. She learned more from readingMy Life in Art byConstantin Stanislavski, the influential director of theMoscow Art Theatre.[2]
While still a student, Ashcroft made her professional stage debut at theBirmingham Repertory Theatre in a revival ofJ. M. Barrie'sDear Brutus oppositeRalph Richardson, with whom she had been greatly impressed when she saw him inCharles Doran's touring company while she was still a schoolgirl.[3] She graduated from the Central School in 1927 withLondon University's Diploma in Dramatic Art.[4] Never much drawn to theWest End or stardom, she learned her craft with mostly small companies in fringe theatres. Her first notable West End role was Naemi inJew Süss in 1929, an extravagantly theatrical production, in which she won praise for the naturalism and truth of her playing.[5] In the same year she marriedRupert Hart-Davis, then an aspiring actor and later a publisher. He later described the marriage as "a sad failure: we were much too young to know what we wanted ... after much agony we parted and were duly divorced. Nowadays Peggy and I lunch together perhaps once or twice a year in a Soho restaurant and have a lovely nostalgic-romantic talk of shared memories of long ago. She is a lovely person and the best actress living."[6]
In 1930 Ashcroft was cast asDesdemona in a production ofOthello at theSavoy Theatre, starringPaul Robeson in the title role. The production was not well received, but Ashcroft's notices were excellent. The production prompted a political awakening in Ashcroft, who was astonished to receive hate mail for appearing onstage with a black actor; she was angry that Robeson was not welcome at theSavoy Hotel, despite being the star at the adjoining Savoy Theatre.[7] During the run she had a brief affair with Robeson, which caused Robeson and his wifeEssie Robeson to temporarily split up.[8] Their affair, followed by another with the writerJ. B. Priestley, ended Ashcroft's first marriage.[9][10] Hart-Davis was granted a divorce in 1933, on the grounds of Ashcroft's adultery with the directorTheodore Komisarjevsky.[11]
Among those impressed by Ashcroft's performance as Desdemona wasJohn Gielgud, recently established as a West End star. He recalled, "When Peggy came on in the Senate scene it was as if all the lights in the theatre had suddenly gone up".[12] In 1932 he was invited by theOxford University Dramatic Society to try his hand at directing, in the society's production ofRomeo and Juliet. Ashcroft as Juliet andEdith Evans as the nurse won golden notices, although their director, already notorious for his innocent slips of the tongue, referred to them as "Two leading ladies, the like of whom I hope I shall never meet again."[13]
Ashcroft joined theOld Vic company for the 1932–33 season. The theatre, in an unfashionable area of London south of theThames, was run byLilian Baylis to offer plays and operas to a mostly working-class audience at low ticket prices.[14] She paid her performers modest wages, but the theatre was known for its unrivaled repertory of classics, mostlyShakespeare, and many West End stars took a large pay cut to work there. It was, inSheridan Morley's words, the place to learn Shakespearean technique and try new ideas.[15] During the season Ashcroft played five Shakespeare heroines,[n 1] as well as Kate inShe Stoops to Conquer, Mary Stuart in a new play byJohn Drinkwater, and Lady Teazle inThe School for Scandal.[16] In 1933 she made her first film,The Wandering Jew.[17] She was not attracted to the medium of cinema and made only four more films over the next quarter-century.[2]
During her professional and personal relationship with Komisarjevsky, whom she married in 1934 and left in 1936, Ashcroft learned from him what Billington calls "the vital importance of discipline, perfectionism, and the idea that the actor, even during passages of emotional stress, must remain a thinking human being".[1]
After appearing in theHitchcock filmThe 39 Steps (1935), and a succession of stage failures, Ashcroft was once again cast as Juliet by Gielgud, this time in a West End production that attracted enormous attention. It ran from October 1935 to March 1936, and Ashcroft's Romeos were played in alternation by Olivier and Gielgud. Critical opinions differed as to the relative merits of her leading men, but Ashcroft won glowing reviews.[18] In May 1936 Komisarjevsky directed a production ofThe Seagull, with Evans as Arkadina, Gielgud as Trigorin and Ashcroft as Nina. The recent collapse of her marriage to the director made rehearsals difficult, but the critical reception was ecstatic.[19]
After playing briefly and without much pleasure in New York, Ashcroft returned to London in 1937 for a season of four plays presented by Gielgud at theQueen's Theatre. She played the Queen inRichard II, Lady Teazle inThe School for Scandal, Irina inThree Sisters and Portia inThe Merchant of Venice. The company includedHarry Andrews,Glen Byam Shaw, George Devine,Michael Redgrave and Harcourt Williams, withAngela Baddeley andGwen Ffrangcon-Davies as guests. The directors were Gielgud himself,Tyrone Guthrie andMichel Saint-Denis. Billington considers that this company laid the foundations of post-war ensembles such as theRoyal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. TheMunich crisis and the approach of the Second World War delayed for a decade the further development of such a company.[1]
In 1940, Ashcroft met and married the rising lawyerJeremy Hutchinson. They had a daughter, Eliza, the following year, and Ashcroft did little stage work while the child was young. Her main appearances during the war years were in Gielgud's company at theHaymarket Theatre in 1944, playing Ophelia inHamlet, Titania inA Midsummer Night's Dream and the title role inThe Duchess of Malfi. She won excellent notices, but the productions were thought to lack flair and were unfavourably compared with the exciting work of the rival Old Vic company under Richardson and Olivier's leadership.[1][20] After the Haymarket season Ashcroft resumed her break from the theatre, first campaigning for her husband, who stood as aLabour candidate in the1945 general election, and then having a second child, Nicholas, in 1946.[21]
Returning to the stage in 1947, Ashcroft had two long-running successes in a row as the alcoholic Evelyn Holt inEdward, My Son, in the West End and then onBroadway, and the downtrodden Catherine Sloper inThe Heiress in 1949.[1]
Ashcroft began the 1950s with a return to Shakespeare, at theShakespeare Memorial Theatre,Stratford-upon-Avon, playing Beatrice to Gielgud's Benedick inMuch Ado About Nothing and Cordelia to hisKing Lear.[16] In 1951 she returned to the Old Vic, playing Viola inTwelfth Night, the title role inElectra and Mistress Page inThe Merry Wives of Windsor. In the second of these, according to Billington, "she scaled the austere peaks of Greek tragedy".[1]
Through the rest of the decade, Ashcroft's career switched between commercial productions in the West End and appearances in the nascent subsidised theatres in Shakespeare and experimental works. In the former she made a deep impression as the adulterous, suicidal Hester Collyer inTerence Rattigan'sThe Deep Blue Sea (1952) and was well reviewed as the governess Miss Madrigal inEnid Bagnold'sThe Chalk Garden (1956). Her roles for non-commercial managements were in Shakespeare at Stratford and on tour,[n 2]Hedda Gabler (1954) and the double role of Shen Te and Shui Ta inThe Good Woman of Setzuan (1956). The last of these was not a success, but Ashcroft was credited with courage for taking the role on.[1]
In 1958,Peter Hall, who had been appointed to run the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, approached Ashcroft with his plans for a permanent company, with bases in Stratford and London, and a regular, salaried company, presenting a mixture of classical and new plays. Ashcroft immediately agreed to join him, and her lead was, in Hall's view, key to the success of the newRoyal Shakespeare Company (RSC).[1]
In the RSC's first seasons Ashcroft played Katharina inThe Taming of the Shrew, Paulina inThe Winter's Tale (1960), The Duchess of Malfi (1961), Emilia inOthello (1961) and Ranevskaya inThe Cherry Orchard, opposite Gielgud as Gaev.[17] These were generally well reviewed, but her performance inThe Wars of the Roses in 1963 and 1964 had the critics searching for superlatives. The production was a reshaping of Shakespeare's threeHenry VI plays andRichard III. Ashcroft, then aged fifty-six, playedMargaret of Anjou, ageing from blithe youth to ferocious old age as the plays progressed. The criticPhilip Hope-Wallace wrote of:
... the quite marvellous, fearsome performance of Dame Peggy Ashcroft as Margaret of Anjou, who skipped on to the stage, a lightfooted, ginger, sub-deb sub-bitch at about 11.35 a.m. and was last seen, a bedraggled crone with glittering eye, rambling and cussing with undiminished fury, 11 hours later, having grown before our eyes into a vexed and contumacious queen, a battle-axe and a maniac monster of rage and cruelty ... even the stoniest gaze was momentarily lowered from this gorgon.[22]
At about this time Ashcroft's third and last marriage was beginning to fall apart. According to Billington she found solace in her work, and threw herself into classical andavant garde works "with ever greater fervour".[1] Her roles in the 1960s were Arkadina inThe Seagull (1964), Mother inMarguerite Duras'sDays in the Trees (1966), Mrs Alving inIbsen'sGhosts (1967), Agnes inEdward Albee'sA Delicate Balance (1969), Beth inPinter'sLandscape (1969) and Katharine of Aragon inHenry VIII (1969).[17]
In the 1970s, Ashcroft remained a pillar of the RSC but when Peter Hall succeeded Olivier as director of the National Theatre in 1973 he persuaded her to appear there from time to time. She also appeared at the Royal Court in Duras'sThe Lovers of Viorne (1971) in the role of a schizophrenic killer, a performance that the youngHelen Mirren found so accomplished that "I just wanted to rush out and start all over again".[23] Many were surprised when Ashcroft appeared with Richardson at the Savoy in 1972 in what was by all appearances a conventional West Enddrawing room comedy,Lloyd George Knew My Father, byWilliam Douglas-Home, but the two stars revealed unexpected depths in their characters.[24]
For the National, Ashcroft appeared in Ibsen'sJohn Gabriel Borkman,Beckett'sHappy Days,Lillian Hellman'sWatch on the Rhine and Pinter'sFamily Voices. Her RSC roles were Lidya inAleksei Arbuzov'sOld World (1976), and her last stage part was the Countess inAll's Well That Ends Well, which she played at Stratford in 1981 and in London in 1982.[17]
Ashcroft later made occasional, but highly successful, television and film appearances. ForThe Jewel in the Crown she won a BAFTA award forbest actress in 1984, and for her portrayal of Mrs. Moore inDavid Lean's 1984 filmA Passage to India she won anotherBAFTA best actress award and the 1985 Oscar forBest Supporting Actress; this made her the oldest person to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, at 77 years 93 days old.[25][17] Her final performance was also in a work about India, the radio playIn the Native State by Tom Stoppard.[26]
She was the grandmother of the French singerEmily Loizeau.[27]
Ashcroft died of a stroke in London at the age of 83.[1] Her ashes were scattered around amulberry tree in the Great Garden atNew Place, Stratford-upon-Avon, which she had planted in 1969.[28] A memorial service was held inWestminster Abbey on 30 November 1991.[1]
Ashcroft's British state honours wereCommander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the1951 Birthday Honours andDame Commander of the Order (DBE) in the1956 Birthday Honours. Her foreign state honours were the King's Gold Medal, Norway (1955), and theOrder of St Olav, Norway (Commander, 1976). She was awarded honorary degrees by eight universities and was an honorary fellow ofSt Hugh's College, Oxford. She was awarded aBritish Film Institute Fellowship in 1989.[29] In addition to the Oscar and BAFTA awards, she received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play forOld World in 1976, aVenice Film Festival Award forShe's Been Away (1989), a BAFTA Award for the television playCaught on a Train (1980), a special award from the British Theatre Association for the television playCream in My Coffee (1982), a special award from BAFTA (1990) and a specialLaurence Olivier Award (1991).[17]
Ashcroft is commemorated with a memorial plaque inPoets' Corner, Westminster Abbey. TheAshcroft Theatre in Croydon was named in her honour in 1962.[1] TheRoyal Shakespeare Company has an Ashcroft Room directly above theSwan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon named after her, used for play rehearsals.
On 13 June 2024,English Heritage unveiled ablue plaque on Ashcroft's birthplace at Tirlemont Road, South Croydon.[30]
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Best Supporting Actress | A Passage to India | Won | [31] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| British Academy Film Awards | ||||
| 1960 | Best British Actress | The Nun's Story | Nominated | [32] |
| 1970 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Three into Two Won't Go | Nominated | [33] |
| 1986 | Best Actress in a Leading Role | A Passage to India | Won | [34] |
| 1990 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | Madame Sousatzka | Nominated | [33] |
| British Academy Television Awards | ||||
| 1966 | Best Actress | The Wars of the Roses /Theatre 625: Rosmersholm | Nominated | [35] |
| 1979 | Edward & Mrs. Simpson /Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures | Nominated | ||
| 1981 | Cream in My Coffee /Caught on a Train | Won | ||
| 1985 | The Jewel in the Crown | Won | ||
| 1990 | She's Been Away | Nominated | ||
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | The Jewel in the Crown | Nominated | [36] |
| 1989 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | A Perfect Spy | Nominated | [37] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture | A Passage to India | Won | [38] |
| Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | The Jewel in the Crown | Nominated | [39] |
| Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Actress of the Year in a New Play | Old World | Won | [40] |
| 1991 | Society of London Theatre Special Award | — | Honoured | [41] |
Other Awards
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1933 | The Wandering Jew | Olalla Quintana | [47] |
| 1935 | The 39 Steps | Margaret, the crofter's wife | [48] |
| 1936 | Rhodes of Africa | Ann Carpenter | Released in the U.S. asRhodes, the Empire Builder[48] |
| 1940 | Channel Incident | She | Short[49] |
| 1941 | Quiet Wedding | Flower Lisle | [49] |
| 1942 | We Serve | Ann | Short[50][51] |
| 1959 | The Nun's Story | Mother Mathilde | [52] |
| 1968 | Secret Ceremony | Hannah | [48] |
| 1969 | Three Into Two Won't Go | Belle | [52] |
| 1971 | Sunday Bloody Sunday | Mrs Greville | [48] |
| 1973 | The Pedestrian (German:Der Fußgänger) | Lady Gray | [48] |
| 1976 | Landscape | Beth | [53] |
| 1977 | Joseph Andrews | Lady Tattle | [49] |
| 1984 | A Passage to India | Mrs Moore | [52] |
| 1986 | When the Wind Blows | Hilda Bloggs | Voice[48] |
| 1988 | Madame Sousatzka | Lady Emily | [52] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1939 | The Tempest | Miranda | The Tempest, The Tempest/II TV Films[54][55] |
| 1939 | Twelfth Night | Viola | [56] |
| 1959 | BBC Sunday-Night Theatre | Julia Rajk | Episode: Shadow of Heroes[57] |
| 1962 | The Cherry Orchard | Mme. Lyubov Andreyeyna Ranevsky | [58] |
| 1965 | Theatre 625 | Rebecca West | Episode: Rosmersholm[59] |
| 1965 | The Wars of the Roses | Margaret of Anjou | [60] |
| 1966 | ITV Play of the Week | Mrs. Patrick Campbell | Episode: Dear Liar |
| 1967 | The Wednesday Play: Days in the Trees | The Mother | Guest Star[61] |
| 1968 | From Chekhov with Love | Olga Knipper | TV film[62] |
| 1972 | ITV Sunday Night Theatre | Sonya | Episode: The Last Journey[63] |
| 1976 | Arena | Winnie | Episode: Theatre, TV Series Documentary |
| 1978 | Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures | Lady G | |
| 1978 | Edward & Mrs. Simpson | Queen Mary | |
| 1980 | Caught on a Train | Frau Messner | [49] |
| Cream in My Coffee | Jean Wilsher | ||
| BBC2 Playhouse | |||
| 1982 | Play of the Month: Little Eyolf | The Rat Wife | [49] |
| 1984 | The Jewel in the Crown | Barbie Batchelor | |
| 1987 | A Perfect Spy | Miss Dubber | |
| 1989 | The Heat of the Day | Nettie | TV film[64][65] |
| 1989 | Screen One:She's Been Away | Lillian Huckle | Venice Film Festival – Golden Ciak Award for Best Actress[citation needed] Venice Film Festival – Pasinetti Award for Best Actress[citation needed] |
| 1990 | Murder by the Book | Agatha Christie | [66] |
