Dame Patricia Routledge | |
|---|---|
_(52727635532).jpg) Routledge in 2023 | |
| Born | Katherine Patricia Routledge (1929-02-17)17 February 1929 Tranmere, Cheshire, England |
| Died | 3 October 2025(2025-10-03) (aged 96) Chichester, England |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1952–2025 |
Dame Katherine Patricia Routledge (/ˈraʊtlɪdʒ/ROWT-lij; 17 February 1929 – 3 October 2025) was an English actress and singer. She was best known for her role asHyacinth Bucket in theBBC One comedy seriesKeeping Up Appearances (1990–1995), for which she was twice nominated for theBAFTA TV Award for Best Light Entertainment Performance.
Routledge made her professional stage debut at theLiverpool Playhouse in 1952, and herWest End debut in 1959. She made herBroadway debut in 1966, and won the 1968Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role inDarling of the Day. She won the 1988Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical forCandide atThe Old Vic. Her film appearances includeTo Sir, with Love (1967) andDon't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (1968).
Routledge came to prominence during the 1980s in television monologues written byAlan Bennett andVictoria Wood, appearing in Bennett'sA Woman of No Importance (1982) and as Kitty inVictoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985–1986), and being nominated for theBAFTA TV Award for Best Actress for Bennett'sTalking Heads: A Lady of Letters (1988). She also starred as Hetty Wainthropp in the television seriesHetty Wainthropp Investigates (1990, 1996–1998). Routledge was made aDame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to theatre and charity in 2017.
Katherine Patricia Routledge was born inTranmere (which was then inCheshire and is now inMerseyside) on 17 February 1929,[1][2][3] the daughter of Catherine Perry andhaberdasher and gentlemen's outfitter Isaac Routledge. Her parents married in 1924.[4] Routledge attendedBirkenhead High School inOxton[5] before studying at theUniversity of Liverpool,[6] where she gained a degree with honours in English Language and Literature.[7] She was involved in the university's dramatic society, where she worked closely with the academicEdmund Colledge, who both directed and acted in several of the society's productions; he persuaded her to pursue an acting career.[8] After graduating, she trained at theBristol Old Vic Theatre School and returned to Liverpool to begin her acting career at theLiverpool Playhouse.[9]
Routledge had a long career in theatre, including musical theatre, in the United Kingdom and the United States,[10] her vocal range being that of amezzo-soprano. In 1956 she appeared as Adriana in a musical version ofThe Comedy of Errors with music byJulian Slade at theArts Theatre, which was subsequently broadcast onITV; Routledge commented at the time that "a lot of people who might have shied off Shakespeare have come along and absolutely adored it because of the music".[11] At the Chichester Festival Theatre her first notable role was Agatha inThe Magistrate in 1969 oppositeAlastair Sim in the title role, which was a big success and transferred to the West End; they were to reunite in 1973 in another play by PineroDandy Dick where she played Georgiana Tidman.[12] Later appearances at Chichester included Emilia inOthello in 1975, Mrs Malaprop inThe Rivals which transferred to the West End, Miss Dyott inThe Schoolmistress in 1994,[12] Lady Bracknell inThe Importance of Being Earnest in 1999 which as well as West End transfers also toured Australia,[13] and The Duchess inWild Orchids in 2002; one-woman shows includedCome for the Ride in 1989 with musical comedy excerpts,A Woman of No Importance andA Lady of Letters byAlan Bennett in 1991, andAdmission: One Shilling andFacing the Music.[12]
HerWest End credits includedLittle Mary Sunshine,[14] the first production ofCowardy Custard in 1972,[15]Virtue in Danger,[16] the premiere ofNoises Off in 1982 (creating the role of Dotty Otley),[17]The Importance of Being Earnest,[18] andThe Solid Gold Cadillac.[19] She was nominated for theLaurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her work inAnd a Nightingale Sang in 1979. She was a member of theRoyal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in the 1980s, appearing in such acclaimed productions as the 1984Richard III, withAntony Sher in the title role.[20][21]
A classically trained singer,[22] she made occasionally forays intooperetta including taking the title role in an acclaimed production ofJacques Offenbach'sLa Grande-Duchesse de Gérolstein at the 1978Camden Festival; "As the Grand Duchess she invested every phrase, spoken or sung ... with wit and meaning, and coloured her tone to express a wide variety of emotions. Never did she resort to the hoydenish behaviour that this role – in British productions at least – seems to invite."[23]
Routledge made herBroadway debut inRoger Milner's comedyHow's the World Treating You? in 1966, returning in the short-lived 1968 musicalDarling of the Day,[24] for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, sharing the honour withLeslie Uggams ofHallelujah, Baby![25] Following this, Routledge had roles in several more unsuccessful American productions including a musical calledLove Match, in which she playedQueen Victoria; the legendary 1976Leonard Bernstein flop1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, in which she portrayed everyU.S. First Lady fromAbigail Adams toLucy Webb Hayes;[26] and a 1981 musical,Say Hello to Harvey – based on theMary Coyle Chase playHarvey (1944) – which closed inToronto before reaching New York City.[27]
In 1980, Routledge played Ruth in theJoseph Papp production ofThe Pirates of Penzance, co-starring American actorKevin Kline and pop vocalistLinda Ronstadt, at theDelacorte Theatre in New York City'sCentral Park, one of a series ofShakespeare in the Park summer events.[28][29] The show was a hit and transferred to Broadway the following January, withEstelle Parsons replacing Routledge.[30] A DVD of theCentral Park production, with Routledge, was released in October 2002. She also performed inFaçade at New York'sCarnegie Recital Hall.[31]
Routledge won aLaurence Olivier Award in 1988 for her portrayal of the Old Lady inLeonard Bernstein'sCandide in the London cast of the critically acclaimedScottish Opera production.[7] One critic noted "She stopped the show with 'I am so easily assimilated', and her long narration worked on at least two levels – it was both hilarious and oddly moving."[32] She also played the role of Nettie Fowler to great acclaim in the 1992National Theatre production ofCarousel,[33] which won theOlivier Award for Best Musical Revival in 1993.[34]
In a 2006Hampstead Theatre production ofThe Best of Friends, she portrayed DameLaurentia McLachlan.[35] In 2007 she starred inAlan Bennett'sOffice Suite at Chichester and on tour, playing roles she had originated in TV versions almost thirty years previously.[36] In 2008, she played Queen Mary inRoyce Ryton's playCrown Matrimonial.[37] More recent work included the role of DameMyra Hess in the tribute showAdmission: One Shilling from 2009, the narrator inThe Carnival of the Animals with theNash Ensemble in 2010,[38] and Lady Markby inAn Ideal Husband at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 2014.[39]
From 2009, Routledge toured with a show entitledFacing the Music. The show featured insights into her musical theatre career.[40]
Routledge's screen credits includedTo Sir, with Love (1967),[41]Pretty Polly (1967),[42]30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia,The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom,[43]Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River (all 1968),[44]If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969) andGirl Stroke Boy (1971).[45][46]
Routledge's early television appearances included a role inSteptoe and Son, in the episode "Seance in a Wet Rag and Bone Yard" (1974), as aclairvoyant called Madame Fontana.[47] She also appeared inCoronation Street (1961),[48] followed by the role of Maggie inITV'sPlay of the WeekHobson's Choice (oppositeMichael Caine as Will Mosop) (1962),[49] and as a white witch inDoctor at Large (1971). Routledge played Mrs. Jennings in the BBCmini-series production ofSense and Sensibility (1971).
Routledge did not come to prominence on television until she featured inmonologues written for her byAlan Bennett and laterVictoria Wood in the 1980s. She first appeared inA Woman of No Importance, the second installment of Bennett's anthology,Objects of Affection in 1982.[50] She then played the opinionatedKitty inVictoria Wood: As Seen on TV in 1985. She performed two further monologues in Bennett'sTalking Heads in 1988 and 1998. Routledge was nominated for aBritish Academy Television Award for Best Actress for the monologue "A Lady of Letters".[51] In 1989, Routledge appeared in a series of television advertisements for theRAC.[52][53]
In 1990, Routledge accepted the lead role of Hetty Wainthropp in an ITV mystery drama,Hetty Wainthropp: Missing Persons.[54][55] ITV opted not to pursue a series after the pilot episode,[55][56] but in 1996 the BBC produced the first series ofHetty Wainthropp Investigates, with Routledge again in the lead role.[57] The show co-starredDominic Monaghan as her assistant andDerek Benfield as her husband. It first aired in January 1996 and ran until late 1998.[57] Monaghan, who went on to enjoy a Hollywood career, credited Routledge as "an amazing teacher" who taught him some "very valuable lessons" in acting.[58]
In 1990, Routledge was cast asHyacinth Bucket in the comedy seriesKeeping Up Appearances.[59] She portrayed a formerly working-class woman with social pretensions (insisting her surname be pronounced "bouquet") anddelusions of grandeur (her oft-mentioned "candlelight suppers").[10][60] Routledge delighted in portraying Hyacinth, as she said[when?] she "couldn't stand people like her" in real life.[citation needed] In 1991, she won aBritish Comedy Award for her portrayal[61] and she was later nominated for twoBAFTA TV Awards in 1992 and 1993. Throughout 1993, Routledge also appeared as Hyacinth in a number oftelevision advertisements forBritish Gas.[62][63] In 1994, she appeared as Hyacinth again in a UK television infomercial for the charity Second Chance;Josephine Tewson also reprised herKeeping Up Appearances role.[64] Routledge also played Hyacinth on the BBC in a series of infomercials forTV licensing.[65][66]
Routledge ended her role as Hyacinth in 1995, despite the series' continued popularity, as she wanted to pursue other acting roles.[67] In a 2017 interview, Routledge said: "I always thought of the great, greatRonnie Barker. He always left something when he was on a high, and it's much better to have people say now 'Oh, why didn't you do some more?' than having them say 'Oh, is that still on?'".[68] Another reason she wished to leave the role was that she felt that the writer (Roy Clarke) was "recycling some old ideas that we'd already dealt with".[69][68]
Routledge also played several real-life characters for television, includingBarbara Pym, and a dramatised biographical documentary aboutHildegard of Bingen forBBCOmnibus in 1994.[70]
In 2001, Routledge starred inAnybody's Nightmare, a fact-based television drama in which she played Sheila Bowler, a mother and piano teacher who served four years in prison for murdering her elderly aunt, but was later acquitted following a retrial.[71]
In 2016, Routledge presentedBeatrix Potter with Patricia Routledge onChannel 4 to celebrate the 150th anniversary ofPotter's birth.[72]
In January 2023,Channel 5 aired a 67-minuteKeeping Up Appearances retrospective special for their30 Years Of Laughs series. Cast, crew and celebrities paid tribute to the show. The documentary featured an interview with Routledge, who was 93 at the time, sharing her memories of the show along with supporting cast membersJudy Cornwell,Jeremy Gittins andDavid Janson.[73]
In 1966, Routledge sang the role of Mad Margaret inRuddigore, the title role inIolanthe and Melissa inPrincess Ida, in a series ofBBC RadioGilbert and Sullivan recordings.[74] She took part in a studio broadcast ofTchaikovsky's operaVakula the Smith (narrating excerpts from thework by Gogol) in 1989.[75]
Her extensive radio credits included severalAlan Bennett plays and the BBC dramatisation ofCarole Hayman'sLadies of Letters, in which she andPrunella Scales played retired women exchanging humorous correspondence over the course of several years.[76] A tenth series ofLadies of Letters premiered onBBC Radio 4 in 2009.[77] Routledge's radio work prior to 1985 includedPrivate Lives,Present Laughter,The Cherry Orchard,Romeo and Juliet,Alice in Wonderland andThe Fountain Overflows.[31]
Having a distinctive voice, Routledge also recorded and released a variety ofaudiobooks includingunabridged readings ofWuthering Heights andAlice's Adventures in Wonderland and abridged novelisations of theHetty Wainthropp Investigates series.[78]
Routledge never married and had no children. In a 2001 interview withThe Telegraph, she said, "I didn't make a decision not to be married and not to be a mother. Life just turned out like that because my involvement in acting was so total."[79] In the same interview, she admitted to having an affair with a married man in her late 20s and another affair with the director of a play she was in years later.[79]
Routledge settled inChichester in 2000 and was a regular churchgoer atChichester Cathedral.[7][80][81] In 2020, she helped raise £10,000 towards the restoration of the cathedral's roof.[80] She was a patron of theBeatrix Potter Society andKeswick'sTheatre by the Lake.[82] She was also an ambassador ofKidney Research UK.[83]
She was a close friend ofBetty Boothroyd, aLabour Party MP andSpeaker of the House of Commons, and her cover of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" was played at Boothroyd's funeral in March 2023.[84]
Routledge died peacefully in her sleep on 3 October 2025, at the age of 96 at her home inChichester.[3][85][86] Her funeral was held at Chichester Cathedral on 5 November 2025,[87] followed by cremation at Chichester Crematorium.[88]
Tributes to her were paid byBBC director of comedy Jon Petrie, who described her as an actor of "remarkable range" and her role inKeeping Up Appearances as "one of the most iconic performances in British comedy", adding that she "made millions laugh and left a legacy that will always be remembered with gratitude and admiration".[89]Keeping Up Appearances creatorRoy Clarke said that he was "sorry, as sure as so many people would be, to hear of [her death]" and that it was "a fortunate coincidence to find [his] scripts in the hands of such an accomplished actor".[90] Routledge said of the afterlife: "When I approach the pearly gates, I'd like to hear a champagne cork popping, an orchestra tuning up and the sound of my mother laughing."[3]
Routledge was appointedOfficer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the1993 Birthday Honours,Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the2004 Birthday Honours,[91] andDame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the2017 New Year Honours for services to theatre and charity.[92]
Routledge was awarded an honorary MA by theUniversity of Chichester in 2001.[93] In 2008, Routledge received an honorary degree ofDoctor of Letters fromLancaster University for her contribution to drama and theatre.[94] On 15 March 2019, she received an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters from theUniversity of Chester atChester Cathedral for her contributions to theatre and television.[95]
In 2022, theRoyal Academy of Music conferred Routledge with honorary membership.[96] An honorary president of the Association of English Singers & Speakers (which exists to "encourage communication of English words in speech and song with clarity, understanding and imagination"), Routledge sponsored the annual AESS National English Song Prize from 2003 until her death.[97] She was given theFreedom of the Borough ofWirral on 17 January 2025.[98]
| Year | Title | Role | Director |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | To Sir, with Love | Clinty Clintridge | James Clavell |
| Pretty Polly | Miss Gudgeon | Guy Green | |
| 1968 | 30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia | Mrs Woolley | Joseph McGrath[99] |
| Don't Raise the Bridge, Lower the River | Lucille Beatty | Jerry Paris[99] | |
| The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom | Miss Reece | Joseph McGrath[99] | |
| 1969 | Lock Up Your Daughters | Nurse | Peter Coe[99] |
| If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium | Mrs Featherstone | Mel Stuart | |
| 1970 | Egghead's Robot | Mrs Janice Wentworth | Milo Lewis |
| 1971 | Girl Stroke Boy | Pamela Hovendon | Bob Kellett[99] |
| Sources:[100][101] | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956–1966 | ITV Play of the Week | Various | 6 episodes |
| 1960 | The Terrible Choice | ||
| 1961 | Hilda Lessways | Hilda Lessways | 6 episodes |
| Coronation Street | Sylvia Snape | 5 episodes | |
| 1961–1970 | Armchair Theatre[102] | Miss Furling/New mother | 2 episodes |
| 1962 | Hobson's Choice | Maggie Hobson | Granada TV play |
| 1962 | Z-Cars | Madge Kenton | 1 episode |
| 1964 | Victoria Regina | Queen Victoria | Four part serial |
| 1965 | Not So Much a Programme, More a Way of Life | Irish Mother | 2 episodes |
| No Hiding Place | Pat | 1 episode | |
| Gaslight Theatre | 'Our Mary' | ||
| 1967 | Thirty-Minute Theatre | Beryl Turner | |
| Seven Deadly Sins | Mrs Vealfoy | 1 episode, "The Good and Faithful Servant" | |
| Androcles and the Lion | Megaera, Androcles' Wife | Television film | |
| 1968 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Performer, "Not on Your Nellie" | Soundtrack |
| 1969 | ITV Saturday Night Theatre | Hazel Day | 1 episode |
| 1970 | Egghead's Robot | Mrs Janice Wentworth | Children's Film Foundation[99] |
| ITV Playhouse | Fern/Rose | 1 episode | |
| 1971 | Sense and Sensibility | Mrs. Jennings | TV adaptation of theAusten novel |
| Doctor at Large | Audrey Watt | 1 episode | |
| Play of the Month: Tartuffe[103] | Dorine | Videotaped drama | |
| Vincent Price is in the Country | Herself | Television film | |
| 1972 | His and Hers | Myrtle Waller | 1 episode |
| 1973 | Ooh La La! | Lucienne Homenides de Histangau | Episode entitledCaught in the Act (adaptation of thefarceA Flea in Her Ear) |
| 1973 | That's Life | On-screen participant | BBC pilot programme[99] |
| 1974 | Affairs of the Heart | Mrs. Meldrum | 1 episode |
| Steptoe and Son | Madame Fontana | ||
| ...And Mother Makes Five | Mrs. Fletcher | 2 episodes | |
| David Copperfield | Mrs. Micawber | TV adaptation of theDickens novel | |
| 1975 | Play of the Month: When We Are Married | Annie Parker | Television adaptation ofPriestley play (played Maria Helliwell in 1987 version) |
| More Awkward Customers | Cast member | Video Arts training film[99] | |
| 1976 | Crown Court | Dr. Barbara Baxter | 3 episodes |
| 1977 | Nicholas Nickleby | Madame Mantalini | BBC mini-series |
| Jubilee | Jane | 1 episode, "Plain Jane". Broadcast 14 June 1977 | |
| The Cost of Loving | Sarah Taplow | ||
| 1978 | BBC2 Play of the Week | Miss Protheroe | 1 episode, "A Visit from Miss Protheroe" |
| Doris and Doreen | Doreen Bidmead | Television film (seeOffice Suite below) | |
| 1979 | Crown Court | Rita Finch | 3 episodes |
| 1980 | The Pirates of Penzance | Ruth | Television film |
| Play for Today | ATS Officer | 1 episode, "The Imitation Game" | |
| The Curse of King Tut's Tomb | 'Posh' Lady | Television film | |
| 1982 | Objects of Affection | Peggy Schofield | 1 episode,"A Woman of No Importance" |
| 1983 | The Beggar's Opera | Mrs. Peachum | Television film |
| Keep Off the Grass | Bag Lady | Short | |
| The Two Ronnies | Madame Bultitude | 1 episode | |
| 1984 | Home Video | Television film | |
| 1985 | Marjorie and Men | Marjorie Belton | 6 episodes |
| 1985–1986 | Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV | Kitty | 5 episodes |
| 1987 | When We Are Married | Maria Helliwell | Television adaptation ofPriestley play (played Annie Parker in 1975 version) |
| 1988 | Tales of the Unexpected | Milly Dobson | 1 episode, "The Verger" |
| Talking Heads | Miss Ruddock | 1 episode, "A Lady of Letters" | |
| Sophia and Constance | Mrs Baines | 3 episodes | |
| 1989 | First and Last | Ivy | Television film |
| Let's Face the Music | On screen participant | Yorkshire TV (programmes on Noël Coward, Jerome Kern and Frederick Loewe)[99] | |
| 1990 | Missing Persons | Hetty Wainthropp | Television film |
| Alas Smith and Jones | 1 episode | ||
| 1991 | Miss Pym's Day Out | Barbara Pym | |
| 1993 | The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends | Cousin Ribby | 2 episodes |
| 1994 | Hildegard of Bingen | Hildegard von Bingen | BBC TV Dramatisation/documentary[99] |
| 1990–1995 | Keeping Up Appearances | Hyacinth Bucket | Main role |
| 1996–1998 | Hetty Wainthropp Investigates | Hetty Wainthropp | |
| 1998 | Talking Heads 2 | Miss Fozzard | 1 episode, "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet" |
| 2001 | Anybody's Nightmare | Sheila Bowler | Television film |
| 2003 | Kathleen Ferrier – An Ordinary Diva | Reading the letters ofKathleen Ferrier | Television documentary |
| 2005 | Blips | Narrator | Voice |
| 2016 | Beatrix Potter with Patricia Routledge | Herself – Presenter | Documentary |
| 2023 | Keeping Up Appearances – 30 Years Of Laughs | Herself/Hyacinth Bucket/Kitty | |
| 2024 | Dame Patricia Routledge...Remembers Keeping Up Appearances | Herself/Hyacinth Bucket | |
| Dame Patricia Routledge...Remembers Miss Pym's Day Out | Herself/Barbara Pym | ||
| Dame Patricia Routledge...Remembers Hetty Wainthropp Investigates | Herself/Hetty Wainthropp | ||
| Dame Patricia Routledge...Remembers Talking Heads | Herself/Miss Irene Ruddock/Miss Fozzard | ||
| Sources:[100][101] | |||
| Year | Production | Role | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Hippolyta | Liverpool Playhouse, Liverpool |
| 1954 | The Duenna | Carlotta | Bristol Old Vic andWestminster Theatre, London |
| 1956 | The Comedy of Errors | Adriana | Arts Theatre, London |
| 1957 | Zuleika | Aunt Mabel | Saville Theatre, London |
| 1959 | The Love Doctor | Henrietta Argan | Piccadilly Theatre, London |
| 1960 | Follow That Girl | Mrs Gilchrist | Vaudeville Theatre, London |
| 1961 | Come As You Are | Guildford | |
| Out of My Mind | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith | ||
| 1962 | Little Mary Sunshine | Mary Potts ("Little Mary Sunshine") | Comedy Theatre, London |
| 1963 | Virtue in Danger[104] | Berinthia | Mermaid Theatre andStrand Theatre, London |
| 1964 | Home and Beauty | Victoria | Croydon |
| 1965 | How's the World Treating You? | Violet/Nell/Rover | Arts Theatre andWyndham's Theatre, London (1965) andMusic Box Theatre, New York City (1966) |
| 1968 | Darling of the Day | Alice Challice | George Abbott Theatre, New York City |
| Love Match | Queen Victoria | Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles | |
| 1969 | The Caucasian Chalk Circle | Mother-in-law | Chichester Festival Theatre |
| The Country Wife | Lady Fidget | ||
| The Magistrate | Agatha Posket | Chichester Festival Theatre andCambridge Theatre, London | |
| 1971 | First Impressions | Mrs Bennet | Birmingham Repertory Theatre |
| 1972 | Cowardy Custard | Mermaid Theatre, London | |
| 1973 | Dandy Dick | Georgina Tidman | Chichester Festival Theatre andGarrick Theatre, London |
| 1975 | The Cherry Orchard | Madame Ranevskaya | Bristol Old Vic |
| Othello | Emilia | Chichester Festival Theatre | |
| Made in Heaven | Martha Avon | ||
| 1976 | 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue | All of the First Ladies | Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City |
| The Rivals | Mrs Malaprop | Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester | |
| Zack | Mrs Munnings | ||
| 1977 | On Approval | Maria Wislack | Vaudeville Theatre, London |
| 1978 | The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein | The Grand Duchess | Collegiate Theatre, Camden, London |
| Gracious Living[105] | Daisy Tuttle | Eisenhower Theatre, Washington, D.C. | |
| Semmelweiss | Julia | ||
| 1979 | The Schoolmistress | Miss Dyott | Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester |
| And a Nightingale Sang... | Peggy Stott | Queen's Theatre, London | |
| 1980 | The Pirates of Penzance | Ruth | Delacorte Theater, New York City |
| 1981 | Say Hello to Harvey | Toronto, Canada | |
| 1982 | Noises Off | Dotty Otley | Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith andSavoy Theatre, London |
| 1983 | When the Wind Blows | Whitehall Theatre, London | |
| 1984 | Richard III | Queen Margaret | Royal Shakespeare Company |
| 1985 | Henry V | Mistress Quickly | |
| 1986 | When We Are Married | Maria Helliwell | Whitehall Theatre, London |
| 1988 | Candide | Old Lady | The Old Vic, London |
| 1989 | Come for the Ride | (one-woman show) | UK tour |
| 1992 | Talking Heads | Miss Schofield/Miss Ruddock | Comedy Theatre, London |
| Carousel | Nettie Fowler | National Theatre, London | |
| 1994 | Mr and Mrs Nobody | Carrie Pooter | Greenwich Theatre, London |
| The Rivals | Mrs Malaprop | Chichester Festival Theatre andAlbery Theatre, London | |
| The Schoolmistress | Miss Dyott | Chichester Festival Theatre | |
| 1996 | Beatrix | Beatrix Potter | Minerva Theatre, Chichester and UK tour |
| 1999–2001 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Lady Bracknell | Chichester Festival Theatre andTheatre Royal Haymarket, London (1999), Australian tour (2000) and Savoy Theatre, London (2001) |
| 2002 | Wild Orchids[106] | Duchess | Chichester Festival Theatre |
| 2004 | The Solid Gold Cadillac | Mrs Laura Partridge | Garrick Theatre, London |
| 2006 | The Best of Friends | DameLaurentia McLachlan | Hampstead Theatre and UK tour |
| 2007 | Office Suite | Miss Protheroe/Doreen | Minerva Theatre, Chichester and UK tour |
| 2008 | Crown Matrimonial | Queen Mary | UK tour |
| 2009–2019 | Admission: One Shilling | Myra Hess | UK and Australian tours |
| 2009–2025 | Facing the Music | Herself | UK tours |
| 2014 | An Ideal Husband | Lady Markby | Chichester Festival Theatre |
| Sources:[107][108] | |||
| Year | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | Follow That Girl | Original London Cast |
| 1962 | Little Mary Sunshine | |
| 1963 | Virtue in Danger | |
| 1965 | Hello, Dolly! | 1965 London Studio Cast (Mrs Irene Molloy) |
| 1966 | The Sound of Music | 1966 London Studio Cast (Mother Abbess) |
| 1967 | Androcles and the Lion | 1967 Television Cast |
| Kiss Me, Kate | 1967 London Studio Cast (Lilli/Katherine) | |
| 1968 | Darling of the Day | 1968 Original Broadway Cast |
| 1969 | A Talent to Amuse: Noel Coward's 70th Birthday Concert | 1969 Concert Cast |
| 1970 | Noel Coward's 'Nude With Violin' | 1970 BBC Radio 4 Production Cast |
| 1972 | Cowardy Custard | 1972 Original London Cast |
| 1976 | Cole | 1976 Studio Cast |
| 1985 | I Remember Mama | 1985 Original Cast Members (Aunt Jenny) |
| 1987 | An Evening With Alan Jay Lerner | 1987 Concert Cast |
| Sources:[109] | ||
| Year | Album | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Presenting Patricia Routledge | Re-released on CD in 1996[110] |
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Whitbread Award | Outstanding Musical Performance | How's The World Treating You? | Won |
| 1968 | Tony Award | Best Actress in a Musical | Darling of the Day[90] | |
| 1979 | Olivier Award | Best Supporting Actress | And a Nightingale Sang...[111] | Nominated |
| 1984 | Broadcasting Press Guild Award | Best Actress | A Woman of No Importance | Won |
| 1985 | Olivier Award | Best Supporting Performance | Richard III[111] | Nominated |
| 1988 | Best Actress in a Musical | Candide[3] | Won | |
| 1989 | BAFTA TV Award | Best Actress | Talking Heads: A Lady of Letters | Nominated |
| 1991 | British Comedy Award | Best TV Comedy Actress | Keeping Up Appearances[112] | Won |
| 1992 | BAFTA TV Award | Best Light Entertainment Performance | Nominated | |
| Olivier Award | Best Actress | Talking Heads[111] | ||
| 1993 | BAFTA TV Award | Best Light Entertainment Performance | Keeping Up Appearances | |
| Variety Club of Great Britain Award | Personality of the Year | Won | ||
| Sources:[113][111] | ||||
... originally one of six plays commissioned by the BBC in 1982 [...] a five-play cycle,Objects of Affection
