London Theatre Guide is reporting that Elizabeth Spriggs, the skilled character actress who forged a long and successful career with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, died last week at the age of 78.
In 1962 Spriggs joined
Peter Hall's
Royal Shakespeare Company. Her relationship with
The Ensemble Company contiured over the next 14 years.
Among her RSC performances were Gertrude opposite
David Warner's Hamlet, Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and the Nurse in Romeo And Juliet. She also appeared with
Peggy Ashcroft,
Michael Hordern and
Sheila Hancock in A Delicate Balance, and with
Judi Dench in both London Assurance and Major Barbara.
In 1976, Spriggs rejoin
Ed Hall as he took charge of
The National Theatre, where she appeared in plays including
Blithe Spirit (as Madame Arcati), Volpone and Macbeth. It was for another
National Theatre production, Love Letters On Blue Paper, that Spriggs won a
Laurence Olivier Award (then Society of West End Theatre Award) for Actress Of The Year In A Supporting Role, in 1978.
On film she recently appeared as Mrs Jennings in the Emma Thompson Sense And Sensibility and played the Fat Lady in the first Harry Potter film.
Spriggs died on 2 July 2008. She is survived by her third husband, Murray Manson, and daughter Wendy.
Photo Credit www.museum.tv.
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