‘Curious, wicked and very generous’: tribute to Penelope Keith | Theater

Michelle Terry: “A terrifying smile and a disturbing twinkle’

Actor and art director at Shakespeare’s Globe

My first professional work was with Penelope Keith in the Theater Royal Bath in 2004 production Holy Spirit. His history was ahead of him, and I was afraid, but I was immediately greeted by his fearsome smile and the twinkle in his eye that never stopped blinking.

We did this together for a year, from Bath to a national tour, then to the Savoy in London. Despite his various efforts to prevent it, there wasn’t a show that went by where the audience didn’t applaud when he took the stage. They needed to know how much she loved him. And there wasn’t a show that went by that they didn’t give them a play worthy of their love.

About halfway through the run, I continued to kill the moment that was once laughable. I knocked on the door of his dressing room to ask him what was wrong, and I repeat to this day the story he told me about the actors. the Lunts and the morning event they did together with the passing of the jam. The story goes that he used to laugh when he asked for a jam, and then, for some reason during the run, the laughter stopped. He asked his wife why that was happening and she replied: “Because dear, you are asking for laughter, not jam.”

It was sweet of Penny, wise but clear to me that only the truth is funny. He was very honest. And very funny. And to be funny, you don’t just need talent, wit, intelligence and special skills, you also need to connect with the audience so you know where to take them at any given moment. He was very wise, and I will be forever grateful to him.

May you rest in peace, Dame Penelope Keith.

Susannah Waters: ‘He cared for every syllable’

Writer and director

I was a completely untested writer in 2001 when the Covent Garden festival took a punt and asked me to write a series of essays about Elizabeth I, to be performed alongside a viol concert at St Paul’s Cathedral. The actress who had already cast her was Penelope Keith, and although I could have chosen Elizabeth at any age, I chose to be the king in her last year. We visited Penelope and Rodney’s wife in Surrey; I traveled by car, heavily pregnant with my second child, who was due to arrive just days before the finals.

He has been nothing less than 100% committed to the script – my first – faithful to his style, eager to achieve my goals, even though he could have done something if he wanted to. But he didn’t change his voice. It was a privilege to see his effort, the care he took on every syllable. And he and Rodney welcomed me into their home, asked me about my family, he wasn’t big or made me feel small in any way. Two years later, we visited the theater. I can still hear his voice when I close my eyes. It was a great privilege to have such a great theater in mind for my first visit. I will always be grateful.

Samantha Spiro: ‘His characters were big, cynical, dragon-like – but always endearing’

A player

My second job out of drama school was playing opposite Penny in Elinor Glyn’s play with the original girl, Clara Bow. I was warned by a few people that he was “dangerous” and “you don’t want to be on the wrong side of him”. I found the opposite; Penny was kind, gentle and very generous. I learned a lot from him by watching him. His game time was great as he always set everything right. She was completely unique and brought something to her people that only Penny Keith could. Grand, snobbish, like a dragon, but always beloved, as he managed to bring a threat to every character he played. I’m glad I got to work with him and laugh with him.

Matt Pinches: ‘The audience was mesmerized by his voice’

Co-founder and producer, Guildford Shakespeare Company

Penelope Keith was not one of Britain’s greatest actresses; he was one of the best actors of the show. We first met Penny in 2008 when she came to see our production As You Like It by the sea at the University of Surrey. He never sat as a guest of honor, but as a member of the audience. He was inquisitive and genuinely supported theater producers.

After five years, when we did As You Like It againdirector Tom Littler asked Penny to give her voice to Hymen, the goddess of marriage. We had an old gramophone on stage in the middle of Duke Senior’s forest camp, we were building with pieces of music saved from court. At the end of the play, they come to life and Penny’s mysterious voice floats through the trees to bless Rosalind and Orlando’s marriage. His voice seemed to come from the same place – the audience was in awe.

He joined us after a long time. Every time I met him there, he would ask me, “How is the company doing? Are people coming? He remembered people’s names and worried about the fortunes of a small theater company as if it were his own.”

If he couldn’t make it, he would leave a very interesting statement explaining why. When he came, he would stay behind to praise the company, and a handwritten card praising his production would follow. Those hands meant the world.

During the pandemic, we decided to make a Online version of A Christmas Carol and asked if he could sing The Spirit of Christmas Old. He did not hesitate. Following all the rules, he came to our rehearsal rooms, where he was alone, operating the camera and the green screen. He committed himself to it, and gave a beautiful performance that helped to convince the audience that theater is still alive, even in the darkest of times, and can endure.

Penny was always an actress. He loved actors, stage managers, directors, artists and audiences with equal affection. He understood that actors are not just stars; it’s about communities of people making something together. The last time I saw him was at Yvonne Arnaud’s 60th birthday party. We shared a chat and a short chat, and he was exactly what he was: gracious and loving. Guildford Shakespeare Company had the opportunity to share a small part of his journey, and our audience had the opportunity to share a little of his magic.