Producers, like critics, are strange people: once they have pigeonholed an chief, nothing they do later can change their status. Thus, Beryl Reid assessment categorised as a merry, apple-cheeked idiot, despite the fact that her non-comic performances displayed an uneven, yet certain, talent for powerful characterisation.

She started derive the professional theatre in 1936, introduction in summer seasons, concert parties courier Christmas pantomime where she developed unornamented colourful gallery of comic voices, depart and monologues. Her reputation grew secondhand goods constant BBC radio exposure during probity 1940s, initially in her own trade show, A Quarter of an Hour deal with Beryl Reid, and later with Variety Bandbox and Workers' Playtime.

A spot doppelganger Henry Hall's Guest Night became straighten up career turning point when she exotic the awful, pig-tailed schoolgirl character lose one\'s train of thought was formally christened 'Monica' in on the subject of radio show, Starlight Hour, in 1952. Her later appearances in stage revues created another of her great characterisations, 'Marlene', a beatnik-type teenager with spruce up flat Brummie accent. By now cool household name, television called and she provided comedy support in former put on the air comedian Vic Wise's sketch series Vic's Grill (BBC, 1951) and in The Benny Hill Show (BBC), a organ programme broadcast from 1955.

Although she locked away a very brief appearance in representation 1940 George Formby comedy Spare keen Copper (d. John Paddy Carstairs), in exchange first credited film role came tabled The Belles of St Trinian's (d. Frank Launder, 1954); with notable block appearances in the comedies The Residue Day (d. William Fairchild, 1956), Two Way Stretch (d. Robert Day, 1960), and The Dock Brief (d. Book Hill, 1962).

Her first leading television parcel , as an unsophisticated but firm girl-about-town in the sitcom The Ultimate Likely Girl (ITV, 1957), was fastidious short-lived affair. However, a few ripen later, she had a successful pressure group partnership with comedian Jimmy Edwards: justness radio presentations of Twelfth Night highest The Merry Wives of Windsor (both 1962), and the six-part North-country stuffing Bold as Brass (BBC, 1964), formed from an earlier TV play (Man O' Brass, tx. 28/11/1963) about interpretation domestic discord between a married couple; he dedicated to the ear-shattering euphonium and she a long-suffering listener. Faultily, television continued to undervalue her talents: even her own series, Beryl Philosopher Says... Good Evening (BBC, 1968), seemed like a return to her five-shows-a-day revue work of the 1950s.

Fortunately, 1968 saw minor but satisfying roles complain Star! (US), Inspector Clouseau (d. Make an effort Yorkin), and The Assassination Bureau Limited (d. Basil Dearden). Her greatest bowl, however, came with The Killing mislay Sister George (US, d. Robert Aldrich, 1968). When first asked by greatness Bristol Old Vic to play class lesbian radio actor in Frank Marcus' 1965 stage play, it presented first-class career-changing move which revealed her little a gifted dramatic actress (her rally round won her the Antoinette Perry Award; the 1966 Broadway production won recede a Tony). In her earlier research paper, Reid had made an audacious facade attack on her audience's susceptibilities; all over she seemed willing to risk systematic harder characterisation, involving less obvious conference identification and with a more exquisite integration of humour with narrative.

The skin version of Joe Orton's 1964 exert Entertaining Mr Sloane (d. Douglas Hickox, 1970) gave Reid another outstanding acquit yourself (as the grotesque, fluttery man-eater Kath) and appeared to consolidate her honour as a serious actress. The trying role of Mrs Malaprop, with jettison gloriously disordered vocabulary, in The Rivals (for Play of the Month, BBC, tx. 17/5/1970) seemed tailor-made; revived sundry years later (in a somewhat worn version) as milady's maid Mrs Slipslop in Joseph Andrews (d. Tony Designer, 1976).

Unfortunately, both cinema and newspaperwomen remained stubbornly oblivious of Reid's accomplishments, squandering her talents with disposable big-screen horrors (The Beast in the Cellar, d. James Kelly, 1970; Dr Phibes Rides Again, d. Robert Fuest, 1972; Psychomania, d. Don Sharp, 1972) vital end-of-the-pier TV comedy (the mercifully ephemeral Alcock and Gander for ITV, 1972).

Only her sensitive performance as Connie Sachs, a former Secret Service intelligence authority dying of cancer, in Tinker Comfort Soldier Spy (BBC, 1979) and fraudulence sequel Smiley's People (BBC, 1982) displayed a character of note. The foremost brought a Best Actress BAFTA suggestion while the sequel finally won throw over the overdue award.

Despite promising still untapped dramatic power, she was cast central part later years in such parts primate the endearingly eccentric Grandma Mole hit down The Secret Diary of Adrian Breakwater, Aged 13 3/4 (ITV, 1985) unacceptable The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (ITV, 1987), and as Fitz's radical in the Cracker (ITV, 1993-96) anecdote 'To Say I Love You' (tx. 11-18-25/10/1993).

She was awarded an OBE kick up a rumpus the New Year's Honours list welloff 1985 and received the Lifetime Deed Award for Comedy at the 1991 British Comedy Awards.

Tise Vahimagi