Colleagues of Penelope Keith, who died this week aged 86, have paid tribute to the actor known for her roles in The Good Life and To the Manor Born, describing her as kind, funny, and grounded despite her formidable stage presence.
Michelle Terry: 'A formidable smile and disarming twinkle'
Actor and artistic director at Shakespeare's Globe, Michelle Terry recalled her first professional job with Keith in Theatre Royal Bath's 2004 production of Blithe Spirit. 'Her reputation preceded her, and I was nervous, but I was immediately greeted by her formidable smile and that disarming twinkle in her eyes that never stopped twinkling,' Terry said. They performed together for a year, touring nationally and then at the Savoy in London. 'Despite her various attempts to thwart it, there wasn't a show that went by when the audience didn't applaud the moment she walked on stage. They needed her to know how much they loved her.' Terry shared a story Keith told her about acting couple the Lunts, which taught her that 'only the truth is funny.' She concluded: 'She was so true. And so funny. May you twinkle in peace, Dame Penelope Keith.'
Susannah Waters: 'She took care over every syllable'
Writer and director Susannah Waters worked with Keith in 2001 on a series of monologues for Elizabeth I. 'She was never less than 100% committed to the script – my first – faithful to its rhythms, eager to serve my intentions, though of course she could have thrown her weight around if she'd wanted to. But she didn't change a word,' Waters said. Keith and her husband Rodney welcomed Waters into their home. 'Two years later, we toured the show. I can still hear her delivery of the words when I close my eyes.'
Samantha Spiro: 'Her characters were grand, snobbish, dragon-like – but always lovable'
Actor Samantha Spiro played opposite Keith in a play about Elinor Glyn and Clara Bow. 'I was warned by a few people that she was "formidable" and "you don't want to get on the wrong side of her". I found the opposite; Penny was giggly, mischievous and extremely generous,' Spiro said. She praised Keith's comic timing and ability to bring vulnerability to her characters. 'She was totally unique and brought something to her characters that only Penny Keith could.'
Matt Pinches: 'Audiences were utterly spellbound by her voice'
Co-founder and producer of Guildford Shakespeare Company, Matt Pinches recalled Keith's support for regional theatre. 'Penelope Keith wasn't simply one of Britain's great actors; she was one of theatre's greatest champions.' In 2013, Keith lent her voice to Hymen in As You Like It. 'Her voice seemed to come from the landscape itself – audiences were utterly spellbound.' During the pandemic, she played the Ghost of Christmas Past in an online A Christmas Carol. 'She threw herself into it, delivering a beautiful performance that helped reassure audiences that theatre was still alive.' Pinches noted that Keith remembered people by name and cared about the fortunes of small theatre companies. 'Penny was a theatre person through and through.'
