Obituary
The Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes hit maker, Bradley Hardacre in Brass, Geoffrey in Not Going Out, canal enthusiast, Mr Prunella Scales, and star of some other high-brow stuff.
Timothy West, 90
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy9vw893xvo
Honestly, I’d have put my feet up after any of them. And he did everything.
This one made me tear up a little. They were such a devoted couple and lovely to watch them together on their canal journeys. So sad that she has been left on her own for a while. I hope she will be OK.
This.
He made his final appearance in the daytime series ‘Doctors’ today.
A small part but well delivered.
I am on Gardening Leave so daytime TV is allowed.
Tomorrow is the last ever episode of the 24 year running TV series.
So good in the original Day of the Jackal and indeed in pretty much everything he was in.
RIP Mr West
A great actor, one of your old-fashioned ‘safe pair of hands’ pros. Always remember him in the Tales of the Unexpected ‘Royal Jelly’ episode, which scared the bejesus out of me as a nipper. Saw him with his son in Henry VI as Falstaff and Hal many years ago – dull play, great performances.
My mum had the same kind of dementia as Prunella Scales and it took years off my Dad before she went – he wouldn’t hear of her going in a home ‘full of strangers smelling of piss’ as he colourfully said. Of all his achievements, being Pru’s carer should be one of Timothy West’s most celebrated ones.
One of my best nights at the theatre was in the mid 80s, a play titled ‘Master Class’, in which he played Josef Stalin intimidating Prokofiev and Shostakovich into toeing the party line in their compositions. He was brilliant in it.
Also saw him a few years ago with his son Samuel in Numbers, in which he played a scientist who had cloned his son.
And he always added more weight to any TV dramas in which I saw him.
Great actor who always made it look very natural.
Radio 4Extra were recently airing episodes of him reading from a book of his letters, “I’m Here I Think, Where Are You?”. Highly enjoyable.
On a musical note, Timothy West and Prunella Scales at one time were regular performers of Facade, Edith Sitwell’s poems set to music by the young William Walton. Their son periodically continues the tradition.
I remember watching this when it was broadcast – I had it on VHS for a while, but I don’t think it was ever shown again. Of course, it’s on YouTube.
Timothy West as Sir Thomas Beecham – might appeal to some on here, it’s an excellent portrait…
His excellent turn as Horatio Bottomley (a sort of Edwardian Jeffrey Archer/Robert Maxwell) is also up on YT – search Edawardians S1 ep 2