Patricia Anne Thirza Byrne (13 July 1933 – 17 June 2014) was an English actress, best known for her role as "Nursie" in Blackadder II as well as Malcolm's domineering Mother, Mrs Stoneway in all seven series of the ITV comedy Watching [1] between 1987 and 1993.
Patsy Byrne | |
|---|---|
| Born | Patricia Anne Thirza Byrne 13 July 1933 Bexhill, East Sussex, England |
| Died | 17 June 2014 (aged 80) Denville Hall, Northwood, London, England |
| Alma mater | Rose Bruford College |
| Occupation | Actress |
Biography
Byrne was educated at Ashford County Grammar School. She studied drama at Rose Bruford College before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company playing parts such as Maria in Twelfth Night and Gruscha in The Caucasian Chalk Circle at the Aldwych Theatre in the early 1960s. In the 1980s she also worked at Chichester Festival Theatre.
Byrne starred alongside Tony Robinson in a Series 3 episode of Maid Marian and her Merry Men.[2] She played Betty the Tea Lady on the BBC children's programme Playdays. Other roles included appearances in I, Claudius (1976), Stealing Heaven (1988), Inspector Morse (1989), 2point4 Children, Les Misérables (1998), David Copperfield (1999) and Kevin & Perry Go Large (2000), as well as numerous radio plays. Byrne performed in the 1990 BBC production of C. S. Lewis' The Silver Chair as the giant nanny in the city of the giants. In 1998 she played Martha Coutts in episode 19 of series 7 of Heartbeat.
Death
Byrne died at Denville Hall, a retirement home for performers, on 17 June 2014.[3]
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Cherry Orchard | Dunyasha, the maid | |
| 1972 | The Ruling Class | Mrs. Pamela Treadwell | |
| 1972 | The Alf Garnett Saga | Mrs. Frewin | |
| 1973 | Z Cars | Mary Walker | Episode: Nuisance |
| 1976 | I, Claudius | Martina | Episode: Some Justice |
| 1978 | The Class of Miss MacMichael | Mrs. Green | |
| 1978 | The Devil's Crown | Florence | |
| 1982 | The Return of the Soldier | Mrs. Plummer | |
| 1982 | Britannia Hospital | Nurse | |
| 1986 | Mr. Love | Mrs. Lunt | |
| 1986 | Blackadder II | Nursie | 6 episodes |
| 1987 | Strong Poison | Mrs Pettican | 3 episodes |
| 1987 | Watching | Mrs. Stoneway | |
| 1988 | Hanna's War | Rosie | |
| 1988 | Stealing Heaven | Agnes | |
| 1988 | Blackadder's Christmas Carol | Nursie | |
| 1989 | Inspector Morse | Mrs. Maltby | Episode: "The Ghost in the Machine" |
| 1992 | Emily's Ghost | Mrs. Crabtree | |
| 1993 | The Higher Mortals | Matron | |
| 1994 | Playdays | Betty | |
| 1996 | The Treasure Seekers | Mrs. Nesbit | |
| 1998 | Les Misérables | Toussaint | |
| 1999 | Blackadder: Back & Forth[4] | Nursie | |
| 2000 | Kevin & Perry Go Large | Old lady |
References
External links
- Patsy Byrne at IMDb
- Obituary, independent.co.uk; accessed 25 June 2014.