Beryl Reid

A memorial service was held for her at St. Paul's Church, Covent Garden on 18th February 1997.

She was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the British Comedy Awards in 1991.

She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1986 Queen's New Year Honours List for her services to drama.

Won award for Best Comedy Performance in the 1980 Laurence Olivier Awards for her performance in ''Born in the Gardens'.

Beryl Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents and grew up in industrial Manchester, England. She left home at the age of 16 to go and work in a shop. She lasted 6 weeks. She applied for and was accepted in a revue in the Summer season in Bridlington. She had no formal training but joined the National Theater in London as a comedy actress. Her first big success came in the BBC radio show "Educating Archie" (a ventriloquist - on the radio). She played the naughty schoolgirl, Monica, and later, the Brummie Marlene. Her film roles were few and far between, but always well received. She transferred her Tony award winning performance of the lesbian radio star to the screen in The Killing of Sister George (1968).

Won Broadway's 1967 Tony Award as Best Actress (Dramatic) for "The Killing of Sister George," a role she recreated in the film version of the same name, The Killing of Sister George (1968).