Margot Boyd
Encyclopedia
Margot Boyd born Beryl Billings, was an English stage, television and radio actress. She grew up in Bath and trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
(RADA). Here Boyd acted in a production supervised by George Bernard Shaw
.
On leaving RADA, she gained work at the Leeds Theatre Royal Repertory Company, never seeming to play a leading role less than 55 years of age, she later commented. She later worked with Michael Redgrave
at Stratford in 1953. In 1956 she appeared in One Bright Day at the Apollo Theatre in London. Redgrave cast her in the lead role of Noel Coward
's Waiting in the Wings in 1960, with Coward himself becoming a friend when the production reached Dublin. On television, Boyd starred in the lead of Our Miss Pemberton (1957) and had many guest appearances in series such as Dixon of Dock Green
and Upstairs, Downstairs
.
In later years, she was best known for playing Marjorie Antrobus in The Archers
radio serial on Radio 4
and Hilda Rumpole in The Splendours and Miseries of an Old Bailey Hack on the same station
. As a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company in 1984, she was originally intended to make a one-off appearance in the serial, but became a regular member of the cast. Her character was effectively written out in 2004. Boyd died at a home for retired actors, Denville Hall
, in Northwood, Middlesex.
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
(RADA). Here Boyd acted in a production supervised by George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw was an Irish playwright and a co-founder of the London School of Economics. Although his first profitable writing was music and literary criticism, in which capacity he wrote many highly articulate pieces of journalism, his main talent was for drama, and he wrote more than 60...
.
On leaving RADA, she gained work at the Leeds Theatre Royal Repertory Company, never seeming to play a leading role less than 55 years of age, she later commented. She later worked with Michael Redgrave
Michael Redgrave
Sir Michael Scudamore Redgrave, CBE was an English stage and film actor, director, manager and author.-Youth and education:...
at Stratford in 1953. In 1956 she appeared in One Bright Day at the Apollo Theatre in London. Redgrave cast her in the lead role of Noel Coward
Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's Waiting in the Wings in 1960, with Coward himself becoming a friend when the production reached Dublin. On television, Boyd starred in the lead of Our Miss Pemberton (1957) and had many guest appearances in series such as Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green
Dixon of Dock Green was a popular BBC television series that ran from 1955 to 1976, and later a radio series. Despite being a drama series, it was initially produced by the BBC's light entertainment department.-Overview:...
and Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs
Upstairs, Downstairs is a British drama television series originally produced by London Weekend Television and revived by the BBC. It ran on ITV in 68 episodes divided into five series from 1971 to 1975, and a sixth series shown on the BBC on three consecutive nights, 26–28 December 2010.Set in a...
.
In later years, she was best known for playing Marjorie Antrobus in The Archers
The Archers
The Archers is a long-running British soap opera broadcast on the BBC's main spoken-word channel, Radio 4. It was originally billed as "an everyday story of country folk", but is now described on its Radio 4 web site as "contemporary drama in a rural setting"...
radio serial on Radio 4
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
and Hilda Rumpole in The Splendours and Miseries of an Old Bailey Hack on the same station
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
. As a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company in 1984, she was originally intended to make a one-off appearance in the serial, but became a regular member of the cast. Her character was effectively written out in 2004. Boyd died at a home for retired actors, Denville Hall
Denville Hall
Denville Hall is a retirement home for professional actors, situated in Northwood, Hillingdon, London, which was designed by Founded in 1925 as a charity for actors by Alfred Denville, impresario, actor-manager and MP, he dedicated the Hall to the acting profession, in memory of his son Jack, who...
, in Northwood, Middlesex.