Peggy Ann Jones
Encyclopedia
Peggy Ann Jones is an English opera singer and actress, best known for her performances in the mezzo-soprano
roles of the Savoy operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
. During a fifteen-year career with that company, beginning at age 19, she was particularly known for her interpretations of the title role in Iolanthe
, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado
, Phoebe Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard
, and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore
. She later performed on television, in films and in musicals
in the West End
. Jones best-known recordings include the role of Pitti-Sing on both the 1973 D'Oyly Carte Mikado and the company's 1966 film of The Mikado.
, Nottingham, England. Beginning at an early age, she studied the piano. She took diplomas in dress design, interior design and architecture. Continuing her musical studies, she briefly worked for a bank. Jones performed in amateur dramatics as a teenager, playing the title role in Rose Marie
at the age of 16. She also appeared in The White Horse Inn
and The Country Girl
and won prizes at the Nottingham Festival.
Jones joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
in 1958 at the age of 19. She began in the chorus and, in 1960, began playing the small roles Peep-Bo in The Mikado
, and Ruth in Ruddigore
, as well as occasionally substituting as Fleta in Iolanthe
and the principal roles of Phoebe Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard
and Tessa in The Gondoliers
. The next season, she added to her repertoire Lady Saphir in Patience
. In 1962, Jones became one of the company's principal mezzo-soprano
s, playing Phoebe and Tessa, as well as Peep-Bo and Kate in The Pirates of Penzance
. She also occasionally played the title role in Iolanthe. The next year, she was given two more principal roles, Mad Margaret, in the company's new production of Ruddigore, and Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, giving up the role of Tessa, which, however, she continued to play occasionally. She also substituted from time to time as Lady Angela in Patience.
Beginning in 1965, Jones regularly played Edith in Pirates, Lady Angela in Patience, the title role in Iolanthe, Pitti-Sing, Margaret and Phoebe. The Times
praised her singing and portrayal or Margaret in Ruddigore. In 1971, Jones also took on the character role of Mrs. Partlett in the company's new production of The Sorcerer
. She left the D'Oyly Carte company in 1973 in ill health.
She later appeared on BBC2 in a Mantovani Show of the Week and in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
, starring with Gene Wilder
(1975). This was followed by several West End
musicals
, including the stage adaptation of Dad's Army
in 1975–1976, the 1976 musical adaptation of Liza of Lambeth
, the 1977 stage adaptation of The Point!
, The Phantom of the Opera
as the Wardrobe Mistress/Confidante' (1986–1988), Beethoven's Tenth, and Evita. She also appeared in the British provinces in productions of Born Again by Julian Barry
(1990), Fiddler on the Roof
, and Oliver!
(as Mrs. Bumble). Television and film credits include The Sweeney
(1978; the final episode: "Jack or Knave"), The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris (1979), Play for Today
(1979; Episode: "Billy"), Bless Me Father
(1981), BBC2 Playhouse (1982; Episode: "Aubrey"), Grange Hill
(1983; two episodes), Mitch (1984), The Bill
(1990) and Prisoner of Honor
, starring Richard Dreyfuss
(1991). She also appeared in about three dozen television commercials.
In later years, Jones has appeared frequently at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival
giving talks, master classes and performances. In 1995 at the festival, she "was a wonderfully comic Mrs. Partlet" in the professional production of The Sorcerer. She loves dogs and do-it-yourself projects and enjoys history and art. She has also had an interest in filmmaking and has made several films using D'Oyly Carte actors.
Ruddigore. The Gilbert and Sullivan Discography notes, "The role of Lady Angela is a revelation as performed by Peggy Ann Jones. Her comic timing is flawless." Sounds on CD released Tète à Tète, a two-hour long recording, from sessions from the 1970s, of Jones reminiscing with her friend and fellow D'Oyly Carte performer John Reed
.
Jones also appears on the original cast recording of The Phantom of the Opera.
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
roles of the Savoy operas with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
. During a fifteen-year career with that company, beginning at age 19, she was particularly known for her interpretations of the title role in Iolanthe
Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan....
, Pitti-Sing in The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, Phoebe Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
, and Mad Margaret in Ruddigore
Ruddigore
Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse, originally called Ruddygore, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written together by Gilbert and Sullivan...
. She later performed on television, in films and in musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
in the West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. Jones best-known recordings include the role of Pitti-Sing on both the 1973 D'Oyly Carte Mikado and the company's 1966 film of The Mikado.
Life and career
Jones was born and raised in NewarkNewark-on-Trent
Newark-on-Trent is a market town in Nottinghamshire in the East Midlands region of England. It stands on the River Trent, the A1 , and the East Coast Main Line railway. The origins of the town are possibly Roman as it lies on an important Roman road, the Fosse Way...
, Nottingham, England. Beginning at an early age, she studied the piano. She took diplomas in dress design, interior design and architecture. Continuing her musical studies, she briefly worked for a bank. Jones performed in amateur dramatics as a teenager, playing the title role in Rose Marie
Rose Marie
Rose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
at the age of 16. She also appeared in The White Horse Inn
The White Horse Inn
Im weißen Rößl is an operetta or musical comedy set in the picturesque Salzkammergut region of Upper Austria. It is about the head waiter of the White Horse Inn in St. Wolfgang who is desperately in love with the owner of the inn, a resolute young woman who at first only has eyes for one of her...
and The Country Girl
The Country Girl
The Country Girl may refer to:* The Country Girl , a 1915 silent film, based on an 18th-century play by David Garrick* The Country Girl , a 1954 film based on a play by Clifford Odets, starring Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly...
and won prizes at the Nottingham Festival.
Jones joined the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
D'Oyly Carte Opera Company
The D'Oyly Carte Opera Company was a professional light opera company that staged Gilbert and Sullivan's Savoy operas. The company performed nearly year-round in the UK and sometimes toured in Europe, North America and elsewhere, from the 1870s until it closed in 1982. It was revived in 1988 and...
in 1958 at the age of 19. She began in the chorus and, in 1960, began playing the small roles Peep-Bo in The Mikado
The Mikado
The Mikado; or, The Town of Titipu is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert, their ninth of fourteen operatic collaborations...
, and Ruth in Ruddigore
Ruddigore
Ruddigore; or, The Witch's Curse, originally called Ruddygore, is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy Operas and the tenth of fourteen comic operas written together by Gilbert and Sullivan...
, as well as occasionally substituting as Fleta in Iolanthe
Iolanthe
Iolanthe; or, The Peer and the Peri is a comic opera with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It is one of the Savoy operas and is the seventh collaboration of the fourteen between Gilbert and Sullivan....
and the principal roles of Phoebe Meryll in The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard
The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid, is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888, and ran for 423 performances...
and Tessa in The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers
The Gondoliers; or, The King of Barataria is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 7 December 1889 and ran for a very successful 554 performances , closing on 30 June 1891...
. The next season, she added to her repertoire Lady Saphir in Patience
Patience (opera)
Patience; or, Bunthorne's Bride, is a comic opera in two acts with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. First performed at the Opera Comique, London, on 23 April 1881, it moved to the 1,292-seat Savoy Theatre on 10 October 1881, where it was the first theatrical production in the...
. In 1962, Jones became one of the company's principal mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
s, playing Phoebe and Tessa, as well as Peep-Bo and Kate in The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance
The Pirates of Penzance; or, The Slave of Duty is a comic opera in two acts, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. The opera's official premiere was at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City on 31 December 1879, where the show was well received by both audiences...
. She also occasionally played the title role in Iolanthe. The next year, she was given two more principal roles, Mad Margaret, in the company's new production of Ruddigore, and Pitti-Sing in The Mikado, giving up the role of Tessa, which, however, she continued to play occasionally. She also substituted from time to time as Lady Angela in Patience.
Beginning in 1965, Jones regularly played Edith in Pirates, Lady Angela in Patience, the title role in Iolanthe, Pitti-Sing, Margaret and Phoebe. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
praised her singing and portrayal or Margaret in Ruddigore. In 1971, Jones also took on the character role of Mrs. Partlett in the company's new production of The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer
The Sorcerer is a two-act comic opera, with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by Arthur Sullivan. It was the British duo's third operatic collaboration. The plot of The Sorcerer is based on a Christmas story, An Elixir of Love, that Gilbert wrote for The Graphic magazine in 1876...
. She left the D'Oyly Carte company in 1973 in ill health.
She later appeared on BBC2 in a Mantovani Show of the Week and in The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother is a 1975 English/American comedy film with Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Dom DeLuise, Roy Kinnear and Leo McKern. The film was Wilder's directorial debut....
, starring with Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder is an American stage and screen actor, director, screenwriter, and author.Wilder began his career on stage, making his screen debut in the film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers...
(1975). This was followed by several West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
musicals
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
, including the stage adaptation of Dad's Army
Dad's Army (Stage Show)
Dad's Army: A Nostalgic Music and Laughter Show of Britain’s Finest Hour was a 1975 stage adaptation of the BBC sitcom Dad's Army. Following the success of the television programme, the stage show was commissioned by Bernard Delfont in the spring of 1975.Jimmy Perry and David Croft adapted material...
in 1975–1976, the 1976 musical adaptation of Liza of Lambeth
Liza of Lambeth
Liza of Lambeth was W. Somerset Maugham's first novel, which he wrote while working as a doctor at a hospital in Lambeth, then a working class district of London. It depicts the short life and death of Liza Kemp, an 18-year-old factory worker who lives together with her aging mother in Vere Street...
, the 1977 stage adaptation of The Point!
The Point!
- Musical play :In 1975, Esquire Jauchem, Artistic Director of the Boston Repertory Theater, approached Harry Nilsson about creating a stage musical of "The Point!" Although Nilsson said he had been asked many times and had always turned down the request, this time he granted his permission...
, The Phantom of the Opera
The Phantom of the Opera (1986 musical)
The Phantom of the Opera is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the French novel Le Fantôme de l'Opéra by Gaston Leroux.The music was composed by Lloyd Webber, and most lyrics were written by Charles Hart, with additional lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Alan Jay Lerner was an early collaborator,...
as the Wardrobe Mistress/Confidante' (1986–1988), Beethoven's Tenth, and Evita. She also appeared in the British provinces in productions of Born Again by Julian Barry
Julian Barry
Julian Barry is an American screenwriter and playwright best known for his Oscar-nominated script for the film Lenny about comedian Lenny Bruce, which Barry adapted from his successful Broadway play of the same name...
(1990), Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in Tsarist Russia in 1905. It is based on Tevye and his Daughters by Sholem Aleichem...
, and Oliver!
Oliver!
Oliver! is a British musical, with script, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart. The musical is based upon the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens....
(as Mrs. Bumble). Television and film credits include The Sweeney
The Sweeney
The Sweeney is a 1970s British television police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, a branch of the Metropolitan Police specialising in tackling armed robbery and violent crime in London...
(1978; the final episode: "Jack or Knave"), The Strange Affair of Adelaide Harris (1979), Play for Today
Play for Today
Play for Today is a British television anthology drama series, produced by the BBC and transmitted on BBC1 from 1970 to 1984. During the run, more than three hundred programmes, featuring original television plays, and adaptations of stage plays and novels, were transmitted...
(1979; Episode: "Billy"), Bless Me Father
Bless Me Father
Bless me, Father was a British situation comedy starring Arthur Lowe, Daniel Abineri, Gabrielle Daye, Patrick McAlinney, David Ryall, Derek Francis and Sheila Keith. It was aired on ITV from 1978 until 1981 and described the adventures of an Irish Catholic priest, Father Charles Duddleswell and...
(1981), BBC2 Playhouse (1982; Episode: "Aubrey"), Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
(1983; two episodes), Mitch (1984), The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
(1990) and Prisoner of Honor
Prisoner of Honor
Prisoner of Honor is a 1991 British dramatic television movie made by Warner Bros. Television and distributed by HBO about the French Dreyfus Affair...
, starring Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Dreyfuss
Richard Stephen Dreyfuss is an American actor best known for starring in a number of film, television, and theater roles since the late 1960s, including the films American Graffiti, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, The Goodbye Girl, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Stakeout, Always, What About...
(1991). She also appeared in about three dozen television commercials.
In later years, Jones has appeared frequently at the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival
International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival
The International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival is held every summer at the Opera House in Buxton, Derbyshire, England. The three-week Festival of Gilbert and Sullivan performances and fringe events attracts thousands of visitors, including performers, supporters, and G&S enthusiasts from all...
giving talks, master classes and performances. In 1995 at the festival, she "was a wonderfully comic Mrs. Partlet" in the professional production of The Sorcerer. She loves dogs and do-it-yourself projects and enjoys history and art. She has also had an interest in filmmaking and has made several films using D'Oyly Carte actors.
Recordings
Her recordings with D'Oyly Carte Opera Company included Lady Angela in their BBC2 television broadcast of Patience in 1965, an excerpt of Pitti-Sing on their 1965 album A Gilbert and Sullivan Spectacular, an excerpt of Phoebe on their 1970 album Songs and Snatches, and Pitti-Sing in 1973. She also played Pitti-Sing in the company's 1966 film of The Mikado. She lent her voice to the role of Mad Margaret in the animated 1967 Halas & BatchelorHalas and Batchelor
Halas and Batchelor was an animation company founded by John Halas and his wife, Joy Batchelor. The company started as a small animation unit that created commercials for theatrical distribution...
Ruddigore. The Gilbert and Sullivan Discography notes, "The role of Lady Angela is a revelation as performed by Peggy Ann Jones. Her comic timing is flawless." Sounds on CD released Tète à Tète, a two-hour long recording, from sessions from the 1970s, of Jones reminiscing with her friend and fellow D'Oyly Carte performer John Reed
John Reed (actor)
John Lamb Reed, OBE was an English actor, dancer and singer, known for his nimble performances in the principal comic roles of the Savoy Operas, particularly with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company...
.
Jones also appears on the original cast recording of The Phantom of the Opera.