Avril Angers


Florence Avril Angers was an English stand-up comedian and actress. In 2005 The Daily Telegraph described her as "one of the most zestful, charming and reliable character comediennes in the postwar London theatre".

Life

Angers was born in Liverpool, Lancashire in 1918. Her father, Harry Angers, was a music hall comedian who also appeared in films in the 1930s and 1940s. She was a dancer with the Tiller Girls before joining ENSA during the Second World War. She never married nor had children. Angers lived in Covent Garden, London, where she died from pneumonia, aged 87.

Career

She made her West End theatre debut at the Palace Theatre in a 1944 revue titled Keep Going. One of the early stand-up comediennes, she was capable of playing a straight man role as a foil to established male comics such as Frankie Howerd and Arthur Askey.
Along with Terry-Thomas, she was one of the original cast of British television's first ever comedy series How Do You View? in 1949.
In 1961, she played Norah Dawson in Coronation Street, who was Arnold Tanner's new fiancée.
After five years' service with ENSA, she returned to civilian life and took on many and various roles in television, as well as in film and theatre. These included playing Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Murder at the Vicarage at the Savoy Theatre in 1976 in the West End.
One of her best remembered roles was that of Hayley Mills's shrewish mother in the film version of Bill Naughton's play The Family Way. A still from the film featuring Angers features as the cover of The Smiths' single "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish".

Vocal work

In 1958, she, Roger Livesey, Terry-Thomas, Rita Webb, Judith Furse, and Miles Malleson, recorded 'Indian Summer of an Uncle', and 'Jeeves Takes Charge' for the Caedmon Audio record label,. It was released in stereo in 1964.

Partial filmography

Brass Monkey – HerselfMiss Pilgrim's Progress – First Factory GirlThe Six Men – HerselfDon't Blame the Stork – Renee O'Connor Women Without Men – BessieBond of Fear – Girl HikerThe Green Man – MarigoldCoronation Street – Norah DawsonBe My Guest – Mrs PucilDevils of Darkness – MidgeThe Family Way – Liz PiperThree Bites of the Apple – Gladys TomlinsonTwo a Penny – Mrs BurryThe Best House in London – Flora's MotherStaircase – Miss RicardThere's a Girl in My Soup – English Tourist in LiftMr. Forbush and the Penguins – Fanny HillConfessions of a Driving Instructor – Mrs TruscottAre You Being Served? - Season 7, Episode 4: "Mrs. Slocombe, Senior Person" - Edna ComloziVictoria Wood – Episode 5: "Val de Ree " – Mim