# Avril Elgar

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{{Short description|English actress (1932–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| image              = 
| name               = Avril Elgar
| imagesize          = 
| caption            = 
| birth_name         = Avril Elgar Williams
| birth_date         = {{Birth date|1932|4|1|df=y}}
| birth_place        = [Halifax](/source/Halifax%2C_West_Yorkshire), [West Riding of Yorkshire](/source/West_Riding_of_Yorkshire), England
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|2021|09|17|1932|04|01|df=yes}}
| death_place        = [Bristol](/source/Bristol), England
| othername          = 
| years_active       = 1958–2011
| spouse             = {{marriage|[James Maxwell](/source/James_Maxwell_(actor))|1952|1995|end=died}}
| children           = 2
}}

'''Avril Elgar Williams''' (1 April 1932 – 17 September 2021) was an English stage, radio and television actress.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f4330dd|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120725121917/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b9f4330dd|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 July 2012|title=Avril Elgar|work=BFI}}</ref>

==Early life and career ==
Avril Elgar Williams was born on 1 April 1932 at barracks in [Halifax](/source/Halifax%2C_West_Yorkshire), [West Riding of Yorkshire](/source/West_Riding_of_Yorkshire), England to John and Annie (née Rose) Williams. The family moved to [Catterick, North Yorkshire](/source/Catterick%2C_North_Yorkshire) and [Royal Arsenal](/source/Royal_Arsenal) before Elgar's father was posted to India. They returned to Britain in 1945, where they settled in [Penzance](/source/Penzance). She trained at the [Old Vic Theatre School](/source/Old_Vic_Theatre_School) in London.<ref name="Coveney2021">{{cite news|last=Coveney|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Coveney|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2021/sep/29/avril-elgar-obituary|title=Avril Elgar obituary|newspaper=[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)|date=29 September 2021|access-date=29 September 2021}}</ref>

At the [National Theatre](/source/Royal_National_Theatre), she appeared in productions of [Victoria Benedictsson](/source/Victoria_Benedictsson)'s ''The Enchantment'', [Pam Gems](/source/Pam_Gems)' ''[Stanley](/source/Stanley_(play))'', and [Julian Mitchell](/source/Julian_Mitchell)'s ''Half Life''.<ref>[http://www.nt-online.org.uk/27021/company-members/avril-elg] {{dead link|date=January 2022}}</ref> She appeared in drama and comedy roles and in many series on British television including ''[Dixon of Dock Green](/source/Dixon_of_Dock_Green)'', ''[Midsomer Murders](/source/Midsomer_Murders)'' and ''[Tales of the Unexpected](/source/Tales_of_the_Unexpected_(TV_series))''. She played Ethel Pumphrey, the sister of [Mildred Roper](/source/Mildred_Roper) in ''[George and Mildred](/source/George_and_Mildred)''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/tv/george_and_mildred/episodes/5/7/|title=George & Mildred|website=Comedy.co.uk}}</ref>

Her last stage appearance was as Maria in [Andrew Hilton](/source/Andrew_Hilton)'s revival of ''[Uncle Vanya](/source/Uncle_Vanya)'' at the [Bristol Old Vic](/source/Bristol_Old_Vic) in 2009.<ref name="Coveney2021" />

== Personal life ==
She was married to the American actor-director [James Maxwell](/source/James_Maxwell_(actor)), from 1952 until his death in 1995. Together they had two sons. Maxwell directed her in a production of ''[The Corn is Green](/source/The_Corn_is_Green)'' at [Manchester](/source/Manchester)'s [Royal Exchange Theatre](/source/Royal_Exchange_Theatre).<ref>{{cite news|last=Benedick|first=Adam|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-james-maxwell-1598361.html|title=Obituary:Avril Elgar|newspaper=[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)|date=27 August 1995|access-date=29 September 2021}}</ref> Elgar died in [Bristol](/source/Bristol) on 17 September 2021, aged 89.<ref name="Coveney2021" />

== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
* ''[Room at the Top](/source/Room_at_the_Top_(1959_film))'' (1959)
* ''[Ladies Who Do](/source/Ladies_Who_Do)'' (1963)
* ''[Spring and Port Wine](/source/Spring_and_Port_Wine_(film))'' (1970)
* ''[The Medusa Touch](/source/The_Medusa_Touch_(film))'' (1978)
* ''[Betrayal](/source/Betrayal_(1983_film))'' (1983)
* ''[Thirteen at Dinner](/source/Thirteen_at_Dinner_(film))'' (1985)
* ''[Wilde](/source/Wilde_(film))'' (1997)

=== Television ===
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* ''[The Diary of a Nobody](/source/The_Diary_of_a_Nobody)'' directed by [Ken Russell](/source/Ken_Russell) (1964)
* ''[Gideon's Way](/source/Gideon's_Way)'' episode "The Firebug"  (1965)
* ''[Dixon of Dock Green](/source/Dixon_of_Dock_Green)'' episodes "The Root of all Evil" and "Slim Jim" (1965)
* ''[Dixon of Dock Green](/source/Dixon_of_Dock_Green)'' episode "The Pact" (1966)
* ''[Softly, Softly](/source/Softly%2C_Softly_(TV_series))''   episode "All That Glitters" (1966)
* ''[The Wednesday Play](/source/The_Wednesday_Play)'', [Jonathan Miller](/source/Jonathan_Miller)'s ''[Alice in Wonderland](/source/Alice_in_Wonderland_(1966_film))'' playing the "peppercook" (1966)
* ''Boy meets Girl'' episode "There was I, waiting..." (1967)
* ''[Z-Cars](/source/Z-Cars)'' episode "A Little Bit of Respect" parts 1 and 2 (1967)
* ''[Theatre 625](/source/Theatre_625)'' episode "To See How Far It Is", scripted by [Alan Plater](/source/Alan_Plater) (1968)
* ''[Callan](/source/Callan_(TV_series))'' episode "Land of Light and Peace" (1969)
* ''Detective'' episode "Hunt for the Peacock", [Hugh Leonard](/source/Hugh_Leonard) dramatisation of [H R F Keating](/source/H_R_F_Keating) novel  (1969)
* ''[Leon Garfield](/source/Leon_Garfield)'s Smith'' episodes "God Save the King!" and "The Black Angel" (1970)
* ''[ITV Playhouse](/source/ITV_Playhouse)''  ''The Style of the Countess'' script [Simon Gray](/source/Simon_Gray), director [Michael Apted](/source/Michael_Apted) (1970)
* ''Ryan International'' episode "The Muck Raker" (1970)
* ''[Play for Today](/source/Play_for_Today)'' episode "I Can't See My Little Willie" (1970)
* ''[Paul Temple](/source/Paul_Temple_(TV_series))'' episode "The Quick and the Dead"  (1971)
* ''[Public Eye](/source/Public_Eye_(TV_series))'' episode "I Always Wanted a Swimming Pool" (1971)
* ''[The Befrienders](/source/The_Befrienders)''  episode "A Case of No Resolution" (1972)
* ''[Budgie](/source/Budgie_(TV_series))'' second series (1972) as Mrs Silverstone
* ''[Carrie's War](/source/Carrie's_War_(1974_TV_serial))'' (1974)
* ''[Bedtime Stories](/source/Bedtime_Stories_(1974_TV_series))'' episode "The Water Maiden" (1974)
* ''[The Stars Look Down](/source/The_Stars_Look_Down_(TV_serial))''  (1975)
* ''Headmaster'' TV series episode "First Day" (1977)
* ''Romance'' TV series episode "Moths" (1977)
* ''[Rosie](/source/Rosie_(TV_series))'' (1977–1979)
* ''[George and Mildred](/source/George_and_Mildred)'' (1976–1979), as Ethel Pumphrey, [Mildred Roper](/source/Mildred_Roper)'s sister
* ''[Shoestring](/source/Shoestring_(TV_series))'' episode "Looking for Mr. Wright" (1980)
* ''[Tales of the Unexpected](/source/Tales_of_the_Unexpected_(TV_series))'' episode "Back for Christmas" (1980)
* ''[Tales of the Unexpected](/source/Tales_of_the_Unexpected_(TV_series))'' episode "The Moles" (1982)
* ''[Play for Today](/source/Play_for_Today)'' episode "Under the Skin" (1982)
* ''Objects of Affection'' (TV series) episode "Our Winnie" (1982)
* ''The Bank Manager's Wife'' TV play adapted from a novel by Valerie Kershaw (ITV Central)  (1982)
* ''[The Citadel](/source/The_Citadel_(1983_TV_series))'' (1983)
* ''Sakharov'' (1984)
* ''[Minder](/source/Minder_(TV_series))'' series 6 episode "Give Us This Day Arthur Daley's Bread" (1985)
* ''Them and Us''  (TV series) episode "Flash-Point" (1985)
* ''[A Taste for Death](/source/A_Taste_for_Death_(P.D._James_novel))'' (miniseries) (1988)
* ''[Campion](/source/Campion_(1989_TV_series))'' episode "Police at the Funeral" parts 1 and 2 (1989)
* ''[Poirot](/source/Agatha_Christie's_Poirot)'' episode "The King of Clubs" (1989)
* ''[Rides](/source/Rides_(UK_TV_series))'' (1993)
*  [Catherine Cookson](/source/Catherine_Cookson)'s ''The Glass Virgin'' miniseries (1995)
* ''[Midsomer Murders](/source/Midsomer_Murders)'' episode "The Killings at Badgers Drift" (1997)
* ''[Goodnight Mister Tom](/source/Goodnight_Mister_Tom_(film))'' (1998)
* ''[My Family](/source/My_Family)'' episode "Tis Pity She's a Whore" (2001)
* ''[Heartbeat](/source/Heartbeat_(British_TV_series))'' episode "Dirty Len" (2002)
* ''[Waking the Dead](/source/Waking_the_Dead_(TV_series))'' episode "Walking on Water" (2003)
* ''[Casualty](/source/Casualty_(TV_series))'' episode "Finding Faith" (2004)
* ''[New Tricks](/source/New_Tricks)'' episode (2004)
* ''[Doctors](/source/Doctors_(2000_TV_series))'' episode "Pardon" (2004)
* ''[Doctors](/source/Doctors_(2000_TV_series))'' episode "You'll Be a Man, My Son" (2008)
{{div col end}}

== Theatre ==
Her roles in the theatre include: <ref>[Murray, Braham](/source/Braham_Murray) (2007). ''The Worst It Can Be Is a Disaster''. London: Methuen Drama. {{ISBN|978-0-7136-8490-2}}.</ref>
<ref>The Royal Exchange Theatre Company Words & Pictures 1976-1998, 1998, {{ISBN|0-9512017-1-9}}</ref>
* Young Macduff and second witch, ''[Macbeth](/source/Macbeth)'' at the [Royal Court Theatre](/source/Royal_Court_Theatre), London (1958)
* Norah, ''[Epitaph for George Dillon](/source/Epitaph_for_George_Dillon)'' by [John Osborne](/source/John_Osborne) and [Anthony Creighton](/source/Anthony_Creighton), directed by [William Gaskill](/source/William_Gaskill) at the [Royal Court Theatre](/source/Royal_Court_Theatre), London (1958)
* Lucille, ''[Danton's Death](/source/Danton's_Death)'' by George Buchner, directed by [Casper Wrede](/source/Casper_Wrede) for the 59 Theatre Company at the [Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)](/source/Lyric_Theatre_(Hammersmith)) (1959)
* Asta, ''[Little Eyolf](/source/Little_Eyolf)'' by [Henrik Ibsen](/source/Henrik_Ibsen), directed by [Casper Wrede](/source/Casper_Wrede) for the 59 Theatre Company at the [Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)](/source/Lyric_Theatre_(Hammersmith)) (1960)
* ''[The Blood of the Bambergs](/source/The_Blood_of_the_Bambergs)'' by [John Osborne](/source/John_Osborne), directed by [John Dexter](/source/John_Dexter) at the [Royal Court Theatre](/source/Royal_Court_Theatre), London (1962)
* ''Under Plain Covers'' by [John Osborne](/source/John_Osborne), directed by [Jonathan Miller](/source/Jonathan_Miller) at the [Royal Court Theatre](/source/Royal_Court_Theatre), London (1962)
* Alice Maitland, ''[The Voysey Inheritance](/source/The_Voysey_Inheritance)'' by [Harley Granville-Barker](/source/Harley_Granville-Barker) at the [Royal Court Theatre](/source/Royal_Court_Theatre), London (1966)
* Olga, ''[The Three Sisters](/source/Three_Sisters_(play))'' by [Anton Chekov](/source/Anton_Chekov) at the [Royal Court Theatre](/source/Royal_Court_Theatre), London (1967)
* Aase, ''[Peer Gynt](/source/Peer_Gynt)'' by [Henrik Ibsen](/source/Henrik_Ibsen), directed by [Michael Elliott](/source/Michael_Elliott_(director)) for 69 Theatre at the University Theatre, [Manchester](/source/Manchester) (1970)
* Agatha, ''[The Family Reunion](/source/The_Family_Reunion)'' by [T S Eliot](/source/T_S_Eliot) directed by [Michael Elliott](/source/Michael_Elliott_(director)) for 69 Theatre at the Royal Exchange (1973)
* Agatha, ''[The Family Reunion](/source/The_Family_Reunion)'' by [T S Eliot](/source/T_S_Eliot), directed by [Michael Elliott](/source/Michael_Elliott_(director)) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1979)
* Miss Moffatt, ''[The Corn is Green](/source/The_Corn_is_Green)'' by [Emlyn Williams](/source/Emlyn_Williams), directed by [James Maxwell](/source/James_Maxwell_(actor)) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1981)
* ''Hope Against Hope'' adapted and directed by [Casper Wrede](/source/Casper_Wrede) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1983)
* The Queen, ''[Cymbeline](/source/Cymbeline)'' at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1984)
* Miss Havisham, ''[Great Expectations](/source/Great_Expectations)'' adapted by [James Maxwell](/source/James_Maxwell_(actor)) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1985)
* Mrs Perkins, ''[The Admirable Crichton](/source/The_Admirable_Crichton)'' by [J M Barrie](/source/J_M_Barrie) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1985)
* Linda, ''[Death of a Salesman](/source/Death_of_a_Salesman)'' by [Arthur Miller](/source/Arthur_Miller), directed by [Greg Hersov](/source/Greg_Hersov) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1985)
* Aglae, ''Court in the Act'' by [Maurice Hennequin](/source/Maurice_Hennequin), British premiere directed by [Braham Murray](/source/Braham_Murray) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1986)
* Wendy, ''Among Barbarians'' by [Michael Wall](/source/Michael_Wall_(playwright)), world premiere directed by [James Maxwell](/source/James_Maxwell_(actor)) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1989)
* Amanda Wingfield, ''[The Glass Menagerie](/source/The_Glass_Menagerie)'' by [Tennessee Williams](/source/Tennessee_Williams), directed by Ian Hastings at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1989)
* Mrs Bennett, ''[Pride and Prejudice](/source/Pride_and_Prejudice)'', world premiere adapted and directed by [James Maxwell](/source/James_Maxwell_(actor)) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1991)
* ''The Innocents'' by William Archibald, directed by Robert Delamere at the [Greenwich Theatre](/source/Greenwich_Theatre), London. (1991)
* Lady Bracknell, ''[The Importance of Being Earnest](/source/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest)'' by [Oscar Wilde](/source/Oscar_Wilde), directed by [James Maxwell](/source/James_Maxwell_(actor)) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (1994)
* ''[Hedda Gabler](/source/Hedda_Gabler)'' by [Henrik Ibsen](/source/Henrik_Ibsen), directed by [Braham Murray](/source/Braham_Murray) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (2001)
* ''Les Blancs'' by [Lorraine Hansberry](/source/Lorraine_Hansberry), directed by [Greg Hersov](/source/Greg_Hersov) and [Marianne Elliott](/source/Marianne_Elliott_(director)) at the [Royal Exchange, Manchester](/source/Royal_Exchange%2C_Manchester) (2001)
* ''[Richard III](/source/Richard_III_(play))'', directed by [Michael Grandage](/source/Michael_Grandage) at the [Crucible Theatre](/source/Crucible_Theatre), [Sheffield](/source/Sheffield) (2002)
* Mrs Wilberforce, ''The Ladykillers'' adapted by Giles Croft, directed by Ben Crocker at the [Northcott Theatre](/source/Northcott_Theatre), Exeter (2005)
* The Concierge, ''The Enchantment'' by [Victoria Benedictsson](/source/Victoria_Benedictsson), directed by Paul Miller at the [Royal National Theatre](/source/Royal_National_Theatre), London (2007)
* Maria, ''[Uncle Vanya](/source/Uncle_Vanya)'' by [Anton Chekhov](/source/Anton_Chekhov), directed by [Andrew Hilton](/source/Andrew_Hilton) for Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory, [Bristol Old Vic](/source/Bristol_Old_Vic) (2009)

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0253364|name=Avril Elgar}}
* {{NPG name|id= 145362}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Elgar, Avril}}
Category:1932 births
Category:2021 deaths
Category:English film actresses
Category:English television actresses
Category:English stage actresses
Category:English radio actresses
Category:Actresses from Halifax, West Yorkshire
Category:20th-century English actresses
Category:21st-century English actresses
Category:Actresses from Cornwall
Category:People from Penzance

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Avril Elgar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avril_Elgar) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avril_Elgar?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.