LONDON – The entertainment world mourns the passing of Penelope Keith, a beloved comic actress renowned for her roles as both resilient and charmingly posh characters in the iconic British sitcoms “The Good Life” and “To the Manor Born.” At the age of 86, Keith has sadly passed away.
Her family announced on Monday that she had succumbed to cancer, passing peacefully at her residence in Surrey, which is just outside London.
Keith’s illustrious career began on the stage, where she first honed her acting skills with the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company, which she joined in 1963. However, it was television that catapulted her to widespread acclaim.
Her portrayal of Margo Leadbetter in “The Good Life” won her a BAFTA award in 1977. In the series, she vividly captured the essence of a suburban socialite, horrified yet hilariously bewildered by the rustic experiments undertaken by her neighbors, Tom and Barbara Good—played by Richard Briers and Felicity Kendal.
The affection and admiration her peers held for her was epitomized by Felicity Kendal, who praised Keith as a “comic genius.”
“She was a joy to know and work with, and she will be much missed,” Kendal said.
Keith displayed a similar mix of imperiousness and deadpan wit in “To the Manor Born,” broadcast between 1979 and 1981 and brought back for a 2007 Christmas special. Keith played cash-strapped aristocratic widow Audrey fforbes-Hamilton, forced to sell her country estate to a nouveau millionaire, played by Peter Bowles, with whom she has a love-hate relationship.
Keith’s velvet tones featured on children’s show “Teletubbies” and in ads for everything from Pimm’s to Parker Pens. She also presented cozy documentary TV series, including “Penelope Keith’s Hidden Villages.”
Keith continued to perform in stage roles into her 80s. Theaters in London’s West End will dim their lights on Wednesday evening in tribute to her.
In 2014 she was made a dame, the female equivalent of a knight, for services to the arts and to charity.
She is survived by her husband, Rodney Timson, and their two adopted sons.
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