# Mary Millar

Irene Mary Wetton (26 July 1936 – 10 November 1998), better known by her stage name Mary Millar, was an English actress and singer best remembered for her role as the second actress to play Rose in the successful BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances from 1991 to 1995 and for originating the role of Madame Giry in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera.

## Early life

Irene Mary Wetton was born in Doncaster, England, on 26 July 1936 to Horace and Irene (née Mellor) Wetton, both music hall singers. She intended to become a stable hand, but later decided to pursue a stage career. She toured the country with her parents, who had an act called Sweethearts in Harmony.

## Career

Millar made her first television appearance in 1953, aged 17, in Those Were the Days. She also made appearances on The Dick Emery Show and The Stanley Baxter Show. Millar gained acclaim for her part in Keeping Up Appearances as Rose, replacing Shirley Stelfox for Series 2 in 1991 as Stelfox had prior commitments to Making Out. Millar remained with the programme through to its conclusion in 1995.
In 1960, Millar travelled to New York to understudy Julie Andrews in Camelot. She began her West End career in 1962 as Cloris in Lock Up Your Daughters. In 1969, she played the title role in the musical Ann Veronica, based on H. G. Wells' novel. In 1986, Millar originated the role of Madame Giry in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical The Phantom of the Opera. She played the role for four years and her voice appears on the original cast album.
From 1997 to 1998, Millar played Mrs Potts in the London production of Beauty and the Beast, and appeared on the cast album composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. In February 1998, Millar left the show because of deteriorating health.

## Personal life

Millar had one daughter, Lucy (born 1972), by her marriage to Rafael D. Frame, in 1962. She was a practising Christian.

## Death

In January 1998, Millar was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and underwent chemotherapy. She died on 10 November, at the age of 62, in Brockley, London, with her husband and daughter at her bedside. She was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium. Three weeks before her death, when asked what she would do when she arrived at heaven's door, Millar said, "Rehearse for a part in the Angelic choir, darling." An episode of Keeping Up Appearances was broadcast on BBC One the following week and dedicated to her.

## Works
### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1953 | Those Were the Days | | |
| 1963, 1964 | The Dick Emery Show | | |
| 1963–71 | The Stanley Baxter Show | | |
| 1967 | Titipu | Yum-Yum | BBC2 production |
| 1968 | Iolanthe | Phyllis | BBC2 production |
| 1970 | Rookery Nook | Poppy Dickie | |
| 1991–95 | Keeping Up Appearances | Rose | series 2 to series 5 |

### Theatre

| Year | Play | Role | Theatre | Notes |
| 1952, 1954–55 | Babes in the Wood | Principal character | The Empire Theatre, Sheffield (1952) Derby Hippodrome Theatre (1954–55) | |
| 1957, 1959 | The Desert Song | Margot Bonvalet | His Majesty's Theatre, Aberdeen | 1967 studio recording |
| 1958–59 | Old Chelsea | Mary Fenton | King's Theatre, Glasgow | |
| 1960 | Camelot | Queen Guenevere | Majestic Theatre, Manhattan | Julie Andrews' understudy |
| 1962 | Lock Up Your Daughters | Cloris | Mermaid Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre | |
| 1963 | See You Inside | | Duchess Theatre | |
| 1963–64 | All in Love | Lydia Languish | Mayfair Theatre | Based on The Rivals by Richard Brinsley Sheridan |
| 1965 | Dearest Dracula | Lucy | Olympia Theatre, Dublin | |
| 1966 | Seven Brides for Seven Brothers | Milly | | 1966 recording |
| 1967–68, 1971 | Bless the Bride | | Richmond Theatre | 1967 studio recording |
| 1967 | Love From a Stranger | Cecily Harrington | Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch | |
| 1967 | Virtue in Danger | Berinthia | Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch | |
| 1968 | The Rivals | Lydia Languish | Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch | |
| 1969 | The Real Inspector Hound | Cynthia | Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch | |
| 1969 | Black Comedy | Clea | Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch | |
| 1969 | Ann Veronica | Ann Veronica Stanley | Cambridge Theatre | Cast recording |
| 1970 | Spider's Web | Clarissa Hailsham-Brown | Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch | |
| 1972 | Popkiss | Poppy Dickie | Globe Theatre Cambridge Arts Theatre | |
| 1973 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Honourable Gwendolen Fairfax | Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch | |
| 1975 | Small and Brassy | | King's Head Theatre Wyndham's Theatre | |
| 1978 | Lark Rise | Emma Timms | Royal National Theatre | |
| 1984 | Pack of Lies | Barbara Jackson | Lyric Theatre, London | Replacing Judi Dench |
| 1985, 1993–94 | Follies | Sally Durant Plummer | Forum Theatre, Wythenshawe Brighton Dome Haymarket Theatre | |
| 1986–90 | The Phantom of the Opera | Madame Giry | Her Majesty's Theatre | Leader of bible studies between shows, cast recording |
| 1996 | Follies: In Concert | | National Concert Hall, Dublin | |
| 1997–98 | Beauty and the Beast | Mrs Potts | Dominion Theatre | Cast recording |
| | Pal Joey | | | |
| | The King and I | Anna | Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich | |
| | The Mating Game | | | |
| | An Evening with Mary Millar | | | One-woman show Talking about her Christianity, life, and work |