Avril Elgar

**Avril Williams** known professionally as **Avril Elgar** (born 1 April 1932) is an English stage, radio and television actress.

## Early life

Elgar was born in Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire as Avril Williams. She trained at the London Old Vic Theatre School. At the National Theatre she has appeared in productions of Victoria Benedictsson's *The Enchantment*, Pam Gems' *Stanley*, and Julian Mitchell's *Half Life*.

## Roles

Elgar has appeared in a wide variety of roles from drama to comedy, and in many popular series on British television including *Dixon of Dock Green*, *Midsomer Murders* and *Tales of the Unexpected*. She played Mildred's sister Ethel Pumphrey in George and Mildred.

## Personal life

She was married to the American actor/director James Maxwell, from 1952 to 1995, and he directed her in a production of *The Corn is Green* at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre. They had two sons together.

## Television roles

* *Doctors* episode *You'll Be a Man, My Son* (2008)
* *Doctors* episode *Pardon* (2004)
* *New Tricks* episode (2004)
* *Casualty* episode *Finding Faith* (2004)
* *Waking the Dead* episode *Walking on Water* (2003)
* *Heartbeat* episode *Dirty Len* (2002)
* *My Family* episode *Tis Pity she's a Whore* (2001)
* *Midsomer Murders* episode *The Killings at Badgers Drift* (1997)
* Catherine Cookson's *The Glass Virgin* miniseries (1995)
* *Rides* (1993)
* *Poirot* episode *The King of Clubs* (1989)
* *Campion* episode *Police at the Funeral* parts 1 and 2 (1989)
* *A Taste for Death* (miniseries) (1988)
* *Them and Us* (T.V. series) episode *Flash-Point* (1985)
* *Minder* series 6 episode *Give Us This Day Arthur Daley's Bread* (1985)
* *Sakharov* (1984)
* *The Citadel* (1983)
* *The Bank Manager's Wife* TV play adapted from a novel by Valerie Kershaw (ITV - Central) (1982)
* *Objects of Affection* (TV series) episode *our Winnie* (1982)
* *Play for Today* episode *Under the Skin* (1982)
* *Tales of the Unexpected* episode *The Moles* (1982)
* *Tales of the Unexpected* episode *Back for Christmas* (1980)
* *Shoestring* episode *Looking for Mr.Wright* (1980)
* *George and Mildred* (1976–1979), as Ethel Pumphrey, Mildred Roper's sister.
* *Rosie* (1977–1979)
* *Romance* TV series episode *Moths* (1977)
* *Headmaster* TV series episode *First Day* (1977)
* *The Stars Look Down* (1975)
* *Bedtime Stories* episode *The Water Maiden* (1974)
* *Carrie's War* (1974)
* *The Befrienders* episode *A Case of no Resolution* (1972)
* *Public Eye* episode *I always wanted a swimming pool* (1971)
* *Paul Temple* episode *The Quick and the Dead* (1971)
* *Play for Today* episode *I Can't see my Little Willie* (1970)
* *Ryan International* episode *The Muck Raker* (1970)
* *ITV Playhouse* *The Style of the Countess* script Simon Gray, director Michael Apted (1970)
* *Leon Garfield's Smith* episodes 'God Save the King!' and 'The Black Angel' (1970)
* *Detective* episode 'Hunt for the Peacock', Hugh Leonard dramatization of H R F Keating novel (1969)
* *Callan (TV series)* episode 'Land of Light and Peace' (1969)
* *Theatre 625* episode 'To see how far it is', scripted by Alan Plater (1968)
* *Z-Cars* episode 'A Little Bit of Respect' parts 1 and 2 (1967)
* *Boy meets Girl* episode 'There was I, waiting...' (1967)
* *The Wednesday Play*, Jonathan Miller's *Alice in Wonderland* - playing the 'peppercook' (1966)
* *Softly, Softly* episode 'All That Glitters' (1966)
* *Dixon of Dock Green* episode 'The Pact' (1966)
* *Dixon of Dock Green* episodes 'The Root of all Evil' and 'Slim Jim' (1965)
* *Gideon's Way* episode 'The Firebug' (1965)
* *The Diary of a Nobody* directed by Ken Russell (1964)

## Filmography

* *Room at the Top* (1959)
* *Ladies Who Do* (1963)
* *Spring and Port Wine* (1970)
* *The Medusa Touch* (1978)
* *Betrayal* (1983)
* *Thirteen at Dinner* (1985)
* *Wilde* (1997)

## Theatre

Her roles in the theatre include :- [6] [7]

* Young Macduff and second witch, *Macbeth* at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1958)
* Norah, *Epitaph for George Dillon* by John Osborne and Anthony Creighton. Directed by William Gaskill at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1958)
* Lucille, *Danton's Death* by George Buchner Directed by Casper Wrede for the 59 Theatre Company at the Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith) (1959)
* Asta, *Little Eyolf* by Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Casper Wrede for the 59 Theatre Company at the Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith) (1960)
* *The Blood of the Bambergs* by John Osborne. Directed by John Dexter at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1962)
* *Under Plain Covers* by John Osborne. Directed by Jonathan Miller at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1962)
* Alice Maitland, *The Voysey Inheritance* by Harley Granville-Barker at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1966)
* Olga, *The Three Sisters* by Anton Chekov at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1967)
* Aase, *Peer Gynt* by Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Michael Elliott for 69 Theatre at the University Theatre, Manchester (1970)
* Agatha, *The Family Reunion* by T S Eliot. Directed by Michael Elliott for 69 Theatre at the Royal Exchange (1973)
* Agatha, *The Family Reunion* by T S Eliot. Directed by Michael Elliott at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1979)
* Miss Moffatt, *The Corn is Green* by Emlyn Williams. Directed by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1981)
* *Hope Against Hope* adapted and directed by Casper Wrede at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1983)
* The Queen, *Cymbeline* at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1984)
* Miss Havisham, *Great Expectations* adapted by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1985)
* Mrs Perkins, *The Admirable Crichton* by J M Barrie at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1985)
* Linda, *Death of a Salesman* by Arthur Miller. Directed by Greg Hersov at the Royal Exchange, Manchester(1985)
* Aglae, *Court in the Act* by Maurice Hennequin. British premiere directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1986)
* Wendy, *Among Barbarians* by Michael Wall. World premiere directed by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1989)
* Amanda Wingfield, *The Glass Menagerie* by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Ian Hastings at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1989)
* Mrs Bennett, *Pride and Prejudice*. World premiere adapted and directed by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1991)
* *The Innocents* by William Archibald. Directed by Robert Delamere at the Greenwich Theatre, London. (1991)
* Lady Bracknell, *The Importance of Being Earnest* by Oscar Wilde. Directed by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1994)
* *Hedda Gabler* by Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (2001)
* *Les Blancs* by Lorraine Hansberry. Directed by Greg Hersov and Marianne Elliott at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (2001)
* *Richard III*. Directed by Michael Grandage at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (2002)
* Mrs Wilberforce, *The Ladykillers* adapted by Giles Croft. Directed by Ben Crocker at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter (2005)
* The Concierge, *The Enchantment* by Victoria Benedictsson. Directed by Paul Miller at the Royal National Theatre, London (2007)