Josephine Tewson

**Josephine Ann Tewson**  (26 February 1931-19 August 2022)Was an English stage and television actress. She was best known for her large roles in British television sitcoms, such as Elizabeth Warden the neighbour of Hyacinth Bucket in *Keeping Up Appearances* (1990–95) and Miss Davenport in *Last of the Summer Wine* (2003–10).

## Early life and career

Tewson was born in Hampstead, London. Her father, William Tewson, was a professional musician and played the double bass in the BBC Symphony Orchestra; her mother, Kate Tewson (née Morley, born 1908), was a nurse, the daughter of Haydn Morley who captained Sheffield Wednesday in the 1890 F.A cup final. After grammar school, Tewson studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) from which she graduated in 1952, there she met actor Leonard Rossiter and married him in 1958 but they divorced in 1961.

Tewson was a regular comedy performer in sketches featuring Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker on *David Frost on Sunday* and *Hark at Barker* (1970), she later appeared in *Mostly Monkhouse*, a BBC Radio Comedy programme with David Jason supporting Bob Monkhouse. She also appeared a few times in *Z-Cars* (1963–69) and *The Charlie Drake Show* (1968). Tewson appeared in Brian Clemens *Thriller* in 1974 where her character is killed *by a* dashing serial killer played by prolific actor Michael Jayston.

Tewson was featured with John Inman in *Odd Man Out* (1977), an unsuccessful sitcom, where they played half-brother/half-sister roles. She was rumoured to be Inman's cousin, though she has denied this idea in several interviews. Tewson played Edna Hawkins (usually referred to as Mrs H) in the first six series of the British sitcom *Shelley* from 1979 to 1982 . She also appeared in the 1984 children's film *Gabrielle and the Doodleman* as the characters Mrs. Briggs the housekeeper and the Fairy Godmother. Later, she played Jane Travers in Ronnie Barker's sitcom *Clarence* (1988), which Barker also wrote, but was his last starring television role before his retirement as an actor.

Tewson is best known for her role as Elizabeth Warden, neighbour and confidant of super snob Hyacinth Bucket in *Keeping Up Appearances* which aired from 1990 to 1995. Tewson appeared in nearly every episode for the 5 series run, showcasing Tewson's wonderful comedic timing as the worrying, coffee-spilling next door neighbour. Tewson and Routledge have kept up their friendship which was formed during the making of *Keeping Up Appearances.* Tewson is also good friends with Clive Swift, who played Richard in the series, and with whom she regularly goes to watch cricket with at Lord’s in London.

## Later career

Tewson appeared as a one off as Miss Davenport opposite Bernard Cribbins, Peter Sallis and Frank Thornton in *Last of the Summer Wine* in 2003, and was made a regular in the next series in 2004, and remained in the role until the show's cancellation in 2010. The series was also written by Roy Clarke who wrote *Keeping Up Appearances*. She has also appeared in two episodes of the documentary series *Comedy Connections*, talking about her work in *Keeping Up Appearances* in 2003 and appeared with *The Two Ronnies in* 2005. In 2009, she played the role of Iris in the radio drama *Leaves in Autumn* written by Susan Casanove, produced by the Wireless Theatre Company.

Other television appearances were in an episode of *Heartbeat* ("Closing The Book", 2002) and as the competition judge, Samantha Johnstone, in an episode in the mystery drama *Midsomer Murders* ("Judgement Day", 2000). Most recently, she was featured in two episodes of *Doctors* as kleptomaniac, Audrey Wilson, ("Now You See It...", 2009) and as Marjorie Page, a woman in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease ("The Bespectacled Bounder," 2012).

In 2012, Tewson launched her one-woman show *Still Keeping Up Appearances?* and toured across the UK. The idea for the show was suggested to Tewson by a friend who had attended a charity lunch at which the actress was appearing in Brighton, where she shared hilarious anecdotes of her extensive career. Tewson appeared on BBC Breakfast discussing her tour in July 2012 with presenters Charlie Stayt and Susanna Reid.

## Roles

### Film roles

 1977
 1978
 1989
 1994
 2000

### Radio

 Early 1970s
 2009