RIP to the brilliant and wonderful Dame Patricia Routledge

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 9:01am

Dame Patricia won a Tony in 1968 for DARLING OF THE DAY (tied with Leslie Uggams), and also appeared on Broadway in Leonard Bernstein & Alan Jay Lerner’s 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE and the play HOW’S THE WORLD TREATING YOU. Her three Broadway appearances lasted about 2.5 months combined.

In London, her stage credits include work with the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dotty Otley in “Noises Off”, Lady Bracknell in “The Importance of Being Earnest”, Madame Ranevskaya in “The Cherry Orchard”, Queen Margaret in “Richard III”, and Nettie Fowler in “Carousel.” She won an Olivier for playing the Old Lady in “Candide.”

She may be best known for her hilarious performance as Hyacinth Bucket on KEEPING UP APPEARANCES.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/03/obituaries/patricia-routledge-dead.html

Updated On: 10/3/25 at 09:01 AM

[nmartin]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 10:43am

I am genuinely saddened by this.

She was a remarkably talented actress who was equally at home in drama, comedy, and musicals. 

Hyacinth Bucket is one of television's great creations.

"No, you cannot have a number 24, nor a double portion of 37. This isn't the Chinese takeaway. This is a private slimline white telephone with no connection whatsoever to any business or trade. Especially not one of foreign extraction!"

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 10:54am

She brought so much joy for so many years.  Ta Ta For Now, Dame Patricia Routledge !

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 11:02am

If Wikipedia is accurate, she only appeared in 9 feature films, and all between the years of 1967 and 1971. Which is kind of shocking considering how prolific she was on the stage and on television.

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 11:21am

RIP

I remember recently she spoke about how life gets better as you age. I think she was happy to the end.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 11:28am

Jay Lerner-Z said: "I remember recently she spoke about how life gets better as you age. I think she was happy to the end."

While I would have enjoyed seeing her on stage/screen into her 80s, it's refreshing to see an actor of that stature largely retire in their late 70s. I hope her later years were fulfilling!

[Jay Lerner-Z]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 11:50am

She didn't fully retire. Even in her late 80s, she was touring the UK with shows about her career. I think one was specifically about musical theatre, where she'd reminisce about Bernstein etc. and even play some of the songs.

[Jarethan]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 12:12pm

I was fortunate enough to see her in two shows.  She was wonderful in both.  In Darling of the Day, her combination of warmth, humor, and a fine voice made you love her after she had been on the stage for five minutes.  I actually saw the show on opening night because I was home from school for the weekend, it opened on Saturday, and there were seats available.  There were in fact some empty seats.  She brought down the house with her big production number, Not on Your Nelly, and had several wonderful solos.  Her Tony award was truly deserved.  

She was also great in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, but the show was a disaster that ran a week, I think.  Still, the music and lyrics contained some gems.  In one -- I can't remember the title, she again stopped the show (actually woke up the audience) singing a duet with herself, playing two first ladies.  The other great moment in an awful show was a solo titled something like Take Care of this House.

I always found it frustrating that she never appeared in NYC again, because she was that good.  I guess she tired of appearing in mega-flops.  Darling of the Day was a wonderful show that received many excellent reviews, but it never had a chance.  No advance, no names, opened in late January, out of the way theatre (on 54th St., close to 6th Avenue, and the to critics for the Times at the time were both negative.  Ironically, Walter Kerr, who was very tough, loved it.

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 1:46pm

Her performance in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, particularly Duet For One, was monumental, and the fact that it only lives on in bootlegs is a crime:

[AC126748]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 3:37pm

A wonderful performer. If she had transferred to Broadway with THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, she'd have won a second Tony.

Updated On: 10/3/25 at 03:37 PM

[GirlFromOz68]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 4:20pm

I saw Dame Patricia in The Importance of Being Earnest in Sydney in 2000 and she was hilarious. 

I also loved her performance in To Sir With Love.

[merle57]

Posted: 10/3/25 at 5:11pm

Her Not On Your Nellie in Darling of the Day is fantastic. I wish they could post the Ed Sullivan Show clip on YouTube.  She also received rave reviews for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and Love March with Laurence Guittard in Los Angeles. I wish that show had come to Broadway, great score. 

May she rest in peace -- isn't God lucky to have her entertain in heaven! 

[nmartin]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 10:48am

West End/UK to Dim Lights for Dame Patricia Routledge

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 11:09am

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "If Wikipedia is accurate, she only appeared in 9 feature films, and all between the years of 1967 and 1971. Which is kind of shocking considering how prolific she was on the stage and on television."

One of those unforgettable films was To Sir, With Love (1967), where she starred opposite Sidney Poitier. I loved her performance. May she rest in peace.

[Highland Guy]

Posted: 10/4/25 at 12:06pm

It's like losing a member of the family.