The crème de la crème

I’ve just heard the news that Maggie Smith has died.

Strange coincidence that I’m in the midst of rewatching Downton Abbey and only last night found myself marvelling that she was still around.

Of course the first thing they mentioned on the news was the Harry Potter films (another one to add to my play A Divine Comedy), followed by Downton. I expect Richard Harris is laughing with her – or perhaps groaning – about this at the Cocktail Party in the Sky, where I’m confident she has now arrived.

The first role I ever saw Maggie Smith play was Desdemona in a film version of Othello, playing opposite a (oh, dear me) black-faced Lawrence Olivier.

She was mesmerising.

And then, of course, there was this.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – the role that won her an Oscar and made her a household name on both sides of the Atlantic.

I went to see the film with my friend Angelika. The next day we had to sit our Art exam and couldn’t stop giggling every time the art teacher walked past, because, well, you know. (If you don’t know, you’ll have to see the film.)

Oh, and, ha, ha, when I was looking for an image from the film, I came across the one above with this archived 1969 article in “Woman’s Guardian”. (Oh, yes, the women’s section. Sigh.) Do click on the link and have a read.

The woman was simply magical in every role I’ve ever seen her play in films or on television.

I only ever saw Smith on stage once, but how lucky was I? It was the first time she had appeared on stage with Judi Dench in the West End, in David Hare’s The Breath of Life.

I’ve just read (20+ years later) Michael Billingham’s rather dismissive review of the play. Screw that. It was “an evening for connoisseurs of fine acting”. I’ve never seen a standing ovation like it.

There really was nothing like this Dame.

That said, if you haven’t seen it already, do check her out with these other Dames.

Thanks for the memories, Maggie.