Patricia Routledge

[Judy]

One of my public television stations is doing an appeal, and
the hook is a show about Pat Routledge. Lots of bits of her
as Hyacinth, of course, and Kitty on Victoria Wood's show,
and singing for real. Michael Frayn and Alan Bennett speak
about her, and she speaks about herself. I love this woman.

Stephen, Frayn and Bennett are saying Routledge so the "Rou"
rhymes with "how". A Scottish friend (whom I just called to
ask) says "Rutledge", as I do. What's correct.

I hope you all get to see this. What I understand is
hysterical.

Stephen, what's mashed swede? (I'm sure I either heard or
spelled this wrong.)

Oh God. This is too good. "She said, 'I'm a radical
lesbian feminist'." "Oh, dear," I thought, "what would the
Queen Mum do?"

[Stephen Farrow]

One of my public television stations is doing an appeal, and the hook is
a show about Pat Routledge. Lots of bits of her as Hyacinth, of course,
and Kitty on Victoria Wood's show, and singing for real. Michael Frayn
and Alan Bennett speak about her, and she speaks about herself. I love
this woman.

She is, indeed, amazing (it was worth the ticket to the RNT "Carousel" -
while it was still at the National, she didn't transfer with it to the
West End - just for her Nettie Fowler).

Stephen, Frayn and Bennett are saying Routledge so the "Rou" rhymes with
"how". A Scottish friend (whom I just called to ask) says "Rutledge",
as I do. What's correct.

Frayn and Bennett are correct.

I hope you all get to see this. What I understand is hysterical.
Stephen, what's mashed swede? (I'm sure I either heard or spelled this
wrong.)

Mashed rutabaga.

"No, the secret of my youthful good looks is simply... mashed swede. As
a side dish, as a face mask, and, in an emergency, as a draught excluder."

Oh God. This is too good. "She said, 'I'm a radical lesbian
feminist'." "Oh, dear," I thought, "what would the Queen Mum do?"

"I popped into Marks on the way to return a... let's call it an 'item'."

"She said she'd had two previous incarnations, I forget what they were.
Looking at her now, I'd plump for a Sumo Wrestler and a bull mastiff."

"She said, what do you think of Marx? I said I think their pants have
dropped off."

[Stephen Farrow]

One of my public television stations is doing an appeal, and the hook is
a show about Pat Routledge. Lots of bits of her as Hyacinth, of course,
and Kitty on Victoria Wood's show, and singing for real. Michael Frayn
and Alan Bennett speak about her, and she speaks about herself. I love
this woman.
Stephen, Frayn and Bennett are saying Routledge so the "Rou" rhymes with
"how". A Scottish friend (whom I just called to ask) says "Rutledge",
as I do. What's correct.
I hope you all get to see this. What I understand is hysterical.
Stephen, what's mashed swede? (I'm sure I either heard or spelled this
wrong.)
Oh God. This is too good. "She said, 'I'm a radical lesbian
feminist'." "Oh, dear," I thought, "what would the Queen Mum do?"

Here are two clips of Routledge as Kitty:

[Stephen Farrow]

Post by Stephen Farrow
http://youtu.be/T-iDlTBZhKg
http://youtu.be/PuRBlklDtME

The first of the above sketches, by the way, the BBC unfortunately
requested an alternative to the original (and brilliant) opening line -
"Good evening. My name's Kitty. I've had a boob off and I can't stomach
whelks, so that's me for you."

[fmomoon]

Post by Stephen Farrow

Post by Stephen Farrow
http://youtu.be/T-iDlTBZhKg
http://youtu.be/PuRBlklDtME

The first of the above sketches, by the way, the BBC unfortunately
requested an alternative to the original (and brilliant) opening line -
"Good evening. My name's Kitty. I've had a boob off and I can't stomach
whelks, so that's me for you."

Oh thank you! I far prefer her in these scenes than in some of the BBC
stuff I've seen.

[Stephen Farrow]

Post by fmomoon

Post by Stephen Farrow

Post by Stephen Farrow
http://youtu.be/T-iDlTBZhKg
http://youtu.be/PuRBlklDtME

The first of the above sketches, by the way, the BBC unfortunately
requested an alternative to the original (and brilliant) opening line -
"Good evening. My name's Kitty. I've had a boob off and I can't stomach
whelks, so that's me for you."

Oh thank you! I far prefer her in these scenes than in some of the BBC
stuff I've seen.

Well, these are from a BBC show as well, just a different BBC show
(they're both from "Victoria Wood As Seen On TV").

Also first screened on the BBC, it's worth looking out for her three
Alan Bennett monologues, "A Woman of No Importance", "A Lady of
Letters", and "Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet". The latter two are part of
the "Talking Heads" sequence, which also features remarkable
performances from Maggie Smith in "Bed Among the Lentils", Thora Hird in
"A Cream Cracker Under the Settee" and "Waiting for the Telegram",
Bennett himself in "A Chip in the Sugar", and Julie Walters in "Her Big
Chance" and "The Outside Dog", this last being possibly the darkest
thing Bennett has ever written (it's about a woman who slowly realises
that her husband is a serial killer, and it's *really* disturbing).

I just googled, and there was, apparently, a stage production of
"Talking Heads" in Los Angeles a few years ago in which Tyne Daly did
"Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet", Daniel Davis did "A Chip in the Sugar",
and Annette Bening did "The Outside Dog". I'd have loved to have seen
it; Bennett's monologues work beautifully live (I've seen Routledge do
"A Woman of No Importance" and "A Lady of Letters" live, and she was
incredible in each).

[Stephen Farrow]

Post by Stephen Farrow

Post by fmomoon
Oh thank you! I far prefer her in these scenes than in some of the
BBC stuff I've seen.

Well, these are from a BBC show as well, just a different BBC show
(they're both from "Victoria Wood As Seen On TV").

Oh, and "Keeping Up Appearances" is one of those shows that makes me
feel I should apologise to the rest of the world on behalf of my
country. Superb cast, *awful* writing, though it manages not to be quite
as bad as "As Time Goes By".

Then again, there's very little that's quite as bad as "As Time Goes By".

[fmomoon]

Post by Stephen Farrow

Post by fmomoon
Oh thank you! I far prefer her in these scenes than in some of the BBC
stuff I've seen.

Well, these are from a BBC show as well, just a different BBC show
(they're both from "Victoria Wood As Seen On TV").

Oh, and "Keeping Up Appearances" is one of those shows that makes me feel
I should apologise to the rest of the world on behalf of my country.
Superb cast, *awful* writing, though it manages not to be quite as bad as
"As Time Goes By".
Then again, there's very little that's quite as bad as "As Time Goes By".

That's the one I was trying to remember! My hubby likes those and, well, I
leave the room. :)

[Steve Newport]

I love her LITTLE MARY SUNSHINE.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

[J-Man]

Post by Stephen Farrow
Dolly: And she dresses like a part-time prostitute.
Bren: Be fair, Dolly, she IS a part-time prostitute.
Dolly: Yes, but she dresses like one full-time. I
mean, my neighbour's a lollipop lady, but she puts
it away at the weekend.

OK, I knew what "mashed Swede" was, but I am ignorant of (and hesitant to
ask about) the meaning of "lollipop lady."

[Stephen Farrow]

Post by J-Man

Post by Stephen Farrow
Dolly: And she dresses like a part-time prostitute.
Bren: Be fair, Dolly, she IS a part-time prostitute.
Dolly: Yes, but she dresses like one full-time. I
mean, my neighbour's a lollipop lady, but she puts
it away at the weekend.

OK, I knew what "mashed Swede" was, but I am ignorant of (and hesitant to
ask about) the meaning of "lollipop lady."

"Lollipop lady" = a school crossing guard. So called because they carry
a giant stop sign on a stick, and it looks a bit like an outsize lollipop.

Loading Image...

That quote, by the way, is from an episode of the sitcom "dinnerladies";
the actors are Victoria Wood (Bren) and Thelma Barlow (Dolly), Wood
wrote it, and they're playing staff members in a factory cafeteria. The
show is very funny, and very quotable.

[J-Man]

Post by J-Man

Post by Stephen Farrow
Dolly: And she dresses like a part-time prostitute.
Bren: Be fair, Dolly, she IS a part-time prostitute.
Dolly: Yes, but she dresses like one full-time. I
mean, my neighbour's a lollipop lady, but she puts
it away at the weekend.

OK, I knew what "mashed Swede" was, but I am ignorant of (and hesitant to
ask about) the meaning of "lollipop lady."

"Lollipop lady" = a school crossing guard. So called because they carry a
giant stop sign on a stick, and it looks a bit like an outsize lollipop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SheilaGallagherLollipopLadyStPauls.jpg
That quote, by the way, is from an episode of the sitcom "dinnerladies";
it, and they're playing staff members in a factory cafeteria. The show is
very funny, and very quotable.

Thanks. That's far nicer than what initially came to mind.

[Stephen Farrow]

Post by J-Man

Post by J-Man

Post by Stephen Farrow
Dolly: And she dresses like a part-time prostitute.
Bren: Be fair, Dolly, she IS a part-time prostitute.
Dolly: Yes, but she dresses like one full-time. I
mean, my neighbour's a lollipop lady, but she puts
it away at the weekend.

OK, I knew what "mashed Swede" was, but I am ignorant of (and hesitant to
ask about) the meaning of "lollipop lady."

"Lollipop lady" = a school crossing guard. So called because they carry a
giant stop sign on a stick, and it looks a bit like an outsize lollipop.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SheilaGallagherLollipopLadyStPauls.jpg
That quote, by the way, is from an episode of the sitcom "dinnerladies";
it, and they're playing staff members in a factory cafeteria. The show is
very funny, and very quotable.

Thanks. That's far nicer than what initially came to mind.

Which is why it's such a funny line in the show. It's a *very*
dialogue-heavy sitcom - most of it, basically, is banter between the
eight main characters - and Wood is very adept at finding innuendo by
placing innocent phrases in less-than-innocent contexts (she also, via
one character - Anita, who's nice but very dim - gets a lot of comic
mileage out of the exact opposite, like when Anita, going through a box
of Christmas tree decorations, asks Bren if genitalia is the silver
stuff you drape over the branches).

[Steve Newport]

***@adelphia.net (Judy)
Frayn and Bennett are saying Routledge so the "Rou" rhymes with "how".
---------------------------------------
That's the way I've always said it. I'm surprised Richard Rodgers didn't
come up with a song for her in ANDROCLES AND THE LION.

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

[Candide]

Post by Judy
One of my public television stations is doing an appeal, and
the hook is a show about Pat Routledge. Lots of bits of her
as Hyacinth, of course, and Kitty on Victoria Wood's show,
and singing for real. Michael Frayn and Alan Bennett speak
about her, and she speaks about herself. I love this woman.
Stephen, Frayn and Bennett are saying Routledge so the "Rou"
rhymes with "how". A Scottish friend (whom I just called to
ask) says "Rutledge", as I do. What's correct.
I hope you all get to see this. What I understand is
hysterical.
Stephen, what's mashed swede? (I'm sure I either heard or
spelled this wrong.)

Have seen that PBS/BBC special, and even taped it for future viewing,
which one has done frequently.

Most Americans only know Miss. Routledge as "Hyacinth Bucket"
(pronounced Bouquet). However, like many British actors/actresses she is
not only classically trained, but floats from television to stage, to
films quite easily. Personally would love to see her do "Lady Bracknell"
on stage.


Miss. Routledge, despite Hyacinth's horrid attempts has a wonderfully
trained voice. As usual it takes those who are truly trained at singing
to be able to sing "sour" with such ease (exception for Lucille Ball).
During the PBS/BBC special one gets to hear Miss. Routledge sing a
rather wonderful ditty about a lady who wants to be a opera singer. It
is a wonderful blend of comedic acting with a great voice that is truly
marvelous.

Post by Judy
Oh God. This is too good. "She said, 'I'm a radical
lesbian feminist'." "Oh, dear," I thought, "what would the
Queen Mum do?"

So I just smiled and said "we shall have fog by tea time"! *LOL*

[Damian R]

Post by Judy
One of my public television stations is doing an appeal, and
the hook is a show about Pat Routledge. Lots of bits of her as Hyacinth,
of course, and Kitty on Victoria Wood's show, and singing for real.
Michael Frayn and Alan Bennett speak about her, and she speaks about
herself. I love this woman.

I have the 1966 Music for Pleasure LP of The Sound of Music, which includes
Routledge singing "Climb Every Mountain", and she delivers a couple of lines
of dialogue in "How do you solve.." Maria is played by Anne Rogers. I'm not
sure who sings Liesl, but she's not the best voice in the world.

[Steve Newport]

***@hotmail.com (Damian=A0R)
the 1966 Music for Pleasure LP of The Sound of Music, which includes
Routledge singing "Climb Every Mountain." Maria is played by Anne
Rogers.
------------------------------------------------
Is this still in print?

O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O
http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com
O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O

[Damian R]

Post by Damian R
the 1966 Music for Pleasure LP of The Sound of Music, which includes
Routledge singing "Climb Every Mountain." Maria is played by Anne
Rogers.
------------------------------------------------
Is this still in print?

I don't believe so - I got the LP from ebay.