Prunella Scales was not only a brilliant comic and dramatic actor, she was a great, deeply political citizen.
As an active, and often leading, member of her trade union, Equity, she demonstrated solid commitment to, and earned respect from, her fellow professionals. And, like her beloved husband, Tim West, she was a dedicated member of the Labour party.
She also supported CND, the Anti-Apartheid Movement, the Anti-Nazi League and the women of mining communities, as well as undertaking extensive charity work. She would say: “Sometimes, dear, it’s useful to stand up and show that you are taking action and not acting.”
Her portrayal of the Queen in Alan Bennett’s A Question of Attribution (1988) was very highly regarded, and when she told me she had never met the monarch (that came later with the CBE in 1992), I asked how she managed to completely replicate “the walk”. She replied: “By watching endless newsreels, darling. That made me feel very much older.”
