Josephine Tewson is one of those actresses held in great affection by the British public, as was made absolutely clear at the Monday afternoon Bewdley Festival event.

From the moment she walked on stage to a huge welcome, Josephine's delightful personality commanded the whole audience. A natural raconteuse she found amusement in her failures as well as her many successes.

With perfect comic timing she led us through a summary of her acting career, with reminiscences of theatres, television series and some of the famous names she had encountered along the way.

After working with Charlie Drake, who was the first to recognise her comedy potential, she appeared with many of the most popular comedians, including Ken Dodd, Frankie Howerd, Ronnie Corbett and Ronnie Barker, all of whom obviously found her versatility and acting ability invaluable in their shows.

Although, perhaps best known as Elizabeth Warden in the much loved, long running TV sitcom Keeping up Appearances, she has also appeared on stage in plays ranging from Ayckbourn and Stoppard to Shakespeare and Chekhov.

She last appeared on stage only three years ago in Separate Tables in Chichester.

This event would have been wonderful entertainment at any time but was a perfect way to spend a wet afternoon.

Review by CAS.