The Society is deeply saddened to hear the news that Prunella Scales has died at the age of 93. Her personal and professional partnership with the late Timothy West, our President for many years, was famous, and, of course, to many, she was associated inextricably with the character of Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers.

Click below to read the obituaries on the BBC and the Guardian.

Obituary on the BBC website
Obituary on the Guardian website

Geoff Davidson, the Society’s former Hon Treasurer, remembers Tim and Pru at the opera:

On a number of occasions I saw Tim in the audience at the London Coliseum. The last was at a performance of Iolanthe, in October 2023, and Pru was with him. I had gone to see the full size train that brought the Peers onto the stage and maybe that why she was with him that evening. It was spectacular.

Come the interval, Tim went off to get drinks and Pru needed my help to get to the bar and assistance up the stairs. The same happened at the end of the performance when Tim went to find the taxi he had arranged to get them home. This time, Pru needed help to get down a back staircase to the front of the theatre. She and I succeeded very well until until we got through the doors and started down the last flight of steps to street level. We stumbled – but were caught by one of the theatre’s doormen, all ended well and into the car she got and off they went home.

Happy memory of a wonderful lady and a great performer.