Avril Elgar

Avril Williams known professionally as Avril Elgar (born 1 April 1932) is an English stage, radio and television actress.

Early life
Elgar was born in Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire as Avril Williams. She trained at the London Old Vic Theatre School. At the National Theatre she has appeared in productions of Victoria Benedictsson's The Enchantment, Pam Gems' Stanley, and Julian Mitchell's Half Life.

Roles
Elgar has appeared in a wide variety of roles from drama to comedy, and in many popular series on British television including Dixon of Dock Green, Midsomer Murders and Tales of the Unexpected. She played Mildred's sister Ethel Pumphrey in George and Mildred.

Personal life
She was married to the American actor/director James Maxwell, from 1952 to 1995, and he directed her in a production of The Corn is Green at Manchester's Royal Exchange Theatre. They had two sons together.

Television roles

 * Doctors episode You'll Be a Man, My Son (2008)
 * Doctors episode Pardon (2004)
 * New Tricks episode (2004)
 * Casualty episode Finding Faith (2004)
 * Waking the Dead episode Walking on Water (2003)
 * Heartbeat episode Dirty Len (2002)
 * My Family episode Tis Pity she's a Whore (2001)
 * Midsomer Murders episode The Killings at Badgers Drift (1997)
 * Catherine Cookson's The Glass Virgin miniseries (1995)
 * Rides (1993)
 * Poirot episode The King of Clubs (1989)
 * Campion episode Police at the Funeral parts 1 and 2 (1989)
 * A Taste for Death (miniseries) (1988)
 * Them and Us (T.V. series) episode Flash-Point (1985)
 * Minder series 6 episode Give Us This Day Arthur Daley's Bread (1985)
 * Sakharov (1984)
 * The Citadel (1983)
 * The Bank Manager's Wife TV play adapted from a novel by Valerie Kershaw (ITV - Central) (1982)
 * Objects of Affection (TV series) episode our Winnie (1982)
 * Play for Today episode Under the Skin (1982)
 * Tales of the Unexpected episode The Moles (1982)
 * Tales of the Unexpected episode Back for Christmas (1980)
 * Shoestring episode Looking for Mr.Wright (1980)
 * George and Mildred (1976–1979), as Ethel Pumphrey, Mildred Roper's sister.
 * Rosie (1977–1979)
 * Romance TV series episode Moths (1977)
 * Headmaster TV series episode First Day (1977)
 * The Stars Look Down (1975)
 * Bedtime Stories episode The Water Maiden (1974)
 * Carrie's War (1974)
 * The Befrienders episode A Case of no Resolution (1972)
 * Public Eye episode I always wanted a swimming pool (1971)
 * Paul Temple episode The Quick and the Dead (1971)
 * Play for Today episode I Can't see my Little Willie (1970)
 * Ryan International episode The Muck Raker (1970)
 * ITV Playhouse The Style of the Countess script Simon Gray, director Michael Apted (1970)
 * Leon Garfield's Smith episodes 'God Save the King!' and 'The Black Angel' (1970)
 * Detective episode 'Hunt for the Peacock', Hugh Leonard dramatization of H R F Keating novel (1969)
 * Callan (TV series) episode 'Land of Light and Peace' (1969)
 * Theatre 625 episode 'To see how far it is', scripted by Alan Plater (1968)
 * Z-Cars episode 'A Little Bit of Respect' parts 1 and 2 (1967)
 * Boy meets Girl episode 'There was I, waiting...' (1967)
 * The Wednesday Play, Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland - playing the 'peppercook' (1966)
 * Softly, Softly episode 'All That Glitters' (1966)
 * Dixon of Dock Green episode 'The Pact' (1966)
 * Dixon of Dock Green episodes 'The Root of all Evil' and 'Slim Jim' (1965)
 * Gideon's Way episode 'The Firebug' (1965)
 * The Diary of a Nobody directed by Ken Russell (1964)

Filmography

 * Room at the Top (1959)
 * Ladies Who Do (1963)
 * Spring and Port Wine (1970)
 * The Medusa Touch (1978)
 * Betrayal (1983)
 * Thirteen at Dinner (1985)
 * Wilde (1997)

Theatre
Her roles in the theatre include :- [6] [7]
 * Young Macduff and second witch, Macbeth at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1958)
 * Norah, Epitaph for George Dillon by John Osborne and Anthony Creighton. Directed by William Gaskill at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1958)
 * Lucille, Danton's Death by George Buchner Directed by Casper Wrede for the 59 Theatre Company at the Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith) (1959)
 * Asta, Little Eyolf by Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Casper Wrede for the 59 Theatre Company at the Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith) (1960)
 * The Blood of the Bambergs by John Osborne. Directed by John Dexter at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1962)
 * Under Plain Covers by John Osborne. Directed by Jonathan Miller at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1962)
 * Alice Maitland, The Voysey Inheritance by Harley Granville-Barker at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1966)
 * Olga, The Three Sisters by Anton Chekov at the Royal Court Theatre, London (1967)
 * Aase, Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Michael Elliott for 69 Theatre at the University Theatre, Manchester (1970)
 * Agatha, The Family Reunion by T S Eliot. Directed by Michael Elliott for 69 Theatre at the Royal Exchange (1973)
 * Agatha, The Family Reunion by T S Eliot. Directed by Michael Elliott at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1979)
 * Miss Moffatt, The Corn is Green by Emlyn Williams. Directed by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1981)
 * Hope Against Hope adapted and directed by Casper Wrede at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1983)
 * The Queen, Cymbeline at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1984)
 * Miss Havisham, Great Expectations adapted by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1985)
 * Mrs Perkins, The Admirable Crichton by J M Barrie at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1985)
 * Linda, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. Directed by Greg Hersov at the Royal Exchange, Manchester(1985)
 * Aglae, Court in the Act by Maurice Hennequin. British premiere directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1986)
 * Wendy, Among Barbarians by Michael Wall. World premiere directed by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1989)
 * Amanda Wingfield, The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Directed by Ian Hastings at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1989)
 * Mrs Bennett, Pride and Prejudice. World premiere adapted and directed by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1991)
 * The Innocents by William Archibald. Directed by Robert Delamere at the Greenwich Theatre, London. (1991)
 * Lady Bracknell, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Directed by James Maxwell at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (1994)
 * Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen. Directed by Braham Murray at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (2001)
 * Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry. Directed by Greg Hersov and Marianne Elliott at the Royal Exchange, Manchester (2001)
 * Richard III. Directed by Michael Grandage at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield (2002)
 * Mrs Wilberforce, The Ladykillers adapted by Giles Croft. Directed by Ben Crocker at the Northcott Theatre, Exeter (2005)
 * The Concierge, The Enchantment by Victoria Benedictsson. Directed by Paul Miller at the Royal National Theatre, London (2007)