Dame Peggy Ashcroft ‘would have been so moved’ by blue plaque, says son

By Kelsey McCabe

English Heritage has unveiled a new plaque commemorating 20th century stage actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft.

The historical organization placed the blue plaque at her childhood home in South Croydon.

In a statement, son Nicholas Hutchinson and granddaughters Manon and Emily Loizeau said: “Peggy always received honours with humility and a great sense of humour, but all of us who knew her – children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews – know how very moved she would have been to see this blue plaque on her childhood family home.”

According to English Heritage, it was in her hometown of South Croydon that Peggy Ashcroft first dreamt of becoming an actress at age 13. Later in her career, she would reflect on treasured childhood memories of watching Shakespearean productions at the Grand Theatre, which closed in 1959.

Dame Peggy went on to star in Shakespearean productions herself, notably in a 1930 production of Othello at the Savoy Theatre, in which she played the role of Desdemona.

Her career was denoted by an impressive versatility, as she dominated both classical and contemporary productions.

Her performances covered a wide range of both content and mediums, from her role as Margaret of Anjou in a stage production of John Barton’s The War of the Roses to her portrayal of Mrs Moore in David Lean’s 1984 film A Passage to India, for which she won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

The new plaque is part of English Heritage’s ‘Plaques for Women’ campaign. The campaign seeks to increase the number of official blue plaques across London that commemorate notable women, which currently account for only 15 per cent of more than one thousand blue plaques across the city.

The family said: “We will be imagining her here with her beloved brother Edward, running outside and laughing through the windows and we will be able to show to our own children, who didn’t know her but have heard so much about her, that this house was where she grew up, had her first dreams of going on stage, the place where it all started.”

Pictured top: Miss Ashcroft’s son, Nicholas Hutchinson, with the new plaque – shown on the right (Pictures: English Heritage)