Michelle Terry: 'A formidable smile and disarming twinkle'
Actor and artistic director at Shakespeare's Globe, Michelle Terry, recalled her first professional job with Penelope Keith in Theatre Royal Bath's 2004 production of Blithe Spirit. Terry said: 'Her reputation preceded her, and I was nervous, but I was immediately greeted by her formidable smile and that disarming twinkle in her eyes that never stopped twinkling.'
They performed together for a year, touring from Bath to the Savoy in London. Terry noted: 'Despite her various attempts to thwart it, there wasn't a show that went by when the audience didn't applaud the moment she walked on stage. They needed her to know how much they loved her. And there wasn't a show that went by that she didn't give them a performance worthy of their love.'
Terry shared a story about Keith's advice on comic timing, referencing the acting couple the Lunts: 'It was Penny's kind, wise but clear note to me that only the truth is funny. She was so true. And so funny. And to be that funny you not only need craft, wit, wisdom and exceptional talent, you also need an umbilical connection to the audience to know where to take them at every given moment. She was truly brilliant, and I will be for ever grateful.'
Susannah Waters: 'She took care over every syllable'
Writer and director Susannah Waters, then a completely untried writer in 2001, was commissioned by the Covent Garden festival to write a series of monologues for Elizabeth I, performed by Keith. Waters recalled: 'She was never less than 100% committed to the script – my first – faithful to its rhythms, eager to serve my intentions, though of course she could have thrown her weight around if she'd wanted to. But she didn't change a word.'
Waters described rehearsing at Keith's home in Surrey while pregnant: 'It was a privilege to witness her hard work, the care she took over every syllable. And she and Rodney welcomed me into their house, asked about my family, were never grand or made me feel small in any way. Two years later, we toured the show. I can still hear her delivery of the words when I close my eyes.'
Samantha Spiro: 'Her characters were grand, snobbish, dragon-like – but always lovable'
Actor Samantha Spiro played opposite Keith in a play about Elinor Glyn and Clara Bow. Despite warnings that Keith was 'formidable', Spiro found the opposite: 'Penny was giggly, mischievous and extremely generous. I learned so much from her by watching her. Her comic timing was exquisite while always grounding everything in truth. She was totally unique and brought something to her characters that only Penny Keith could. Grand, snobbish, dragon-like, but always lovable, as she managed to bring a vulnerability to every character she played.'
Matt Pinches: 'Audiences were utterly spellbound by her voice'
Matt Pinches, co-founder and producer of Guildford Shakespeare Company, recalled that Keith was 'not simply one of Britain's great actors; she was one of theatre's greatest champions.' In 2008, she attended their production of As You Like It as a regular audience member. Five years later, she lent her voice to Hymen, the goddess of marriage, using an old gramophone on stage. Pinches said: 'Her voice seemed to come from the landscape itself – audiences were utterly spellbound.'
During the pandemic, Keith played the Ghost of Christmas Past in an online A Christmas Carol. Pinches noted: 'She didn't hesitate. ... She threw herself into it, delivering a beautiful performance that helped reassure audiences that theatre was still alive, even in the darkest of times, and would endure.' He added: 'Penny was a theatre person through and through. She loved actors, stage managers, directors, technicians and audiences with equal affection. She understood that theatre isn't just about stars; it's about communities of people creating something together.'
