Long career in comedy

Comic actress Dora Bryan has died today at the age of 91.

Her career included roles in Last of the Summer Wine, the St Trinian’s films and Absolutely Fabulous.

She had been living at a nursing home in Hove and died with her sons Daniel and William Lawton at her bedside.

Daniel Lawton told the Brighton Argus: 'It was heartbreaking but it was peaceful. She just left us.

'She loved being on stage, that's what she wanted. Not only did she do it, but she was good at it. She was a star, and a mum.

Bryan's acting career began when she starred in a pantomime in Manchester as a child before the war, and learned her craft entertaining British troops posted in Italy with ENSA.

She had almost 100 TV and film credits to her name, including the 1958 movie Carry On Sergeant, playing headmistress Amber Spottiswood in The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery in 1966 and her own 1968 ITV series According to Dora (also known as Happily Ever After).

She was also a top 20 recording artist, releasing All I want for Christmas Is A Beatle in 1963

In 1999, she made an appearance in Victoria Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies and the following year joined Last of the Summer Wine as Aunt Roz Utterthwaite. She left the series five years later when she encountered difficulties learning her lines.

Her Ab Fab appearance came in 2001, playing June Whitfield's on-screen friend Dolly, which earned her a Bafta nomination.

Among those paying tribute on Twitter today was comedy writer Jonathan Harvey, creator of Gimme Gimme Gimme among others. He recalled: 'Met her when she was 72. When I told her Beautiful Thing was going on tour she replied "Anything in it for me?!" Loved her!'

Jenny Eclair tweeted: 'I met Dora Bryan backstage at Theatre Royal Brighton - she was hilarious within ten seconds.'

And TV presenter Nigel May added: 'God bless Dora Bryan - may she be lighting up heaven - always a favourite. A true UK eccentric and immense talent.'

Bryan was married to England cricketer Bill Lawton, who she met in Oldham during the war. They married in 1954, and lived in Brighton together (owning Clarges Hotel on the seafront which was used as an exterior shots in Carry On Girls and Carry On at Your Convenience) until his death in 2008.

Here she is in the 1953 film Street Corner, aka Both Sides Of the Law:

Published: 23 Jul 2014