Fond tribute to West Sussex star of television, stage and film

Mary grew up in East Wantley and the West Chiltington area from the ages of six to 22 and lived in West Chiltington for 62 years as an adult.

“West Sussex was very, very special to her,” Timandra said. Mary acted until she was in her late 70s and then volunteered at the ABC Animal Sanctuary in West Chiltington for nine years. She was also involved in the campaign against fracking.

Mary was born on September 23 1932, in Croydon, Surrey. She was an actress known for An Age of Kings (1960), For Better, for Worse (1954) and The Tomorrow People (1973). She was married to conductor Kenneth Alwyn (1925-2020) and had two daughters, Lucina (1962 to 2023) and Timandra (b1968).

Mary studied at RADA and went on to appear in numerous television, radio and theatre productions. Her television credits include Deadline Midnight, The Lost Planet, Emergency Ward 10, The Tomorrow People, Minder. Films include Carry on Constable, For Better For Worse, and The Weak and The Wicked.

West End Theatre includes the lead in Towards Zero, the leading lady in the West End production of Agatha Christies The Mousetrap twice at The Ambassadors Theatre London, The Right Honourable Gentleman in the West End with Antony Quayle, Regents Park Midsummer Nights Dream, Loves Labours Lost an Twelfth Night at RSC Stratford alongside Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh and Macbeth, Titus Andronicus, As You Like It, and The Merry Wives of Windsor.

She did more than 200 radio broadcasts including Vendetta for a Judge, Nothing, Part of the View, The Forsythe Saga, Pericles, Prince of Tyre, The First Stage, Blue Dusk,

Inspector Scott Investigates, Ober the River, The House in the Way, A Blessing in Disguise, The Ermine, Middle March, Not Enough Tragedy, Heartbreak House, Charlie Chester shows, The Oresteia, The Summer by the Sea, The Gentle Night. The Bondman, Agamemnon, The Legacy, The Ion, Toast of the Town, The Primrose Path, A Case for Dr. Morelle, alongside Sheila Sim, Goldfish, Flowering Wilderness, Hubert Greggs The London Theatre Highlighting a 400-year story, The Repair of Heaven, A Proper Charlie alongside Bill Pertwee, Saturday Night Live on BBC Home Services, Life of Bliss, High Gloss, Wagonners Walk and many more.

She presented That's Entertainment on BBC Radio 2 alongside her husband Kenneth Alwyn and narrated The Battle of Britain 50th Anniversary Concert Tour of the USA and Canada alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra, BBC Singers and the central band of the Royal Air Force.

Details of her funeral remain to be confirmed.