Vixen's Run
Sian Phillips
Sian Phillips plays Lady Annabel Butler
Appearing
in MIDSOMER MURDERS was an ideal job for Sian Phillips.
“I love a good murder-mystery and any amount of blood and gore is great. It
doesn't put me off – the more the merrier for me. I love the series and I
loved my time on it, even when the cameraman warned me not to stick around too
much in case I got bumped off!”
Sian plays Lady Annabel Butler, the first wife of eccentric aristocrat Sir
Freddy Butler (Joss Ackland).
“Annabel is the first and oldest and I think she is the most balanced one and
the nicest. She got discarded by Freddy but coped with it remarkably. She seems
sensible and kind and she's unpretentious with understated clothes.
“She keeps peace with the other ladies as they all live on top of one another.
She is probably the mother figure to them all, and makes sure that everyone gets
on with each other. I liked her and it was a good part for me to play.”
The role reunited Sian with a few old friends.
“It was a tremendous pleasure to be reunited with Joss Ackland as my husband,
even though we were separated in the episode. Sheila Ruskin who plays Lady
Lucinda is a close friend so that worked beautifully, even though she was a
rival. I knew John Nettles before but I'd never worked with him so that was
great.
“And of course I was reunited with producer Betty Willingale who worked on
many of the great television dramas of the 70s that I was in. Dramas like I,
Claudius and many more. I've kept in touch with her and feel very lucky to have
known her for such a large part of my life.”
Welsh-born Sian became an award-winning actress in her late teens and has been
working for more than 50 years. An acclaimed stage actress, her screen credits
include Under Milk Wood, Lady Windermere's Fan, Jennie: Lady Randolph Churchill,
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Smiley's People, Ivanhoe and The Borrowers.
Since filming MIDSOMER MURDERS, she has appeared as Miss Haversham in Great
Expectations for the RSC in Stratford, before working on a documentary for S4C
about cats, filmed in England, Wales and Europe. Her next play is Samuel
Beckett's Rockabye, which opens as part of the playwright's centenary
celebrations at the Barbican in London in April.
“The documentary about cats is very special to me because cats are a passion
of mine, although sadly my last one died at the age of 22,” says Sian. “I
have no intention of giving up acting yet. I am having far too much of a good
time. It has been a busy start to the year, but very enjoyable, and I am loving
the range I am being offered, from prime-time ITV drama, to Beckett and a
documentary about cats!”