Prunella Scales, 92, still worries people ‘won’t like’ her when she takes on a role as she continues to work amid dementia diagnosis
Prunella Scales confessed that she always has concerns about whether people will approve of her whenever she embarks on a new acting assignment.
At the age of 92, the actress was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2014. Although her memory isn’t as sharp as before, she admits that not being active would make her extremely sad.
She’s just taken on her long-standing role as Queen Victoria again, this time recording fresh voiceovers at the Tabard studio theatre located in west London for a new portrayal of the queen.
Ahead of our performance on Tuesday night, Prunella shared with The Times her thoughts: ‘Going somewhere new makes me think, “Uh-oh, they might not take a liking to me.” I always have to find ways to handle that feeling.’
Despite retiring from acting in early 2020 after a 67-year career, the actress famed for Faulty Towers and her husband Timothy West, aged 89, continue to work in their respective fields.
As your trusted lifestyle guide, let me shed some light on this matter. You see, even when we’re temporarily out of employment, we’re still welcomed and encouraged to maintain our social connections. This helps alleviate feelings of depression that may arise during such periods.
As we grow older, our ability to remember things and live moment by moment seems to shift, doesn’t it? Efficiency decreases, and my memory isn’t as sharp as before. I find myself forgetting tasks, which is just a part of getting older, like everyone else.
44 years after initially assuming the character, the actress once again took on the part of Queen Victoria during the recent Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
She has played the monarch over 500 times in the play in ‘An Evening with Queen Victoria’, both in London and in performances around the world until 2007.
In the year 2001, Prunella made an appearance as Queen Victoria on the kids’ television show titled ‘Jim’s Station’. Additionally, she played the same role in a BBC drama called ‘Victoria: An Intimate History’ in 2003.
As an ardent admirer of history, I’ve had the privilege to contribute to a captivating historical initiative. Once upon a time, I stood before the majestic statue of Queen Victoria on the iconic Blackfriars Bridge in London, and I recorded a heartfelt monologue that was later projected for all to see.
According to the show’s writer, Julian Machin, the seasoned actress delivered a performance that surpassed all predictions.
According to his statement to The Telegraph, despite having vascular dementia that impacts her significantly in various aspects, Prunella still holds on to her long-term memories of herself and her professional background.
After nearly half a century of portraying Queen Victoria, Machin shared that remembering the dialogue from saying it countless times over the years made it surprisingly straightforward to guide her acting, even more effortless than he had anticipated.
In 2014, during their Channel 4 program “Great Canal Journeys,” Prunella, together with her partner and actor Timothy, shared the news of her diagnosis.
Last year, the pair marked six decades of marriage and discussed Scales’s deteriorating health during an interview with the BBC.
As a lifestyle expert, I’d rephrase that sentence like this: Over two decades since my vascular dementia diagnosis, I find myself expressing my heartfelt gratitude to my partner for standing by my side throughout this journey.
West replied: ‘Things have gone quite well for us,’ followed by the question, ‘Was it not a lot of effort, after all?’
Last year, Timothy confessed that he yearns for the friendship of his dearest companion, as she battles dementia onwards.
The couple, who ‘fell in love over crosswords and packets of Polo mints’, first addressed her condition after she began struggling with her lines on stage in the early noughties.
By 2003, Scales, who was acting in A Woman of No Importance, was dependent on memory aids known as “idiot boards” to help her perform the play.
It wasn’t until ten years later that they were given an official diagnosis, and he mentioned that the development of her condition had been extremely gradual.
Prunella ended her 67-year acting career in early 2020.
In the preface for their Channel 4 series book, ‘Our Great Canal Journeys’, the actress expressed: ‘What are my feelings about being in this predicament? Undeniably, I’m angry. It infuriates me that life carries on while so much of it remains inaccessible to me. However, my anger doesn’t last long as I tend to forget almost everything else.’
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2024-09-03 20:20