RIP Diana

Saddened to hear that Dame Diana Rigg has died. Even though she reached the respectable age of 82, I’m sure she would have carried on giving delight to audiences if cancer hadn’t got its claws into her.

I suppose that for most people she will be best known for her performance as Lady Olena Tyrell in Game of Thrones, but for many of us she remains etched in our memories as Emma Peel – the best partner that John Steed ever had. The House That Jack Built remains my favourite episode of The Avengers, right from when I first saw it in 1966.

Her range as an actress was wide – from Shakespeare to musicals (we were fortunate enough to see her in the London production of Follies in 1988), and she starred in productions in the theatre, film and TV. I still remember, with a shudder, her brilliant performance as Helena in Mother Love, and with a wry smile, her performance as Mrs. Gillyflower in The Crimson Horror episode of Doctor Who.

She lives on in our memories, and in the recordings of those productions to which she gave her talent.

A Life in pictures.