Margaret Tyzack made formidable women feel like particular people, with dry humour and precise character work. We value her most when an ensemble gives that precision room, as the crowded family of I, Claudius does.
Fi1m perspective
Margaret Tyzack's Antonia makes a complicated family easier to follow in I, Claudius (1976). As Claudius's mother, she has a distinct personality among actors who are hardly short of them. We rate Tyzack for that precision: she gives us someone we can recognise without having to dominate the scene. It is particularly valuable in a drama with so many people to keep track of.
The Forsyte Saga (1967), in which she played Winifred Dartie, brought her to a wide television audience. Historical drama and literary adaptations became a substantial part of her screen work, while queens, matriarchs and formidable older women recurred across stage and screen. Such casting can encourage an actor to settle for looking imposing. Tyzack's dry humour and precise character work offered more possibilities than that, particularly when she had another strong actor to play against.
Derek Jacobi's Claudius remains our strongest reason to watch I, Claudius, but Tyzack's Antonia, Brian Blessed's Augustus and Patrick Stewart's Sejanus give the intrigue its human interest. Their distinct personalities make the political manoeuvring worth attending to, without requiring everyone to compete for our attention. We found the cruelty more disturbing because the wit had made us willing to spend time with these people. The sets have dated and some performances lean towards the stage, but those limitations do little to diminish the pleasure of following the company.
Her two films with Stanley Kubrick offer a different context: Elena in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), then Rubinstein in A Clockwork Orange (1971). We recommend 2001 for the exactness of Kubrick's filmmaking and the unease it creates, while acknowledging how remote its people can feel. Our enthusiasm for that film is chiefly enthusiasm for Kubrick; Tyzack's contribution to I, Claudius is easier to single out.
Her later stage work included Lotte Schoen opposite Maggie Smith in Lettice and Lovage (1990), followed by Mrs St Maugham in The Chalk Garden (2008). The partnership with Smith made particular use of her dry humour and skill as a foil, qualities worth remembering alongside those formidable women. For an evening's viewing, begin with I, Claudius, provided a little theatricality does not spoil the pleasure.
Biography
Margaret Tyzack (1931–2011) was an English actress. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962. She appeared in repertory theatre early in her career and became known for classical stage roles.
On television she played Winifred in The Forsyte Saga (1967), Queen Anne in The First Churchills (1969) and Antonia in I, Claudius (1976). Her film roles included Elena in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and a part in A Clockwork Orange (1971). She later appeared in Match Point (2005).
Tyzack received a BAFTA TV Award for The First Churchills, a Tony Award for Lettice and Lovage (1990) and two Olivier Awards. She was appointed OBE in 1970 and CBE in 2010.
