Angela Lansbury – five of her best stage performances

The late, great Angela Lansbury is famed for more roles than we can count and won more awards than could fit on any mantelpiece.

Starring across stage and screen, the performer has played Disney witches (Bedknobs and Broomsticks) and teapots (Beauty and the Beast) and solved many a murder (Murder, She Wrote). As one of Stephen Sondheim’s sweethearts, she made her stage musical debut in the original cast of the ill-fated Anyone Can Whistle, and her loyalty to the composer was rewarded with star-making roles in the future.

Everyone has a favourite performance by Lansbury, but these are just five of what we consider the very best!

Mame Dennis in Mame

As Mame is, arguably, where Lansbury made her name! With music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, Lansbury played the title character – an adventurous bohemian whose life is disrupted by the arrival of her young nephew. It earned her her first Tony Award in 1966.

Countess Aurelia in Dear World

A further collaboration with Herman followed with Dear World, where once again, Lansbury played an eccentric woman. The production wasn’t often recalled favourably by Lansbury, but despite its relatively short-lived run, her turn remains legendary and earned her a second Tony Award. Evidence of the performer being the pull more than the show itself.

Rose in Gypsy

Lansbury was initially hesitant to take on the famed role of Rose in Sondheim’s Gypsy – she was working through some personal issues, didn’t particularly like the character, and was fearful of being in the shadow of Ethel Merman, who originated the part. Producers, however, were quite insistent that she would be perfect. Right, they were. In 1973, Lansbury opened the show in London, before touring North America and arriving back on Broadway – where she won the Tony Award.

Mrs Lovett in Sweeney Todd

In 1979, Lansbury originated the role of Mrs Lovett, opposite Len Cariou in the title role, in the Hal Prince-directed musical, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It won her her fourth Tony Award, and her portrayal became the blueprint for murderous pie makers for decades to come. A performance starring Lansbury and George Hearn during the first national tour was subsequently filmed.

Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit

Despite the many Tonys and other accolades, it wasn’t until 2015 that Lansbury earned an Olivier Award. It was received in 2015 for her reprisal of Madame Arcati in a revival of Blithe Spirit, which was previously well received on Broadway (you guessed it – another Tony Award!). The casting marked Lansbury’s first appearance on the West End stage in almost 40 years.

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