Dame Patricia Routledge – a true legend of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Everyone at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School is very sad to hear the news of Dame Patricia Routledge’s passing. She has been a staunch supporter of the School for almost our entire existence – having trained with the School back in 1951 and 1952. She was in a cohort among many names who went on to have long and successful careers in the industry – including Julian Slade, writer and composer of many hit West End shows.

Possibly inspired by Julian Slade’s philanthropic enthusiasm towards the School, whose donations helped us purchase our Downside Road home, Dame Patricia Routledge has financially supported students training at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School for decades – via the Patricia Routledge Foundation. The Foundation made significant contributions via bursaries – helping students fund their training, these bursaries have impacted more than 30 graduates of the School, and her philanthropic legacy will have impacted many more through the careers those talented students she enabled to thrive, have had.

We are so grateful for Dame Patricia Routledge’s enthusiasm, faith and dedication to our School, which we know she loved so dearly and thought of so fondly and we are all going to miss her greatly.

In a letter she wrote to the alumni and students of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School only last year in November 2024 Dame Patricia shared the following words:

“Reflecting on my time at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and that transformational moment of my life, I was 21, having studied English Language and Literature at the University of Liverpool where Edmund College encouraged me to pursue an acting career. It was in those early years of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School under Edward Stanley, before Downside Road, in the room above the greengrocers and on the stage at the then Theatre Royal, that I really found my grounding as an actress as well as my beloved Bristol family. 

I wonder what your story was? I hope whatever your story, that it brings the same warmth to you as mine does to me. 

I recently learned some difficult truths about the current position of our beloved School. I know from my experience that this may be sad and difficult to hear but I hope, like me, you will be galvanised to secure the future of not only our beloved school but the generations of young people who like us are dreaming of a life spent in theatre, television and film. I’m really reassured to know that the staff at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, many of whom are themselves fellow alumni, care as deeply about this special place as we do.

Our lives as actors are spent in companies and ensembles. There is a power in the collective and in us as an alumni coming together. I know that we may not have had this opportunity before but I can see that there is a perfect opportunity ahead of us. I have always believed in the importance of giving back to the causes in which I believe and which are closest to my heart. I have decided to support Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and I urge you to join me in doing the same.”

Dame Patricia Routledge had such a glittering and diverse career, one which most can only ever dream of. She lead theatre productions in the West End, Broadway, was a regular with the Royal Shakespeare Company and Chichester Festival Theatre. But she is most well known for her starring comedy role in Keeping Up Appearances – a TV series that only ran for 5 years, but which changed the face of British comedy on TV for ever.

Stuart Harvey, School Principal of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School added:

“Dame Patricia was a lifelong supporter of the School and of the vital importance of professional training for the next generation of creatives. Her dedication to her craft and her generous spirit will continue to inspire our students.

We extend our deepest condolences to her family and friends. Dame Patricia will be sorely missed by all of us at the School, and her remarkable legacy will forever be cherished as part of our history.”

The photo we have included here, was discovered recently in our School Archive. It shows Dame Patricia Routledge enjoying a drink at a post show event following a Bristol Old Vic Theatre School performance in 1951.