 Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft was born on December 22nd. 1907 in Croydon, Surrey, England. Her father, who unfortunately died during the First World War, was a Land Agent and her Danish-German mother was an amateur actress. Her mother took lessons in poetic speech from Elsie Foggerty and at the age of 16 Dame Peggy joined the Central School of Speech and Drama in London founded by that same lady. After graduation, Ashcroft made her stage debut in the Birmingham Repertory's production of 'Dear Brutus' by JM Barrie in 1926, and her London debut a year later. From this time onwards Peggy Ashcroft was never without work unless she was ill or chose not to perform. She first gained recognition, however, for her portrayal Naomi in 'Jew Süss' in 1929. She earned star status after a production of 'Romeo and Juliet' in 1935 where hers was lauded as the finest portrayal of Juliet in the 20th century.
Ashcroft was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1951 and Dame Commander in 1956 in recognition of her many performances in Shakespeare's plays. She was and still is Croydon's most famous actress - indeed the Ashcroft Theatre in the Fairfield Halls was named after her. Her reaction to this was one of astonishment and gratification at having a theatre named after her. She thanked the Council for paying her this tribute and praised the ambitious project of the Fairfield Halls - being a concert hall, art gallery and theatre all under one roof. She hoped that other places would dedicate theatres to actors and suggested that 'Olivier, Gielgud and Redgrave would be a good start'. She continued her career largely on stage, appearing in principal roles in more than 100 productions in England and on tour, making only occasional forays in film. Her filmography includes such classics as 'The Thirty-Nine Steps' made by Alfred Hitchcock in 1935; 'The Nun's Story' in 1959; 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' in 1971; and 'A Passage to India' in 1984 for which she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. That same year, she appeared in the British television series 'The Jewel in the Crown', for which she won a British Academy of Film and Television Arts Award for Best Television Actress. Her last appearance was in the 1989 television movie 'She's Been Away'. Dame Peggy made three appearances at the Ashcroft Theatre, the first in 1962 at its opening, the second in 1973 appearing with the Royal Shakespeare Company in a short season of two Harold Pinter plays. Her third visit saw her accepting a portrait of herself as 'Juliet' by the artist Elizabeth Montgomery. The next time you visit take a close look at the safety curtain at the Ashcroft Theatre, it also incorporates a picture of the actress. There are also other images relating to the actress depicted in the Theatre. She succumbed to a stroke in London on June 14th. 1991 at the age of 83.
Elizabeth Montgomery (1902-1993) was a well-known theatrical designer. In the 1930s Elizabeth regularly collaborated with Sir John Gielgud on his productions, and this included the celebrated 1935 production of “Romeo and Juliet”. Later she travelled to the United States where she designed numerous productions on Broadway, married the writer and journalist Patrick Wimot and remained in New York until 1966. Elizabeth twice won Tony Awards for Best Costume Design as part of the Motley Theatre Group (comprising Elizabeth and sisters Sophie and Margaret Harris) and was nominated a further seven times. She was also a talented artist.
In 1980 the Ashcroft Theatre Club purchased Elizabeth Montgomery’s portrait of Dame Peggy Ashcroft as a young girl clasping a rose in her role as Juliet in 1935. Later that year Dame Peggy unveiled the portrait in the presence of the artist, Fairfield’s General Manager Michael V Tearle, Theatre Club representatives and invited guests. During the ceremony Dame Peggy recalled that this production had been the third time she had played that role and that theatrical knights Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud had alternated the roles of Romeo and Mercutio. Dame Peggy confessed that she had a slight preference for Olivier’s Romeo and shared with everyone how pleased she was that her friend Elizabeth Montgomery was able to be present for the unveiling. Afterwards she enjoyed watching a production of “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime” in the Ashcroft Theatre and Sir Anthony Quayle gave a tribute to her at the end of the performance. Initially Elizabeth Montgomery’s portrait was intended to stay in that location as a permanent tribute. However, following Dame Peggy’s death it was decided to make a more prominent feature of the painting and the awards that the actress had left to the theatre. The new exhibit was unveiled by Dame Peggy’s friend Dame Judi Dench at a ceremony involving theatre and civic dignitaries, members of Dame Peggy’s family, and representatives from the Theatre Club including its Chairman Patricia Lawrence.
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A prolific actress, she appeared
in numerous plays in the West End, moving into film with
a debut in 1933 in 'The Wandering Jew'. 
