If you’re passing through the West End tonight (October 1), on your way to a performance or heading over to a restaurant or bar to spend your evening in, stop for a moment to remember the late Maggie Smith, who brought joy to so many on the stage and on the screen.
London’s iconic West End will dim its lights tonight at 7pm for two minutes in honour of the beloved actress, who passed away last Friday (September 27) at the age of 89.
Many will remember Maggie Smith extremely fondly for her more recent performances as Minerva McGonagall in Harry Potter and Violet Crawley in Downton Abbeyand others will look back to her Oscar-winning performances in The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) and California Suite (1978). However, she also acted on stage throughout most of her career – and got her break at the Oxfrod Playhouse in 1952 with her performance as Viola in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.
Anyone can head over to West End in memory of Maggie Smith tonight, with Shaftesbury Avenue set to be a poignant spot to view the dimming given the row of theatres in succession. You can also expect to see a crowd outside The Old Vic, where Laurence Oliver’s National Theatre company could be found, and which Maggie Smith was a part of.
Maggie Smith last appeared on stage in London at the Bridge Theatre in 2019 with a portrayal of Brunhilde Pomsel in the Nicolas Hytner-directed A German Life. She came out of on-stage performance retirement for this, having previously appeared at the Haymarket Theatre in 2007 in The Lady From Dubaque. She was also nominated six times for an Oliver Award, and took the award for contributions to the Lonodn stage in 2010.
The West End will dim its lights in honour of Dame Maggie Smith (1934 – 2024) tonight (October 1).
