View source for Peggy Ashcroft

{{Short description|English actress (1907–1991)}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix = [[Dame]]
| name             = Peggy Ashcroft
| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100|DBE}}
| image            = Peggy-Ashcroft-1936-3.jpg
| image_size       = 
| alt              = 
| caption          = Ashcroft in 1936
| native_name      = 
| native_name_lang = 
| birth_name       = Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|1907|12|22|df=y}}
| birth_place      = [[Croydon]], England
| baptised         = 
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|1991|6|14|1907|12|22|df=y}}
| death_place      = [[Hampstead]], [[London]], England
| alma_mater       = [[Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]
| occupation       = Actress
| spouse           = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Rupert Hart-Davis]]|1929|1933|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Theodore Komisarjevsky]]|1934|1936|end=div}}
* {{marriage|[[Jeremy Hutchinson, Baron Hutchinson of Lullington|Jeremy Hutchinson]]|1940|1965|end=div}}
}}
| partner          = 
| children         = 2
| parents          = 
| father           = 
| mother           = 
| relatives        = [[Deirdre Hart-Davis]] (sister-in-law)<br>[[Fyodor Komissarzhevsky]] (father-in-law)<br>[[Vera Komissarzhevskaya]] (sister-in-law)<br>[[St John Hutchinson]] (father-in-law)<br>[[Mary Hutchinson (writer)|Mary Hutchinson]] (mother-in-law)<br>[[Emily Loizeau]] (granddaughter)
}}
'''Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft''' (22 December 1907&nbsp;– 14 June 1991), known professionally as '''Peggy Ashcroft''', was an English actress whose career spanned more than six decades.

Born to a comfortable middle-class family, Ashcroft was determined from an early age to become an actress, despite parental opposition. She was working in smaller theatres even before graduating from drama school, and within two years she was starring in the [[West End theatre|West End]]. Ashcroft maintained her leading place in British theatre for the next 50 years. Always attracted by the ideals of permanent theatrical ensembles, she did much of her work for the [[Old Vic]] in the early 1930s, [[John Gielgud]]'s companies in the 1930s and 1940s, the [[Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]] and its successor the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] from the 1950s, and the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] from the 1970s.

While well regarded in [[Shakespeare]], Ashcroft was also known for her commitment to modern drama, appearing in plays by [[Bertolt Brecht]], [[Samuel Beckett]] and [[Harold Pinter]]. Her career was almost wholly spent in the live theatre until the 1980s. She then turned to television and cinema with considerable success, winning three [[British Academy Film Awards|BAFTAs]], one [[Golden Globe Award]] and an [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Academy Award]], and received nominations for an additional Golden Globe Award and two [[Primetime Emmy Awards]].

==Life and career==
===Early years===
Ashcroft was born in [[Croydon]], Surrey, (now in [[Greater London]]) the younger child and only daughter of Violetta Maud, ''née'' Bernheim (1874–1926) and William Worsley Ashcroft (1878–1918), a land agent. According to [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]], her biographer, Violetta Ashcroft was of Danish and German Jewish descent and a keen amateur actress.<ref name=dnb/> Ashcroft's father was killed on active service in the First World War. She attended Woodford School, East Croydon, where one of her teachers encouraged her love of Shakespeare, but neither her teachers nor her mother approved of her desire to become a professional actress. Ashcroft was determined, however, and at the age of 16, she enrolled at the [[Central School of Speech and Drama]], run by [[Elsie Fogerty]], from whom her mother had taken lessons some years before.<ref name=times/> The school's emphasis was on the voice and elegant diction, which did not appeal to Ashcroft or to her fellow pupil [[Laurence Olivier]]. She learned more from reading ''My Life in Art'' by [[Constantin Stanislavski]], the influential director of the [[Moscow Art Theatre]].<ref name=times>"Obituary: Dame Peggy Ashcroft", ''The Times'', 15 June 1991, p. 14</ref>

[[File:Peggy-Ashcroft-1936-2.jpg|thumb|upright|Ashcroft in 1936]]
While still a student, Ashcroft made her professional stage debut at the [[Birmingham Repertory Theatre]] in a revival of [[J. M. Barrie]]'s ''[[Dear Brutus]]'' opposite [[Ralph Richardson]], with whom she had been greatly impressed when she saw him in [[Charles Doran]]'s touring company while she was still a schoolgirl.<ref>Miller, p. 34</ref> She graduated from the Central School in 1927 with [[University of London|London University]]'s Diploma in Dramatic Art.<ref name=who1>Gaye, p. 314</ref> Never much drawn to the [[West End theatre|West End]] or stardom, she learned her craft with mostly small companies in fringe theatres. Her first notable West End role was Naemi in ''Jew Süss'' in 1929, an extravagantly theatrical production, in which she won praise for the naturalism and truth of her playing.<ref>"Duke of York's Theatre", ''The Times'', 20 September 1929, p. 12</ref> In the same year she married [[Rupert Hart-Davis]], then an aspiring actor and later a publisher. He later described the marriage as "a sad failure: we were much too young to know what we wanted&nbsp;... after much agony we parted and were duly divorced. Nowadays Peggy and I lunch together perhaps once or twice a year in a Soho restaurant and have a lovely nostalgic-romantic talk of shared memories of long ago. She is a lovely person and the best actress living."<ref>Lyttelton and Hart-Davis, p. 24</ref>

===1930s===
In 1930 Ashcroft was cast as [[Desdemona]] in a production of ''[[Othello]]'' at the [[Savoy Theatre]], starring [[Paul Robeson]] in the title role. The production was not well received, but Ashcroft's notices were excellent. The production prompted a political awakening in Ashcroft, who was astonished to receive hate mail for appearing onstage with a black actor; she was angry that Robeson was not welcome at the [[Savoy Hotel]], despite being the star at the adjoining Savoy Theatre.<ref name=guardianobit>Billington, Michael. "Near perfection in an imperfect world", ''The Guardian'', 15 June 1991, p. 21</ref> During the run she had a brief affair with Robeson, which caused Robeson and his wife [[Essie Robeson]] to temporarily split up.<ref>{{harvnb|Robeson|2001|pp=195–200}}; cf. {{harvnb|Boyle|Bunie|2005|pp=267–268}}, {{harvnb|Duberman|1989|p=166}}</ref> Their affair, followed by another with the writer [[J. B. Priestley]], ended Ashcroft's first marriage.<ref>{{harvnb|Robeson|2001|pp=178–82}}; cf. {{harvnb|Boyle|Bunie|2005|pp=238–40, 257}}; cf. {{harvnb|Gilliam|1978|pp=62–64}}, {{harvnb|Duberman|1989|pp=140–44}}</ref><ref>Ziegler, p. 67</ref> Hart-Davis was granted a divorce in 1933, on the grounds of Ashcroft's adultery with the director [[Theodore Komisarjevsky]].<ref>"Probate, Divorce, and Admiralty Division",  ''The Times'', 11 May 1933. p. 4</ref>

Among those impressed by Ashcroft's performance as Desdemona was [[John Gielgud]], recently established as a West End star. He recalled, "When Peggy came on in the Senate scene it was as if all the lights in the theatre had suddenly gone up".<ref>Croall, p. 155</ref> In 1932 he was invited by the [[Oxford University Dramatic Society]] to try his hand at directing, in the society's production of ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''. Ashcroft as Juliet and [[Edith Evans]] as the nurse won golden notices, although their director, already notorious for his innocent slips of the tongue, referred to them as "Two leading ladies, the like of whom I hope I shall never meet again."<ref>Morley, p. 85</ref>

[[File:Old Vic0185.JPG|thumb|left|The Old Vic, photographed in 2012]]
Ashcroft joined the [[Old Vic]] company for the 1932–33 season. The theatre, in an unfashionable area of London south of the [[River Thames|Thames]], was run by [[Lilian Baylis]] to offer plays and operas to a mostly working-class audience at low ticket prices.<ref>Gilbert, p. 16</ref> She paid her performers modest wages, but the theatre was known for its unrivaled repertory of classics, mostly [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]], and many West End stars took a large pay cut to work there. It was, in [[Sheridan Morley]]'s words, the place to learn Shakespearean technique and try new ideas.<ref name=gielguddnb>Morley, Sheridan and Robert Sharp. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/74146 "Gielgud, Sir (Arthur) John (1904–2000)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, January 2011, retrieved 2 February 2014 {{ODNBsub}}</ref> During the season Ashcroft played five Shakespeare heroines,{{#tag:ref|Cleopatra in ''[[Antony and Cleopatra]]'', Imogen in ''[[Cymbeline]]'', Rosalind in ''[[As You Like It]]'', Portia in ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' and Miranda in ''[[The Tempest]]''.<ref name=who2>Gaye, p. 315</ref>|group= n}} as well as Kate in ''[[She Stoops to Conquer]]'', Mary Stuart in a new play by [[John Drinkwater (playwright)|John Drinkwater]], and Lady Teazle in ''[[The School for Scandal]]''.<ref name=who2/> In 1933 she made her first film, ''[[The Wandering Jew (1933 film)|The Wandering Jew]]''.<ref name=who>[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U170884 Ashcroft, Dame Edith Margaret Emily, (Dame Peggy Ashcroft)"], ''Who Was Who'', online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014, retrieved 15 January 2015 {{subscription required}}</ref> She was not attracted to the medium of cinema and made only four more films over the next quarter-century.<ref name=times/>

During her professional and personal relationship with Komisarjevsky, whom she married in 1934 and left in 1936, Ashcroft learned from him what Billington calls "the vital importance of discipline, perfectionism, and the idea that the actor, even during passages of emotional stress, must remain a thinking human being".<ref name=dnb>Billington, Michael. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/39440 "Ashcroft, Dame Edith Margaret Emily (Peggy) (1907–1991)"], ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, 2010, retrieved 15 January 2015 {{ODNBsub}}</ref>

After appearing in the [[Alfred Hitchcock|Hitchcock]] film ''[[The 39 Steps (1935 film)|The 39 Steps]]'' (1935), and a succession of stage failures, Ashcroft was once again cast as Juliet by Gielgud, this time in a West End production that attracted enormous attention. It ran from October 1935 to March 1936, and Ashcroft's Romeos were played in alternation by Olivier and Gielgud. Critical opinions differed as to the relative merits of her leading men, but Ashcroft won glowing reviews.<ref>Croall, pp. 209–210</ref> In May 1936 Komisarjevsky directed a production of ''[[The Seagull]]'', with Evans as Arkadina, Gielgud as Trigorin and Ashcroft as Nina. The recent collapse of her marriage to the director made rehearsals difficult, but the critical reception was ecstatic.<ref>Morley, p. 133</ref>

After playing briefly and without much pleasure in New York, Ashcroft returned to London in 1937 for a season of four plays presented by Gielgud at the [[Sondheim Theatre|Queen's Theatre]]. She played the Queen in ''[[Richard II (play)|Richard II]]'', Lady Teazle in ''The School for Scandal'', Irina in ''[[Three Sisters (play)|Three Sisters]]'' and Portia in ''The Merchant of Venice''. The company included [[Harry Andrews]], [[Glen Byam Shaw]], George Devine, [[Michael Redgrave]] and Harcourt Williams, with [[Angela Baddeley]] and [[Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies]] as guests. The directors were Gielgud himself, [[Tyrone Guthrie]] and [[Michel Saint-Denis]]. Billington considers that this company laid the foundations of post-war ensembles such as the [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] and the National Theatre. The [[Munich crisis]] and the approach of the Second World War delayed for a decade the further development of such a company.<ref name=dnb/>

===1940s and 1950s===
In 1940, Ashcroft met and married the rising lawyer [[Jeremy Hutchinson, Baron Hutchinson of Lullington|Jeremy Hutchinson]]. They had a daughter, Eliza, the following year, and Ashcroft did little stage work while the child was young. Her main appearances during the war years were in Gielgud's company at the [[Haymarket Theatre]] in 1944, playing Ophelia in ''Hamlet'', Titania in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' and the title role in ''[[The Duchess of Malfi]]''. She won excellent notices, but the productions were thought to lack flair and were unfavourably compared with the exciting work of the rival Old Vic company under Richardson and Olivier's leadership.<ref name=dnb/><ref>"Haymarket Theatre", ''The Times'', 14 October 1944, p. 2; 26 January 1945, p. 6; and 19 April 1945, p. 6</ref> After the Haymarket season Ashcroft resumed her break from the theatre, first campaigning for her husband, who stood as a [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]] candidate in the [[1945 United Kingdom general election|1945 general election]], and then having a second child, Nicholas, in 1946.<ref>Donnelley, [https://books.google.com/books?id=qAhtNiAl3YsC&pg=PA44 p. 44]</ref>

Returning to the stage in 1947, Ashcroft had two long-running successes in a row as the alcoholic Evelyn Holt in ''[[Edward, My Son (play)|Edward, My Son]]'', in the West End and then on [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]], and the downtrodden Catherine Sloper in ''[[The Heiress (1947 play)|The Heiress]]'' in 1949.<ref name=dnb/>

[[File:JG-Benedick-1959.jpg|thumb|upright|Gielgud as Benedick]]
Ashcroft began the 1950s with a return to Shakespeare, at the [[Royal Shakespeare Theatre|Shakespeare Memorial Theatre]], [[Stratford-upon-Avon]], playing Beatrice to Gielgud's Benedick in ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'' and Cordelia to his [[King Lear]].<ref name=who2/> In 1951 she returned to the Old Vic, playing Viola in ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', the title role in ''[[Electra (Sophocles)|Electra]]'' and Mistress Page in ''[[The Merry Wives of Windsor]]''. In the second of these, according to Billington, "she scaled the austere peaks of Greek tragedy".<ref name=dnb/>

Through the rest of the decade, Ashcroft's career switched between commercial productions in the West End and appearances in the nascent subsidised theatres in Shakespeare and experimental works. In the former she made a deep impression as the adulterous, suicidal Hester Collyer in [[Terence Rattigan]]'s ''[[The Deep Blue Sea (play)|The Deep Blue Sea]]'' (1952) and was well reviewed as the governess Miss Madrigal in [[Enid Bagnold]]'s ''The Chalk Garden'' (1956). Her roles for non-commercial managements were in Shakespeare at Stratford and on tour,{{#tag:ref|Cleopatra  (1953), Beatrice (1955), Rosalind  (1957) and Imogen in ''[[Cymbeline]]'' (1957).|group= n}} [[Hedda Gabler]] (1954) and the double role of Shen Te and Shui Ta in ''[[The Good Person of Szechwan|The Good Woman of Setzuan]]'' (1956). The last of these was not a success, but Ashcroft was credited with courage for taking the role on.<ref name=dnb/>

In 1958, [[Peter Hall (director)|Peter Hall]], who had been appointed to run the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, approached Ashcroft with his plans for a permanent company, with bases in Stratford and London, and a regular, salaried company, presenting a mixture of classical and new plays. Ashcroft immediately agreed to join him, and her lead was, in Hall's view, key to the success of the new [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] (RSC).<ref name=dnb/>

===1960s===
[[File:Peggy Ashcroft 1962c.jpg|thumb|upright|Ashcroft in 1962]]
In the RSC's first seasons Ashcroft played Katharina in ''[[The Taming of the Shrew]]'', Paulina in ''[[The Winter's Tale]]'' (1960), The Duchess of Malfi (1961), Emilia in ''Othello'' (1961) and Ranevskaya in ''[[The Cherry Orchard]]'', opposite Gielgud as Gaev.<ref name=who/> These were generally well reviewed, but her performance in ''[[The Wars of the Roses (adaptation)|The Wars of the Roses]]'' in 1963 and 1964 had the critics searching for superlatives. The production was a reshaping of Shakespeare's three ''[[Henry VI, Part 1|Henry VI]]'' plays and ''[[Richard III (play)|Richard III]]''. Ashcroft, then aged fifty-six, played [[Margaret of Anjou]], ageing from blithe youth to ferocious old age as the plays progressed. The critic [[Philip Hope-Wallace]] wrote of:
{{blockquote|...&nbsp;the quite marvellous, fearsome performance of Dame Peggy Ashcroft as Margaret of Anjou, who skipped on to the stage, a lightfooted, ginger, sub-deb sub-bitch at about 11.35 a.m. and was last seen, a bedraggled crone with glittering eye, rambling and cussing with undiminished fury, 11 hours later, having grown before our eyes into a vexed and contumacious queen, a battle-axe and a maniac monster of rage and cruelty&nbsp;... even the stoniest gaze was momentarily lowered from this gorgon.<ref>Hope-Wallace, Philip, "The Wars of the Roses at the Aldwych Theatre", ''The Guardian'', 13 January 1964, p. 7</ref>|}}

At about this time Ashcroft's third and last marriage was beginning to fall apart. According to Billington she found solace in her work, and threw herself into classical and ''avant garde'' works "with ever greater fervour".<ref name=dnb/> Her roles in the 1960s were Arkadina in ''The Seagull'' (1964), Mother in [[Marguerite Duras]]'s ''Days in the Trees'' (1966), Mrs Alving in [[Henrik Ibsen|Ibsen]]'s ''[[Ghosts (play)|Ghosts]]'' (1967), Agnes in [[Edward Albee]]'s ''[[A Delicate Balance (play)|A Delicate Balance]]'' (1969), Beth in [[Harold Pinter|Pinter]]'s ''Landscape'' (1969) and Katharine of Aragon in ''[[Henry VIII (play)|Henry VIII]]'' (1969).<ref name=who/>

===Later years===
In the 1970s, Ashcroft remained a pillar of the RSC but when Peter Hall succeeded Olivier as director of the National Theatre in 1973 he persuaded her to appear there from time to time. She also appeared at the Royal Court in Duras's ''The Lovers of Viorne'' (1971) in the role of a schizophrenic killer, a performance that the young [[Helen Mirren]] found so accomplished that "I just wanted to rush out and start all over again".<ref>Hayman, Ronald, "Helen Mirren", ''The Times'', 11 September 1971, p. 9</ref> Many were surprised when Ashcroft appeared with Richardson at the Savoy in 1972 in what was by all appearances a conventional West End [[drawing room play|drawing room comedy]], ''[[Lloyd George Knew My Father (play)|Lloyd George Knew My Father]]'', by [[William Douglas-Home]], but the two stars revealed unexpected depths in their characters.<ref>Miller, p. 249</ref>

For the National, Ashcroft appeared in Ibsen's ''[[John Gabriel Borkman]]'', [[Samuel Beckett|Beckett]]'s ''[[Happy Days (play)|Happy Days]]'', [[Lillian Hellman]]'s ''[[Watch on the Rhine (play)|Watch on the Rhine]]'' and Pinter's ''[[Family Voices]]''. Her RSC roles were Lidya in [[Aleksei Arbuzov]]'s ''Old World'' (1976), and her last stage part was the Countess in ''[[All's Well That Ends Well]]'', which she played at Stratford in 1981 and in London in 1982.<ref name=who/>

Ashcroft later made occasional, but highly successful, television and film appearances. For ''[[The Jewel in the Crown (TV series)|The Jewel in the Crown]]'' she won a BAFTA award for [[British Academy Television Award for Best Actress|best actress]] in 1984, and for her portrayal of Mrs. Moore in [[David Lean]]'s 1984 film ''[[A Passage to India (film)|A Passage to India]]'' she won another [[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|BAFTA best actress award]] and the 1985 Oscar for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]; this made her the oldest person to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, at 77 years 93 days old.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/oldest-oscar-winner-for-best-supporting-actress|title=Oldest Oscar winner for Best Supporting Actress|website=Guinness World Records|date=25 March 1985 }}</ref><ref name=who/> Her final performance was also in a work about India, the radio play ''[[In the Native State]]'' by Tom Stoppard.<ref name="RT">{{Cite magazine |title=Drama on 3: ''In the Native State'' by Tom Stoppard |url=https://www.radiotimes.com/radio-programme/e/k9g9zh/drama-on-3--drama-on-3-in-the-native-state-by-tom-stoppard |magazine=Radio Times |access-date=6 May 2020}}</ref>

She was the grandmother of the French singer [[Emily Loizeau]].<ref>Hutcheon, David. [http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/music/cd_reviews/article6874069.ece "Emily Loizeau: Pays Sauvage"]{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}, ''The Sunday Times'', 2009, accessed 13 May 2016; and [http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/0F91F132A0F7C3DD?p=UKNB "Dame Peggy Ashcroft&nbsp;– Memorial service"], ''The Times'', 30 November 1991, accessed 14 May 2016</ref>

Ashcroft died of a stroke in London at the age of 83.<ref name=dnb/> Her ashes were scattered around a [[Morus (plant)|mulberry tree]] in the Great Garden at [[New Place]], Stratford-upon-Avon, which she had planted in 1969.<ref>Morris, Sylvia. [http://theshakespeareblog.com/2013/08/shakespeares-mulberries "Shakespeare's mulberries: trees of history and legend"], TheShakespeareBlog.com, 12 August 2013; Prendergast, Thomas A. ''Poetical Dust: Poets' Corner and the Making of Britain'', University of Pennsylvania Press (2015), [https://books.google.com/books?id=JSTfCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA186 p. 186] {{ISBN|0812247507}}; and Hodgdon, Barbara. ''The Shakespeare Trade: Performances and Appropriations'', University of Pennsylvania Press (1998), [https://books.google.com/books?id=cGZtVcOyuxgC&pg=PA210 pp. 210–211], {{ISBN|0812213890}}</ref> A memorial service was held in [[Westminster Abbey]] on 30 November 1991.<ref name=dnb/>

==Honours, awards and memorials==
[[File:Dame PEGGY ASHCROFT 1907–1991 Actress was born here.jpg|thumb|165x165px|Dame Peggy Ashcroft's [[blue plaque]] in South Croydon.]]
Ashcroft's British state honours were [[Order of the British Empire|Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] (CBE) in the [[1951 Birthday Honours]] and [[Order of the British Empire|Dame Commander]] of the Order (DBE) in the [[1956 Birthday Honours]]. Her foreign state honours were the King's Gold Medal, Norway (1955), and the [[Order of St Olav]], Norway (Commander, 1976). She was awarded honorary degrees by eight universities and was an honorary fellow of [[St Hugh's College, Oxford]]. She was awarded a [[British Film Institute Fellowship]] in 1989.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bfi.org.uk/strategy-policy/bfi-fellows|title=BFI Fellows|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]|access-date=17 February 2021}}</ref> In addition to the Oscar and BAFTA awards, she received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a New Play for ''Old World'' in 1976, a [[Venice Film Festival]] Award for ''She's Been Away'' (1989), a BAFTA Award for the television play ''Caught on a Train'' (1980), a special award from the British Theatre Association for the television play ''Cream in My Coffee'' (1982), a special award from BAFTA (1990) and a special [[Laurence Olivier Award]] (1991).<ref name=who/>

Ashcroft is commemorated with a memorial plaque in [[Poets' Corner]], Westminster Abbey. The [[Ashcroft Theatre]] in Croydon was named in her honour in 1962.<ref name=dnb/> The [[Royal Shakespeare Company]] has an Ashcroft Room directly above the [[Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon|Swan Theatre]] in Stratford-upon-Avon named after her, used for play rehearsals.

On 13 June 2024, [[English Heritage]] unveiled a [[blue plaque]] on Ashcroft's birthplace at Tirlemont Road, South Croydon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Dame Peggy Ashcroft commemorated with a blue plaque |url=https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about-us/search-news/peggy-ashcroft-blue-plaque/ |access-date=2024-06-26 |website=English Heritage}}</ref>

'''[[Academy Awards]]'''
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Ref.
|-
|[[57th Academy Awards|1985]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
|[[A Passage to India (film)|''A Passage to India'']]
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-10-05 |title=The 57th Academy Awards {{!}} 1985 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1985 |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=www.oscars.org |language=en}}</ref>
|}

'''[[BAFTA Awards]]''' 
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Ref.
|-
! colspan="5" |[[British Academy Film Awards]]
|-
|[[13th British Academy Film Awards|1960]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best British Actress]]
|[[The Nun's Story (film)|''The Nun's Story'']]
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=British Actress |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/british-actress |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[23rd British Academy Film Awards|1970]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]]
|''[[Three into Two Won't Go]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Supporting Actress |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/supporting-actress |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[39th British Academy Film Awards|1986]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role|Best Actress in a Leading Role]]
|[[A Passage to India (film)|''A Passage to India'']]
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leading Actress |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/film/leading-actress |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[43rd British Academy Film Awards|1990]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role|Best Actress in a Supporting Role]]
|''[[Madame Sousatzka]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|<ref name=":0" />
|-
! colspan="5" |[[British Academy Television Awards]]
|-
|1966
| rowspan="5" |[[British Academy Television Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|[[The Wars of the Roses (adaptation)|''The Wars of the Roses'']] / [[Theatre 625|''Theatre 625: Rosmersholm'']]
|{{Nominated}}
| rowspan="5" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Actress |url=https://www.bafta.org/awards/television/actress-television |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Bafta |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|1979
|''[[Edward & Mrs. Simpson]]'' / ''[[Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|-
|1981
|''[[Cream in My Coffee]]'' / ''[[Caught on a Train]]''
|{{Won}}
|-
|1985
|[[The Jewel in the Crown (TV series)|''The Jewel in the Crown'']]
|{{Won}}
|-
|1990
|''[[She's Been Away]]''
|{{Nominated}}
|}

'''[[Emmy Awards]]'''
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Ref.
|-
|[[37th Primetime Emmy Awards|1985]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]]
|[[The Jewel in the Crown (TV series)|''The Jewel in the Crown'']]
|{{nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Outstanding Lead Actress In A Limited Series Or A Special 1985 - Nominees & Winners |url=https://www.televisionacademy.com/awards/nominees-winners/1985/outstanding-lead-actress-in-a-miniseries-or-a-movie |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[41st Primetime Emmy Awards|1989]]
|[[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie]]
|[[A Perfect Spy (TV series)|''A Perfect Spy'']]
|{{nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Miniseries Or Special 1989 - Nominees & Winners |url=https://www.televisionacademy.com/awards/nominees-winners/1989/outstanding-supporting-actress-in-a-miniseries-or-a-movie |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Television Academy |language=en}}</ref>
|}

'''[[Golden Globe Awards]]'''
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[42nd Golden Globe Awards|1985]]
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture|Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture]]
|[[A Passage to India (film)|''A Passage to India'']]
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=List of winners of 1985 Golden Globe Awards presented Saturday night - UPI Archives |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1985/01/27/List-of-winners-of-1985-Golden-Globe-Awards-presented-Saturday-night/6002475650000/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=UPI |language=en}}</ref>
|-
|[[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film]]
|[[The Jewel in the Crown (TV series)|''The Jewel in the Crown'']]
|{{nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-10-12 |title=Winners & Nominees 1986 {{!}} Golden Globes |url=http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1986/all#category-35 |access-date=2025-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012185054/http://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1986/all#category-35 |archive-date=12 October 2016 }}</ref>
|}

'''[[Laurence Olivier Awards]]'''
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Ref.
|-
|[[1976 Laurence Olivier Awards|1976]]
|[[Laurence Olivier Award for Actress of the Year in a New Play|Actress of the Year in a New Play]]
|[[Old World (play)|''Old World'']]
|{{Won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olivier Winners 1976 |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1976/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Olivier Awards |language=en-GB}}</ref>
|-
|[[1991 Laurence Olivier Awards|1991]]
|[[Society of London Theatre Special Award]]
|{{n/a}}
|{{Honoured}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Olivier Winners 1991 |url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards/winners/olivier-winners-1991/ |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=Olivier Awards |language=en-GB}}</ref>
|}

'''Other Awards'''
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Awards
!Category
!Nominated work
!Result
!Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2" |1984
|[[Boston Society of Film Critics]]
|[[Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| rowspan="4" |[[A Passage to India (film)|''A Passage to India'']]
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Past Award Winners – Boston Society of Film Criticsc |url=http://www.bostonfilmcritics.org/content/past-award-winners#1980s |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008041238/http://www.bostonfilmcritics.org/content/past-award-winners#1980s |archive-date=8 October 2014 |access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref>
|-
|[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]]
|[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |title=LAFCA |url=http://www.lafca.net/years/1984.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150118102417/http://www.lafca.net/years/1984.html |archive-date=18 January 2015 |access-date=21 December 2017 |publisher=[[Los Angeles Film Critics Association]]}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" |1985
|[[National Board of Review]]
|[[National Board of Review Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |title=1984 Archives – National Board of Review |url=http://www.nationalboardofreview.org/award-years/1984/ |access-date=21 December 2017 |website=National Board of Review}}</ref>
|-
|[[New York Film Critics Circle]]
|[[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Awards – New York Film Critics Circle – NYFCC |url=http://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=1984 |access-date=21 December 2017 |publisher=New York Film Critics Circle}}</ref>
|-
|1989
|[[Venice Film Festival]]
|[[Volpi Cup for Best Actress]]
|''[[She's Been Away]]''
|{{won}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=ASAC Dati: Premi |url=http://asac.labiennale.org/it/passpres/cinema/annali.php?m=62&c=p |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714061414/http://asac.labiennale.org/it/passpres/cinema/annali.php?m=62&c=p |archive-date=14 July 2022 |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=asac.labiennale.org |language=it |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|}

==Filmography==
===Film===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1933
|''[[The Wandering Jew (1933 film)|The Wandering Jew]]''
|Olalla Quintana
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9407EFDA103FE53ABC4C52DFB766838E629EDE|title=Movie Review – A Dramatized Legend|author=F.S.N|date=14 January 1935|access-date=21 December 2017|work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref>
|-
|1935
|''[[The 39 Steps (1935 film)|The 39 Steps]]''
|Margaret, the crofter's wife
|<ref name='tcmdb'>{{cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/6225%7C123079/peggy-ashcroft#filmography|title=Filmography for Peggy Ashcroft|publisher=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref>
|-
|1936
|''[[Rhodes of Africa]]''
|Ann Carpenter
|Released in the U.S. as ''Rhodes, the Empire Builder''<ref name='tcmdb' />
|-
|1940
|''[[Channel Incident]]''
|She
|Short<ref name='bfi'>{{cite web|url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9ef3fa39|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160416104914/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b9ef3fa39|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 April 2016|title=Peggy Ashcroft|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref>
|-
|1941
|''[[Quiet Wedding]]''
|Flower Lisle
|<ref name='bfi' />
|-
|1942
|''[[We Serve]]''
|Ann
|Short<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.top10films.co.uk/55831-newly-digitised-films-from-imperial-war-museums-archive-to-air-nationally/|title=Newly Digitised Films From Imperial War Museums' Archive To Air Nationally|date=9 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11108140/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_30|title=We Serve|via=IMDb}}</ref>
|-
|1959
|''[[The Nun's Story (film)|The Nun's Story]]''
|Mother Mathilde
|<ref name='bafta'>{{cite web|url=http://awards.bafta.org/keyword-search?keywords=Peggy+Ashcroft|title=BAFTA Awards Search – BAFTA Awards|publisher=[[BAFTA]]|access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref>
|-
|1968
|''[[Secret Ceremony]]''
|Hannah
|<ref name='tcmdb' />
|-
|1969
|''[[Three Into Two Won't Go]]''
|Belle
|<ref name='bafta' />
|-
|1971
|''[[Sunday Bloody Sunday (film)|Sunday Bloody Sunday]]''
|Mrs Greville
|<ref name='tcmdb' />
|-
|1973
|''[[The Pedestrian (film)|The Pedestrian]]'' (German: ''Der Fußgänger'')
|Lady Gray
|<ref name='tcmdb' />
|-
|1976
|''[[Landscape (play)|Landscape]]''
|Beth
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6e0ddb11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170826135947/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6e0ddb11|url-status=dead|archive-date=26 August 2017|title=Landscape (1976)|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]}}</ref>
|-
|1977
|''[[Joseph Andrews (film)|Joseph Andrews]]''
|Lady Tattle
|<ref name='bfi' />
|-
|1984
|''[[A Passage to India (film)|A Passage to India]]''
|Mrs Moore
|<ref name='bafta' />
|-
|1986
|''[[When the Wind Blows (1986 film)|When the Wind Blows]]''
|Hilda Bloggs
|Voice<ref name='tcmdb' />
|-
|1988
|''[[Madame Sousatzka]]''
|Lady Emily
|<ref name='bafta' />
|-
|}

===Television===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! width="220px"|Title
! width="100px"|Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1939
|''[[The Tempest]]''
|Miranda
|The Tempest, The Tempest/II TV Films<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0125543/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_34|title=The Tempest|date=5 February 1939|via=IMDb}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5518964/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_33|title=The Tempest/II|date=8 February 1939|via=IMDb}}</ref>
|-
| 1939
| ''[[Twelfth Night]]''
|Viola
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/457078/credits.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Ashcroft, Dame Peggy (1907–1991) Credits|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref>
|-
|1959
|''[[Sunday Night Theatre|BBC Sunday-Night Theatre]]''
|Julia Rajk
|Episode:  Shadow of Heroes<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7f07cd61|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190505094205/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7f07cd61|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 May 2019|title=Shadow of Heroes (1959)|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]}}</ref>
|-
|1962
|''[[The Cherry Orchard]]''
|Mme. Lyubov Andreyeyna Ranevsky
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ff89e06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608221811/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ff89e06|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 June 2020|title=The Cherry Orchard (1962)|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]}}</ref>
|-
|1965
|''[[Theatre 625]]''
|Rebecca West
|Episode: Rosmersholm<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b763eb536|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323142356/https://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b763eb536|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 March 2019|title=Rosmersholm (1965)|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]}}</ref><br>
|-
|1965
|''[[The Wars of the Roses (adaptation)|The Wars of the Roses]]''
|[[Margaret of Anjou]]
|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/457078/credits.html|title=BFI Screenonline: Ashcroft, Dame Peggy (1907–1991) Film & TV Credits|website=www.screenonline.org.uk|access-date=18 February 2021}}</ref> 
|-
|1966
|''[[ITV Play of the Week]]''
|Mrs. Patrick Campbell
|Episode: Dear Liar
|-
| 1967
| ''The Wednesday Play: Days in the Trees''
|The Mother
|Guest Star<ref>{{cite episode|title=Days in the Trees|series=The Wednesday Play|series-no=6|number=16}}</ref>
|-
|1968
|''From Chekhov with Love''
|Olga Knipper 
|TV film<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b698a69eb|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824012034/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b698a69eb|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 August 2017|title=From Chekhov with Love (1968)|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]}}</ref>
|-
|1972
|''[[ITV Sunday Night Theatre]]''
|Sonya
|Episode: The Last Journey<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ab542fe|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108234239/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6ab542fe|url-status=dead|archive-date=8 January 2022|title=The Last Journey (1972)|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]}}</ref>
|-
|1976
|''Arena''
|Winnie
|Episode: Theatre, TV Series Documentary
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Hullabaloo Over Georgie and Bonnie's Pictures]]''
|Lady G
|
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Edward & Mrs. Simpson]]''
| [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]]
|
|-
| rowspan=3|1980
| ''[[Caught on a Train]]''
| Frau Messner
|<ref name='bfi' />
|-
| ''[[Cream in My Coffee]]''
|Jean Wilsher
|
|-
| ''[[BBC2 Playhouse]]''
|
|
|-
| 1982
| ''[[Little Eyolf|Play of the Month: Little Eyolf]]''
| The Rat Wife
|<ref name='bfi' />
|-
| 1984
| ''[[The Jewel in the Crown (TV series)|The Jewel in the Crown]]''
| Barbie Batchelor
|
|-
| 1987
| ''[[A Perfect Spy (TV series)|A Perfect Spy]]''
|Miss Dubber
|
|-
|1989
|''The Heat of the Day''
|Nettie
|TV film<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7a357752|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170910190815/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7a357752|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 September 2017|title=The Heat of the Day (1989)|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0126333/?ref_=tturv_ql|title=The Heat of the Day|date=30 September 1990|via=IMDb}}</ref>
|-
| 1989
| [[Screen One]]: ''[[She's Been Away]]''
| Lillian Huckle
| [[Venice Film Festival|Venice Film Festival&nbsp;– Golden Ciak Award for Best Actress]]{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}<br>[[Venice Film Festival|Venice Film Festival&nbsp;– Pasinetti Award for Best Actress]]{{citation needed|date=December 2017}}
|-
|1990
|''Murder by the Book''
|Agatha Christie
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7a8978b3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230125014/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b7a8978b3|url-status=dead|archive-date=30 December 2018|title=Murder by the Book (1990)|work=[[British Film Institute|BFI]]}}</ref>
|}

===Radio===
*''Romeo and Juliet'' (BBC Light Programme 1954)
*''[[The Duchess of Malfi]]'' BBC Third Programme (1954)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.suttonelms.org.uk/r3-the-duchess-of-malfi-1954.html |title=radio plays drama,bbc,The Duchess of Malfi, by John Webster, DIVERSITY website |publisher=Suttonelms.org.uk |date=16 May 1954 |access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref>
*Henrik Ibsen's ''Hedda Gabbler'' (BBC HS 1957)
*''[[Macbeth]]'' BBC Third Programme (1966)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bufvc.ac.uk/shakespeare/index.php/title/av67827|title=Macbeth|publisher=British Universities Film & Video Council|website=bufvc.ac.uk|access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref>
*Noël Coward's ''Hay Fever'' (BBC R4 1971)
*''[[Family Voices]]'' BBC Radio 3 (1981)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/6c706bbe2b33471081cc73b91bb4577b|title=Family Voices|work=BBC Genome|date=19 February 1981 }}</ref>
*''Chances'' BBC Radio 3 (1981)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08mp2kf|title=Susan Hill - Chances|work=BBC}}</ref>
*Anthony Minghella's ''A Little Like Drowning'' (BBC R4 1989-03-20)
*''[[In the Native State]]'' BBC Radio 3 (1991)<ref name="RT"/>

==Notes, references and sources==
===Notes===
{{Reflist|group=n}}

===References===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book|first1=Sheila Tully|last1=Boyle|first2=Andrew|last2=Bunie|title=Paul Robeson: The Years of Promise and Achievement|url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=vuckDH3cD_EC}}|date=October 1, 2005|publisher=University of Massachusetts Press|isbn=978-1558495050}}
* {{cite book | last= Croall | first= Jonathan | year= 2000 | title= Gielgud&nbsp;– A Theatrical Life, 1904–2000 | location= London | publisher= Methuen | isbn= 0413745600}}
* {{cite book | last= Donnelley| first= Paul| year= 2003| title= Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries| publisher= Music Sales Group | isbn=0711995125}}
* {{cite book|first=Martin B.|last=Duberman|author-link=Martin Duberman|title=Paul Robeson|url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=8KMQQQAACAAJ}}|year=1989|publisher=Bodley Head|isbn=978-0370305752 }}
* {{cite book | editor-last= Gaye|editor-first=Freda  |year= 1967|title=Who's Who in the Theatre |edition=fourteenth|location=London |publisher=Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons |oclc=5997224 }}
* {{cite book | last=Gilbert |first= Susie|year=2009 |title=Opera for Everybody |location=London |publisher=Faber and Faber |isbn= 978-0-571-22493-7}}
* {{cite book|title=Paul Robeson: All-American|last=Gilliam|first=Dorothy Butler|url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=rfgCoQEACAAJ}}|year=1978|publisher=New Republic Book Company}}
* {{cite book | last=Lyttelton | first=George|author-link=George William Lyttelton |author2=Rupert Hart-Davis | year=1978 | title= [[Lyttelton/Hart-Davis Letters]], ''Volume 1'' | location= London | publisher=John Murray | isbn=071953478X}}
* {{cite book | last=Miller | first=John | year=1995 | title=Ralph Richardson&nbsp;– The Authorized Biography | location=London | publisher= Sidgwick and Jackson | isbn=0283062371 }}
* {{cite book | last= Morley | first =Sheridan | year= 2001 | title= John G&nbsp;– The Authorised Biography of John Gielgud | location= London | publisher= Hodder and Stoughton | isbn= 0340368039}}
* {{cite book|first=Paul Jr.|last=Robeson|title=The Undiscovered Paul Robeson, An Artist's Journey, 1898–1939|url={{google books|plainurl=y|id=H0k2fhNWzwAC}}|date=July 9, 2001|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-0471151050}}
* {{cite book | last= Ziegler | first= Philip | year= 2004 | title= Rupert Hart-Davis: Man of Letters | location= London | publisher= Chatto & Windus | isbn= 0701173203 | url-access= registration | url= https://archive.org/details/ruperthartdavism0000zieg }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|1919}}
* {{Screenonline name|id=457078}}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{NPG name}}

{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Peggy Ashcroft
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestSupportingActress 1981-2000}}
{{BAFTA Award for Best Actress 1980-1999}}
{{Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{British Academy Television Award for Best Actress 1980-1999}}
{{Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Actress}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestSuppActressMotionPicture 1981-2000}}
{{OlivierAward PlayActress}}
{{Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actress}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress}}
{{OlivierAward SpecialAward}}
{{Volpi Cup for Best Actress}}
}}
{{British Triple Crown of Acting winners}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ashcroft, Peggy}}
[[Category:1907 births]]
[[Category:1991 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century English actresses]]
[[Category:Actresses awarded damehoods]]
[[Category:Actresses from Surrey]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama]]
[[Category:Best Actress BAFTA Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Actress BAFTA Award (television) winners]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners]]
[[Category:Dames Commander of the Order of the British Empire]]
[[Category:English film actresses]]
[[Category:English Shakespearean actresses]]
[[Category:English stage actresses]]
[[Category:Laurence Olivier Award winners]]
[[Category:Actors from the London Borough of Croydon]]
[[Category:Recipients of the King's Medal of Merit in gold]]
[[Category:Royal Shakespeare Company members]]
[[Category:Spouses of life peers]]
[[Category:Volpi Cup for Best Actress winners]]
[[Category:People from Croydon]]
[[Category:English people of Danish descent]]
[[Category:English people of German-Jewish descent]]