Pat Williamson

Pat was a Headmistress at a large infant school in Manchester who joined the Garrick in 1983.

Remembered for her warm and friendly personality, she was a hugely talented actress playing a wide variety of roles on the Garrick stage, starting with Miriam in Outside Edge and finishing with Lady Tressilian in Towards Zero in 2019.

In comedic roles, which she excelled at, she was often cast as "a batty old lady" (her words) such as Miss Skillen in See How They Run, Miss Whitchurch in The Happiest Days of Your Life, the inebriated Mrs McGee in Corpse, Mrs Verrinder-Gedge in Glorious and, of course, Letticia Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley.

She also took on many serious roles, such as Mrs Birling in An Inspector Calls, George in The Killing of Sister George, Hesther Salomon in Equus, Madge in The Dresser, and Marion Bishop in Nightmare (for which she won a NODA Best Actress award).

In pantomime, she played the Wicked Witch in Mother Goose and an air-guitar playing Fairy Godmother in Cinderella.

Off stage, she freely gave her time volunteering as a Front of House usher and sewing on sequins in wardrobe, and she never missed a social event.

She was also involved with Cheadle Players, and the Altrincham Little Theatre for whom she won the GMDF Best Actress award playing in Stevie and she took part in a radio play on Radio Manchester.

In short: Pat was a memorable actress on stage and played an integral part in the success of the Garrick for over 40 years.