Madge Winifred Ryan (8 January 1919 – 9 January 1994) was an Australian actress, known for her stage and film roles in the United Kingdom.

Early life Ryan was born on 8 January 1919 in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, the youngest child of Michael Edward Ryan, a commercial traveller, and Sarah Josephine Ryan (née Brady) Her father sang in the church choir, while her mother played the organ, becoming an accompanist for silent movies. Ryan attended school at St Patrick's College and participated in plays, recitals, and elocution competitions. After leaving school she worked for an insurance company.

Career

Ryan began working in radio in Townsville during her teens, with an early role as the mother in One Man's Family. After getting married, and starting a family, her career initially took a back seat. However, after the family moved to Sydney, Ryan established herself as a theatre actor, joining the Independent Theatre Company to perform in stage productions of The Seagull, The Barretts of Wimpole Street, and Children in Uniform. She then toured Australia with John Nugent-Hayward in The Patsy, Fresh Fields and Claudia for four months.

Back in Sydney, Ryan undertook further radio work. Her first role for the ABC was as Aunt Florence in a serial called Space Explorers. This led to frequent roles on ABC Radio, Lux Radio Theatre and Macquarie Radio Theatre. She also performed in long-running serial Blue Hills. She then returned to the stage, playing Birdie Hubbard in Doris Fitton's 1948 production of The Little Foxes at the Independent and Melbourne's Princess Theatre.

In 1954, Ryan appeared as Pearl Cunningham in an Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust production of Ray Lawler's Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. She emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1957 and starred in numerous British stage shows, including a UK tour of Summer of the Seventeenth Doll. In 1958, she then appeared on Broadway in the role.

In London, Ryan established a reputation as an actress who tackled challenging roles, including misfit and villains. In 1964, she played Kath in the original London production of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr Sloane. The Independent wrote, "as the dreadful Kath, ageing seductress and murderous landlady... Madge Ryan's cruel, cool but undeniably comic acting provoked one critic to describe her work... as 'something very close to perfection'."

In 1965, Ryan played the lead role in Mother Courage at the Old Vic, touring internationally. An international tour as Gertrude in Hamlet followed, and she also played the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, both for the Bristol Old Vic. Further stage roles included Maisie Madigan in Juno and the Paycock, Lizzie Sweeney in a 1967 London production of Philadelphia, Here I Come and Mrs Weston in Say Goodnight to Grandma.

In 1968, Ryan returned to Australia to perform in a double bill of Black Comedy and The White Liars.

Ryan played Dr. Branom in 1971 Stanley Kubrick classic feature film A Clockwork Orange, opposite Malcolm McDowell. Other film appearances included Summer Holiday (1963), Frenzy (1972), and Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (1978).

Ryan also appeared in television plays and serials including a 1966 BBC play of the month, Defection, playing Evdokia Petrov. The same year, she appeared in a season 5 episode ("The Better Mousetrap") of television series The Saint as Bertha Noversham, a French Riviera jewel thief.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Ryan performed in repertory theatre, including playing Madam Arkadina in The Seagull (in Exeter), Mrs Warren in Mrs. Warren's Profession and Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest (in Birmingham). She also appeared in Ring Round the Moon in Chichester. In 1975, Ryan played Rachel Lynde in a six-part television miniseries version of Anne of Avonlea.

In 1993, the year before her death, Ryan appeared in a West End stage production of Medea, opposite Diana Rigg.

Personal life Ryan married Milton Lynn Rumble, a bank officer, on 31 January 1939 at Townsville's Sacred Heart Cathedral, although used her maiden name professionally. The couple relocated to Toowoomba in 1940, and then to Sydney. Her marriage ended in 1957.

During the second World War, Ryan drove ambulances for the National Emergency Services.

During her early career, Ryan lived in Epping, then a rural setting on Sydney's outer fringe.

Ryan had two daughters, one of whom, Lyn Ashley born on 18 March 1940, was also an actress. Between 1969 and 1975, Eric Idle was married to Ryan's daughter, Lyn.

Death Ryan died in Westminster, London on 9 January 1994, one day after her 75th birthday. A memorial service was held at St James's Church, in Piccadilly. In their obituary for Ryan, The Independent wrote, "what set her apart from the others was a certain, often powerful, independence of spirit and humour... It was a fulfilled career."

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1959 Witness in the Dark Mrs. Finch Film 1960 Upstairs and Downstairs Sergeant Tuck Film Hand in Hand George's Wife Film 1962 Tiara Tahiti Millie Brooks Film The Shifting Heart Film 1963 Summer Holiday Stella Winters Film Doctor in Distress Mrs. Clapper Film 1964 This Is My Street Kitty Film 1968 The Strange Affair Aunt Mary Film 1970 I Start Counting Mother Film 1971 A Clockwork Orange Dr. Branom Film 1972 Frenzy Mrs. Davison Film Endless Night (aka Agatha Christie's Endless Night) Michael's mother Film 1973 Yellow Dog Della's Mother Film 1978 Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? (aka Too Many Chefs and Someone Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe) Beecham Film 1979 The Lady Vanishes Rose Flood Porter Film 1988 Kokoda Crescent Margaret Film 1993 Splitting Heirs Woman with Dog Film

Television Year Title Role Notes Ref. 1957 Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Pearl Cunningham TV play, episode of Theatre Night 1958–1970 Armchair Theatre Mrs Weston TV play, 9 episodes including Say Goodnight to Your Grandma 1959 BBC Sunday Night Theatre Margaret Lord / Hilda Binns / Mrs Atkinson 3 episodes The Flying Doctor Mrs Evans 1 episode 1959–1962 ITV Play of the Week Various roles 4 episodes 1960 A Night Out Mrs Stokes TV play, episode of Armchair Theatre A Holiday Abroad Sylvia Bates TV play, episode of ITV Television Playhouse Probation Officer Ella Rhodes 1 episode Flag Fall Maud – Taxi Dispatcher TV play, episode of Armchair Mystery Theatre 1962 Maigret Madame Machére 1 episode Reunion Day Grace TV play The Slaughter of St. Teresa's Day Oola Maguire TV play The One Day of the Year Dot Cook TV play 1963 Anna Christie Marthy Owen TV play 1963; 1964 First Night Various roles 3 episodes 1964 The Avengers Mrs Eve Turner 1 episode Love Story Marion 1 episode Emergency Ward 10 May Gorton 2 episodes Summer of the Seventeenth Doll Pearl Cunningham TV play, episode of Thursday Theatre 1965; 1970 Thirty-Minute Theatre Mrs Purgold / Janet Harford TV plays, 2 episodes 1965; 1971 Public Eye Mrs Sutton-Piper / Rose Mason 2 episodes 1966 Defection! The Case of Colonel Petrov Dusya TV play, episode of BBC Play of the Month The Saint Mrs Bertha Noversham 1 episode 1968 Sherlock Holmes Lady Morcar Episode: "The Blue Carbuncle" The Shifting Heart Momma TV play 1969 Parkin's Patch Mrs Kenny 1 episode Dixon of Dock Green Nancy Proctor 1 episode 1969; 1971 Paul Temple Genine Dalton / Linda Burgess 2 episodes 1970 Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) Mrs Roden 1 episode Manhunt Celestine Moussac 1 episode The Best Things in Life Miss Rossiter 1 episode 1971 Budgie Connie 1 episode Now Look Here Mother 7 episodes Zinotchka Madame Sorin TV short play, episode of Full House 1971–1977 Play for Today Elizabeth/ Mother TV plays, 2 episodes 1972 The Man and the Snake Mrs Druring TV short 1969; 1973 ITV Saturday Night Theatre Jean's Mother / Simone / Mrs Pearce 3 episodes 1974 The Protectors Mrs Apsimon 1 episode Cakes and Ale Mrs Barton Trafford 2 episodes 1975 Crown Court Bridget Behan 3 episodes Anne of Avonlea Rachel Lynde Miniseries, 6 episodes Going, Going, Gone... Free? Mrs Dean Episode of Comedy Playhouse Moll Flanders Mrs Oliver TV movie 1976 Katy Bridget 3 episodes Beasts Florence Raymount 1 episode Angels Mrs Dutton 1 episode 1977 Beryl's Lot Miss Quillet 2 episodes London Belongs to Me Mrs Vizzard 7 episodes 1978 All Creatures Great and Small Miss Harbottle 2 episodes A Horseman Riding By Arabella Codsall 4 episodes Shadows Nanny 1 episode 1979 S.O.S. Titanic Violet Jessop TV movie 1982 Cymbeline Mother TV movie 1983 Bergerac Mrs Van Stratton 1 episode Nanny Lydia Crawford 4 episodes Events in a Museum Narrator TV movie Heartattack Hotel Mrs Todd TV movie 1988 Hills End Miss Elaine Godwin TV movie 1990 Families Ruby Davidson 1992 Screenplay Beattie 1 episode Casualty Doreen Phillips 1 episode 1993 Comedy Playhouse Gloria 1 episode The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries Lucy Lorrimer 1 episode

Theatre