Maria Zena Schneider (22 September 1929 – 21 April 2023), known professionally as Maria Charles, was an English film, television and stage actress, director and comedienne. She was perhaps best known for her performance as the overbearing mother Bea Fisher in the ITV sitcom Agony. Charles also appeared on the stage in original West End productions, including musicals by Stephen Sondheim, Charles Strouse and Sandy Wilson.
Early life Maria Zena Schneider was born in London on 22 September 1929.England and Wales Civil Registration Birth Index, 1929 Births. She was the daughter of David Schneider and Celia Schneider (née Ashkenaza). Her father was a hairdresser who used the soubriquet "Mr Charles". When she graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London in 1946 she took her father's working name as her stage surname.
Career Charles had an exceptionally long acting career that spanned more than seven decades. She made her stage debut as the Dormouse in a 1945 production of Alice in Wonderland at the Connaught Theatre in Worthing and her West End theatre debut in the Pick up Girl at the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1946. Charles appeared in the original London production of The Boy Friend as 'Dulcie' which ran for a total of 2,082 performances (from 1954 to 1959). She played the part of 'Solange Lafitte' in the original West End production of Follies at the Shaftesbury Theatre by Stephen Sondheim. The show ran for 644 performances from 21 July 1987 to 4 February 1989 and starred Julia McKenzie, Daniel Massey and Eartha Kitt. Charles has worked extensively in theatre, TV and films and has carved a niche for herself on television playing clingy Jewish mothers. She appeared in the memorable BBC Play for Today anthology TV series (which ran from 1970 to 1984), in the TV play the Bar Mitzvah Boy which won the BAFTA, British Academy Television Award for best single play; in 1977 it was placed 56th in a BFI poll of the 100 Greatest British Television Programmes of the 20th century, voted by industry professionals. She also played Maureen Lipman's character's mother in the ITV sitcom Agony from 1979 to 1981. In 1981 she starred in Nell Dunn's new comedy play, Steaming at the Comedy Theatre Stratford East, playing alongside Brenda Blethyn; the production won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy that year.
Other notable television credits included well known television series such as Z-Cars, Crossroads, Secret Army, Brideshead Revisited, Coronation Street, Whoops Apocalypse, Boon, Never the Twain, Lovejoy, Casualty, Holby City and Bad Girls.
Her notable film credits included: Sisterhood, Hot Fuzz, Cuba, Revenge of the Pink Panther, Victor Victoria, and Sixty Six.
Personal life and death Charles died on 21 April 2023, aged 93. She had two daughters: Kelly, an actress, and Samantha, a production stage manager.
Film appearances +Year TitleRoleNotes1948A Gunman Has EscapedGoldieMonarch1952Folly to Be WiseWRAC female soldierBritish Lion1967The Deadly AffairBlondeColumbia Pictures1977The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know ItTea LadyShearwater Films/ London Weekend Television1978Revenge of the Pink PantherLady ClientUnited Artists1979CubaSenora PulidoUnited Artists1982Victor/VictoriaMadame PresidentMGM/UA1988Under the BedMrs. WeedleCFU1990The FoolThe Pure GathererSands Films1991Antonia and JaneSylvia PinkerMiramax1995Savage HeartsMariaAugust Entertainment/ Bratton/ Wavepower Navigation Corp.1998Hey, Mr Producer!Also known as Hey Mr. Producer! The Musical World of Cameron MackintoshThe Broadway BabiesAct Two, Broadway Baby2006Sixty SixMrs. GlitzmanWorking Title Films/ StudioCanal/ Ingenious Films2007Hot FuzzMrs. ReaperStudioCanal/ Working Title Films/ Big Talk Productions2008SisterhoodEthelCork FilmsIn Your DreamsMrs. IvyMagnet Films
Television appearances
Series +Year TitleRoleNetworkNotes1964CrossroadsLorelei MacefieldATVn/a1977Secret ArmyLouise ColbertBBC6 episodes1979Thomas and SarahMadgeLWT3 episodes1979–1981AgonyBea FisherLWT20 episodes1981–1988Never the TwainMrs. SadlerThames Television28 episodes1984Dream StuffingMayChannel 47 episodes1995Agony AgainBea FisherBBC7 episodes2002–2003Bad GirlsNoreen BiggsITV2 episodes2005Coronation StreetLena ThistlewoodITV12 episodes
Miniseries +YearTitleRoleProduction company/ NetworkNotes1957Nicholas NicklebyMiss Ninetta CrummlesBBC1 episode1972Anne of Green GablesMrs. BlewittBBC1 episode1973PollyannaMrs. HigginsBBC1 episode1975Anne of AvonleaMrs. BlewittBBC1 episode1976The Prince and the PauperGrandma CantyBBC3 episodes1978DisraeliMaria D'IsraeliATV2 episodes1981Brideshead RevisitedMa MayfieldGranada1 episode1987A Perfect SpyLady ChairpersonBBC1 episode1989Great ExpectationsSarah PocketHTV1 episode2000The 10th KingdomOld Lady GamblerNBC1 episode2001ShadesMrs. Jacobs SeniorCoastal Productions1 episode
Television films +YearTitleRoleProduction company/ NetworkNotes1947The Likes of 'ErFlorrrie SmallBBCTV movieThe Moon in the Yellow RiverBlanaidBBCTV movie1949A Man's HouseRachelBBCTV movie1957Pickup GirlRuby LockwoodAssociated-RediffusionITV Television Playhouse1958The Fourth WallJane WesrBBCSaturday Playhouse1968Rogues' Gallery: The Curious Adventures of Miss Jane RawleyDorindaAssociated-RediffusionITV Playhouse1969Rogues' Gallery: The Timorous RakeMrs. TindalLWTITV Sunday Night Theatre1972The MillMrs. HartopGranadaCountry Matters1974Great ExpectationsSara PocketNBCTV movie1975The Good SamaritanLiz RoperThames TelevisionSix Days of JusticeHer Wedding MornMrs. SkedmoreBBCTen from Twenties1976Bar Mitzvah Boy Mrs. Rita GreenBBCPlay for TodayFast HandsHidlaThames TelevisionPlays for Britain1977CheersPhyllisYorkshire TelevisionThe Galton and Simpson PlayhouseStreet PartyJessie WhiteBBCJubilee1984Singles WeekendRoseLWTWeekend Playhouse1987ElphidaMrs. BarlowWorking Title Films/ Channel 4 TV movie1997Oliver TwistWidow CorneyABCTV movie1998Crime and Punishment AlenaHallmark/ NBCTV movie2000Cor, Blimey!Mrs. HawtreyCompany Pictures/ ITV TV movie
Television episodes +YearTitleRoleProduction company/ NetworkNotes1969Rogues GalleryDorcas TindalGranadaEpisode: "The Timorous Rake"1974Z-CarsMyrtleBBCEpisode: "Mysteries"1975Crown CourtJoyce FarringtonGranadaEpisode: "Will the Real Robert Randell Please Stand Up" (parts 1–3)Within These WallsNellie EvansLWTEpisode: "For Life"Doctor on the GoMrs. ButtonLWTEpisode: "A Heart in the Right Place"1976AngelsPaulineBBCEpisode: "Facade"1977Yanks Go HomeMrs. FranlinkGranadaEpisode: "Bed of Roses"1982Whoops ApocalypseJewish womanLWTEpisode: "The Violet Hour"Shine on Harvey MoonMrs. McIntyreCentralEpisode: "Safe as Houses"1985Super GranGladys GrocklebankTyne TeesEpisode: "Super Gran and the Day at the Sea"1987The Two RonniesOld WomanBBC1 episode1988BoonMrs. JowettCentralEpisode: "Charity Begins at Home" (parts 1 & 2) 1989CasualtyMiss PhelanBBCEpisode: "Deluge"1990Alas Smith & JonesVariousBBC1 episode1991Woof!Mrs. PriskettCentral1 episode1993LovejoyAliceBBCEpisode: "The Galloping Major"The Young Indiana Jones ChroniclesSecond ladyThe Family Channel/ NBCEpisode: "Paris, October 1916"2000London's BurningCoraLWT1 episode2001Holby CityCelia OwenBBCEpisode: "Release"Down to EarthVera FosterBBCEpisode: "Home Truths"2002DoctorsEdnaBBCEpisode: "Ticking"2004The Basil Brush ShowMrs. StringBBCEpisode: "Soap a Dope"2007Ruddy Hell! Its Harry and PaulJasper's MotherBBC2 episodes2009SkinsGrannyCompany Pictures/ Storm Dog Films/ Channel 4Episode: "Finale"
Stage appearances (Stage debut) Dormouse, Alice in Wonderland, Connaught Theatre, Worthing, England, 1945 (London West End debut) Ruby Lockwood, The Pick-Up Girl, Prince of Wales Theatre, London, 1946 Rosie, Women of Twilight, Vaudeville Theatre, London, 1951 See You Again (Sandy Wilson revue), Watergate Theatre, London, 1952 Swing Back the Gate (Geoffrey Wright, revue), Irving Theatre, London, 1952. Sorrell Connaught, A Kiss for Adele, Royal Court Theatre, London, 1952 Florrie Solomon, Spring Song, Embassy Theatre, London, 1953 Dulcie, The Boy Friend, Wyndham's Theatre, London, 1954–1958 Dulcie Du Bois, The Boy Friend, Globe Theatre, London, 1965 Fairy Sorayah, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Players' Theatre, London, 1965 Florence, Enter a Free Man, St. Martin's Theatre, London, 1968 Jessie Macfarlane, Mrs. Dawkins, Bridgid O'Cooney, Mrs. van Boven, Dellarosa Paravici, Miss Minter, Mary Thornton, Mrs. Campbell-Scully, and Mrs. Zuckmeyer, They Don't Grow on Trees, Prince of Wales Theatre, 1969 Felice Kovacs, Partners, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1969 Piglet, Winnie the Pooh, Phoenix Theatre, London, 1972 Fairy Cabbage Rose, Beauty and the Beast, Players' Theatre, 1973 Annie Chapman, Jack the Ripper, Players' Theatre, 1974 Mrs. Dolly Gallagher Levi, The Matchmaker, Her Majesty's Theatre, London, 1978 Mistress Overdone, Measure for Measure, Riverside Studios, Hammersmith, England, 1979 Miss Hannigan, Annie, Victoria Palace Theatre, London, 1979 Steaming, Theatre Royal Stratford East, London, 1981 Yente, Fiddler on the Roof, Apollo Theatre, London, 1983 Solange Lafitte, Follies, Shaftesbury Theatre, London 1987 Multiple roles in the British National Theatre repertoire season at the Cottesloe Theatre, Lyttelton Theatre, and Olivier Theatre in London, 1989 Vera Klein, The Absence of War, Royal National Theatre, London, 1993 Melissa, Party Time & One for the Road, Battersea Arts Centre, London, 2003. Noreen Biggs, Bad Girls, Garrick Theatre, London, 2007
Directing credits The Boy Friend, (40th anniversary original cast reunion), at the Players Theatre, London, 1995. Poppy at the ICA, London, 1999.
Other Anna Gemignani, Anna (pilot), NBC, 1990 Charles also appeared in Angel Pavement, Down Our Street, Easter Passion, The Fourth Wall, The Good Old Days, La Ronde, Turn Out the Lights, The Ugliest Girl in Town, The Voice of the Turtle, and Sheppey.
References
External links . Accessed: 21 July 2013. Monarch Film Corporation (films) at IMDb. Accessed: 21 July 2013. at Hollywood.com. Accessed: 21 July 2013. Maria Charles at DigiGuide.tv. Accessed: 21 July 2013. . Accessed: 21 July 2013.