Wit and wisdom: Miriam Margolyes charms all round at Bantry event
Miriam Margolyes at the Maritime Hotel in Bantry for the West Cork Literary Festival. Picture: Chani Anderson
Miriam Margolyes has been the voice of the Caramel bunny, played Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter movies, and appeared in countless other film and TV roles, but most of the people in Bantry on Monday were probably there because of her reputation as a raconteur.
Direct, hilarious and often rather blue, the 83-year-old has long been demolishing the little-old-lady stereotype. She has also shone as one of the best chatshow guests on the planet, not least on Graham Norton’s programme, and her visit to Co Cork included a lunch at her old pal’s home.
Not surprisingly, the function room at the Maritime Hotel was sold out for the West Cork Literary Festival event. Before a predominantly female audience, Margolyes was as candid as ever while being interviewed by Senator Lynn Ruane, the Tallaght woman she struck up a friendship with while filming an RTÉ series on Lady Gregory.
As well as her trademark mix of wit and wisdom, the punters who’d paid €35 a ticket also got to see the steelier side of the Oxford-born actress, as a baby-gurgle from the back of the room brought a warning that the child would have to leave if there was more noise. A couple of wayward mobile phone rings also brought admonishment for the embarrassed owners.
Most of her chat, however, was delivered with good humour and that famous glint in her eye. A lesbian in a longterm relationship, she revealed how in the days before she was so settled, she had written out instructions for men she slept with. “Tits first!” was top of the list.
Mention of Margolyes’ sexuality cued an explanation of one of the tenets of her outlook - how she didn’t want her existence to be compartmentalised. “Although I love being gay and I’m happy to be gay, I don’t want just to be gay,” she declared. “I want to be in the world, not just the gay world. And that’s what I urge you to do – to be in the world.”
As she regaled with anecdotes from a fascinating life, it’s clear this is a philosophy Margolyes has lived by. She’s the Jewish woman who’s been outspoken on Israel’s “utterly wicked” onslaught in Gaza. She’s scrubbed toilets at a women’s prison she visited in the US, and hung out with the royals at their Sandringham summer retreat. You'd imagine she charmed equally in both settings.
And here she was in Bantry, ostensibly plugging Oh Miriam, the second volume of her memoirs (“£250,000 per book”). But you’d suspect the trip was really part of the ongoing plan to squeeze as much as possible out of life, and to do some good along the way.
She concluded the night with an acting performance, brilliantly bringing to life one of her favourite Dickens’ characters, Mrs Gamp from the lesser-known Martin Chuzzlewit novel. Add ‘outstanding talent’ to list of accolades heaped on Margolyes – a true force of nature.
- West Cork Literary Festival continues until Friday, July 19
Read More
