Elsie Kelly, 1936 – 2026

British actress Elsie Kelly, 89, died on April 21. Kelly had costarring roles on TV’s Crossroads, The Famous Five, Harry and the Wrinklies, and Benidorm. She was also director of the Birkenhead Operatic Society Trust, for which she helmed numerous productions around the country (as well as becoming the head of the Elliott-Clarke School of Dance and Drama in Liverpool), She also appeared on TV in Bread, The Ghost Hunter, Skins, Occupation, Coronation Street, and Inside No. 9, and in the films Intimate Relations and Late Bloomers. As a stage director, Kelly said that “There are some who prioritise the lead roles and see them as more important, but really every single chorus member is as important as the leading lady and leading man, so I do make sure they’re as much a professional company as can be.”