Elizabeth Maud Edwards (16 October 1906 – 24 March 1991), professionally known as Maudie Edwards, was a Welsh actress, radio broadcaster, comedian, dancer and singer, best remembered for having spoken the first line of dialogue in soap opera ''

Coronation Street ''Coronation Street'' (colloquially referred to as ''Corrie'') is a British television soap opera created by ITV Granada, Granada Television and shown on ITV (TV network), ITV since 9 December 1960. The programme centres on a cobbled, terraced ...

'', and playing Elsie Lappin in the first two episodes. She was previously best known to listeners of the radio programme ''

Welsh Rarebit Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit ( or ) is a dish of hot cheese sauce, often including ale, mustard, or Worcestershire sauce, served on toasted bread. The origins of the name are unknown, though the earliest recorded use is 1725 as "Welsh ra ...

'', which attracted weekly audiences of 10 million.

Early life

Born in 16 Florence Street,

Neath Neath (; ) is a market town and Community (Wales), community situated in the Neath Port Talbot, Neath Port Talbot County Borough, Wales. The town had a population of 50,658 in 2011. The community of the parish of Neath had a population of 19,2 ...

Glamorgan Glamorgan (), or sometimes Glamorganshire ( or ), was Historic counties of Wales, one of the thirteen counties of Wales that existed from 1536 until their abolishment in 1974. It is located in the South Wales, south of Wales. Originally an ea ...

, Wales, to semi-professional comedian and singer Ned Edwards, she appeared on stage at the age of four, with her sister May, as Ned Edwards' ''Two Little Queenies''.

Career

Edwards would go on to play the

principal boy In pantomime, a principal boy role is the young male protagonist of the play, traditionally played by a young actress in boy's clothes. The earliest example is Miss Ellington who in 1852 appeared in ''The Good Woman in the Wood'' by James Planc ...

in many

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment, generally combining gender-crossing actors and topical humour with a story more or less based on a well-known fairy tale, fable or ...

s. She presented her signature tune before radio broadcasts of ''Welsh Rarebit'' with the lyrics:

I bring you the voice of the people from over the hills and dales :and the voice of the people is brought to you by a voice that comes from Wales

Edwards had a talent for comedy, and formed her own repertory company, The Maudie Edwards Players, who performed in the Palace Theatre,

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

. In films of the 1940s, she provided a singing voice for film stars

Diana Dors Diana Dors (born Diana Mary Fluck; 23 October 19314 May 1984) was an English actress and singer. Dors came to public notice as a Bombshell (slang), blonde bombshell, much in the style of Americans Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Mamie Van ...

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was a British actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), '' Night Train to Munich ...

and

Gene Tierney Gene Eliza Tierney (November 19, 1920November 6, 1991) was an American stage and film actress. Acclaimed for her great beauty, Tierney was a prominent Leading actor, leading lady during the Classical Hollywood cinema, Golden Age of Hollywood. Sh ...

. Edwards wrote some of her own material. She made her first screen appearance in 1936 and her last in 1972. In 1950, she appeared on stage with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Honorific nicknames in popular music, Nicknamed the "Chairman of the Board" and "Ol' Blue Eyes", he is regarded as one of the Time 100: The Most I ...

at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

. She played Elsie Lappin in the first two episodes of British soap opera ''Coronation Street'' in 1960 and was the first performer to speak during the first scene in the show's history: "Now the next thing you've got to do is to get a signwriter in - that thing above the door'll have to be changed."

Personal life and death

In 1954, Edwards married Walter Nicholas-Marcy, a businessman, in

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

. Four years later, she married Colonel William Fooks in St Pancras. Edwards spent her final years living in

Putney Putney () is an affluent district in southwest London, England, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. History Putney is an ...

, southwest London. She died in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, aged 84, in 1991, predeceasing Fooks. Edwards bequeathed her archive material to the

Victoria and Albert Museum The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...

Filmography

*''

The Flying Doctor ''The Flying Doctor'' is a 1936 Australian-British drama film directed by Miles Mander and starring Charles Farrell, Mary Maguire and James Raglan. The Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia operate in the Australian Outback. Noted as Aust ...

'' (1936) *'' My Learned Friend'' (1943) *'' The Shipbuilders'' (1943) *''

I'll Be Your Sweetheart ''I'll Be Your Sweetheart'' is a 1945 British historical musical film directed by Val Guest and starring Margaret Lockwood, Vic Oliver and Michael Rennie. It was the first and only musical film produced by Gainsborough Studios. Commissioned b ...

'' (1945) (singing voice of Margaret Lockwood) *'' Query'' (1945) *'' Pink String and Sealing Wax'' (1945) *'' Murder in Reverse?'' (1945) *''Walking on Air'' (1946) *'' School for Randle'' (1949) *'' Girdle of Gold'' (1952) *'' Diamond City'' (1949) dubbed singing voice of Diana Dors *''

Night and the City ''Night and the City'' is a 1950 British film noir directed by Jules Dassin and starring Richard Widmark, Gene Tierney and Googie Withers. It is based on the novel of the same name by Gerald Kersh. Shot on location in London and at Shepp ...

'' as dubbed singing voice of Gene Tierney *''

Take a Powder ''Take a Powder'' is a 1953 British B movie, second feature ('B') comedy film directed by Lionel Tomlinson and Julian Vedey and starring Vedey, Max Bacon (actor), Max Bacon and Isabel George. It was written by Rex Diamond and Vedey, and made at B ...

'' (1953) *'' The Strange World of Planet X'' (TV series, 1956) *'' The Errol Flynn Theatre'' (TV series, 1956) *''Life at Stake'' (1957) *''

The Ugly Duckling "The Ugly Duckling" () is a Danish literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875). It was first published on 11 November 1843 in '' New Fairy Tales. First Volume. First Collection'', with three other tale ...

'' (1959) *''

'' (TV series, 1960) *''

The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre The ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' is a British second-feature film series mainly produced at Merton Park Studios for Anglo-Amalgamated. There were 48 films in the series, which were released between 1960 and 1965. The series was screened as ''The ...

'' (TV series, 1961) *'' The Clue of the New Pin'' (1961) *''

Only Two Can Play ''Only Two Can Play'' is a 1962 British comedy film directed by Sidney Gilliat starring Peter Sellers, Mai Zetterling and Virginia Maskell. The screenplay was by Bryan Forbes, based on the 1955 novel '' That Uncertain Feeling'' by Kingsley Amis ...

'' (1962) *''

Dixon of Dock Green ''Dixon of Dock Green'' is a BBC police procedural television series about daily life at a fictional London police station, with the emphasis on petty crime, successfully controlled through common sense and human understanding. It ran from 1955 ...

'' (TV series, 1962) * '' Band of Thieves'' (1962) *''

Under Milk Wood ''Under Milk Wood'' is a 1954 radio drama by Welsh people, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. The BBC commissioned the play, which was later adapted for the stage. The first public reading was in New York City in 1953. A Under Milk Wood (1972 film), f ...

'' (1972) *'' Burke & Hare'' (1972)

References

External links

* *Th
Maudie Edwards Collection
is held by the

Theatre and Performance Department. 1906 births 1991 deaths Welsh television actresses Welsh soap opera actresses Welsh film actresses 20th-century Welsh women singers Actors from Neath 20th-century British actresses Welsh women comedians {{Wales-actor-stub