Performer file
Prunella Scales
Yes — Prunella Scales played Eleanor Bunsall in Beyond the Grave (Series 3, 2000).
In Midsomer Murders
Eleanor Bunsall is closely connected to the museum and historical mystery at the heart of Beyond the Grave. The role makes effective use of Scales's gift for combining brisk social comedy with something more vulnerable.
Performer biography
Prunella Scales was celebrated as Sybil Fawlty in Fawlty Towers and for her acclaimed portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in A Question of Attribution. Her career encompassed theatre, film, radio and television across more than six decades.
She trained at the Old Vic Theatre School and developed a varied stage and television career before Fawlty Towers made Sybil a comedy landmark. A Question of Attribution showed a very different register, as she played Queen Elizabeth II in Alan Bennett's drama. Beyond the Grave draws on her ability to give apparently brisk characters emotional depth.
Career background ↗Published episode credits
1 sourced episode as Eleanor Bunsall.