Anna Scher

Change links
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Anne[1] Valerie Verrall MBE (née Scher;[2] 26 December 1944 – 12 November 2023)[3] was a British-Irish drama teacher who was best known as the founder of The Anna Scher Theatre School.

Anna Scher

MBE
Born
Anne Valerie Scher

(1944-12-26)26 December 1944
Cork, Ireland
Died12 November 2023(2023-11-12) (aged 78)
London, England
NationalityBritish-Irish
Education
Alma materBrighton School of Music and Art
OccupationDrama teacher • actress • journalist • author
Years active1968–2023
Notable workAnna Scher Theatre
Spouse(s)
Charles Verrall
(m. 1976; died 2023)
Children1
Websiteannaschertheatre.com

Scher was also known as an actress, a journalist and an author.

Early life[change | change source]

Anne[1] Valerie Scher[2] was born in Cork, Ireland on 26 December 1944,[1] as the eldest of four children[3] to Eric Asher Scher (1916–1982),[4][5] a dentist[6] of Lithuanian descent,[7] and[8] Constance Scher (1924–1984; née Hurwitz),[9][10] a housewife of Irish decent.[7] Her younger siblings were; sisters Sandra Geraldine Peggy Scher (1948–2014)[11][12] and Vida M Scher (b. 1953)[13] and brother Ronald D P Scher (b. 1961).[14] Her family moved to Hove, East Sussex when she was 14.[3]

Scher was educated at St Angela's convent, where she was the sole Jewish pupil.[15] She later attended the Hove County Grammar School for Girls and the Brighton School of Music and Art.[3]

Career[change | change source]

Scher founded The Anna Scher Theatre School (AST), an independent and co-educational performing arts school in Islington, London, in January 1968.[16][17] Her husband served as the co-director for many years.[18]

Scher made her debut, and only appearance, as an actress in 1969, but her father told her to get a proper job, so she became a journalist specialising in theatre with the Islington Gazette for five years, and reviewed for The Times Literary Supplement.[7]

Scher also worked as a primary school teacher, working with children whose first language was not English.[19] She was a chairperson of the International Song Contest for Peace in Ireland. She served on juries at BAFTA, Sony and the Royal Television Society.[16]

Scher was the castaway on a 2011 episode of the BBC Radio 4 programme Desert Island Discs.[20]

Scher co-authored three books with her husband.[21][22][23] She also authored two books as a solo author.[24][25]

Personal life[change | change source]

Scher married coach, writer and director Raymond Charles Verrall[26] in Hampstead, London in April 1976.[27] Their only son, John Benedict Verrall, was born four years later.[28] Her husband died in October 2023, at the age of 79.[29]

Scher had a breakdown in 2000 after suffering with depression and was admitted to hospital. She could not walk during her breakdown. She took a period of sick leave from The Anna Scher Theatre. Scher discovered that she had been blocked by the board of directors upon her return to her theatre.[7][30][3]

Scher promoted peace, love and understanding.[7] She was a patron of Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salam – Oasis of Peace.[16]

Death[change | change source]

Scher died in London during the early hours of 12 November 2023. She was 78.[19] Her death was confirmed and announced to the public at 2:55pm on the same day in a social media post by talent agency Nic Knight Management:[3] "It is with deep sadness that I must report that Anna Scher, the best and kindest drama teacher in the UK for the last 50 years, has passed. Joining her husband, Charles, in a better place to rest. She will be missed but never forgotten. RIP @annascherthtr + Charles Verrall."[31] Her obituary was published by The Guardian on 15 November.[3]

Scher and Verrall's joint private funeral took place at St Silas Church on Penton Street on 14 December 2023.[32]

Honours and awards[change | change source]

Scher was awarded a Community Award from the Irish Post the Woman of Distinction Award from Jewish Care. She was an Associate of RADA. She was awarded a Honorary Fellow of the Leinster School of Music & Drama.[16]

She was awarded the Peace Person of the Year Award in Ireland in 1999.[16]

Scher was awarded Freedom of the London Borough of Islington in 2003.[16]

Scher was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 Birthday Honours by Queen Elizabeth II for her services to drama.[33]

Commonwealth honours[change | change source]

Country Date Appointment Post-nominal letters
 United Kingdom 15 June 2013–12 November 2023 Member of the Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) MBE

Filmography[change | change source]

As an actress[change | change source]

Year Title Role Notes Ref.
1969 The Battle of St. George Without Maudie 3 episodes [34]

As herself[change | change source]

Year Title Notes Ref.
1974 Aquarius 1 episode [35]
1988 The Lowdown 1 episode [35]
1999, 2003 This Is Your Life 2 episodes [35]
2011 Anna Documentary [35]
2011 Desert Island Discs 1 episode [20]
2013 In Confidence 1 episode [35]
2014 Piers Morgan's Life Stories 1 episode [35]

Bibliography[change | change source]

  • Scher, Anna; Verrall, Charles (1975). 100+ Ideas for Drama. Heinemann Educational Books. ISBN 9780435187996.[21]
  • Scher, Anna (1976). Final Act: Drama Kit. Ward Lock Educational Books. ISBN 9780706235463.[24]
  • Scher, Anna; Verrall, Charles (1987). Another 100+ Ideas for Drama. Heinemann Educational Books. ISBN 9780435188009.[22]
  • Scher, Anna; Verrall, Charles (1992). 200+ Ideas for Drama. Heinemann Drama. ISBN 9780435086060.[23]
  • Scher, Anna. Desperate to Act. Heinemann. ISBN 9780006728528.[25]

References[change | change source]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958: MAR 1945 5 69 CORK – Anne V Scher
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Anna Valerie SCHER". GOV.UK. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Gilbey, Ryan (15 November 2023). "Anna Scher obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  4. ↑ Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958: 17 MAY 1916 5 76 CORK – Eric Asher Scher
  5. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1982 (aged 65) 18 0410 BRIGHTON – Eric Asher Scher
  6. ↑ UK, Medical and Dental Students Registers, 1882-1937: 29 NOV 1933 IRELAND – Eric Asher Scher
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 Hattenstone, Simon (24 March 2004). "'I just want to be back at my theatre'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  8. ↑ Ireland, Civil Registration Marriages Index, 1845-1958: DEC 1943 5 46 – Eric Asher Scher = Constance Hurwitz
  9. ↑ Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958: 4 SEPT 1924 5 125 CORK – Constance Hurwitz
  10. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007: 12 JUN 1984 (aged 59) 12 311 ENFIELD – Constance Scher
  11. ↑ Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958: SEP 1948 5 124 CORK – Sandra G P Scher
  12. ↑ England and Wales, Death Index, 1989-2022: 28 NOV 2014 (aged 66) LONDON – Sandra Geraldine Peggy Scher
  13. ↑ Ireland, Civil Registration Births Index, 1864-1958: DEC 1953 5 76 CORK – Vida M Scher
  14. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: JAN 1961 5h 391 HOVE – Ronald D P Scher
  15. ↑ Doherty, Rosa (13 November 2023). "Drama teacher Anna Scher, who launched careers of working class actors, dies age 78". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 "About Anna Scher - London". Anna Scher Theatre. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  17. ↑ Wynne-Jones, Roz (24 May 1997). "School for working class heroes - and heroines". The Independent. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "Charles Verrall". Charles Verrall. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Sedghi, Amy (12 November 2023). "Tributes paid to 'wonderful' drama teacher Anna Scher, who has died at 78". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 "BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Anna Scher (2011)". BBC. Retrieved 20 November 2023.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Scher, Anna; Verrall, Charles (8 December 1975). "100 + Ideas for Drama". Goodreads. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Scher, Anna; Verrall, Charles (1 January 1987). "Another 100+ Ideas for Drama". Goodreads. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Scher, Anna; Verrall, Charles (21 January 1992). "200+ IDEAS FOR DRAMA". Goodreads. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Scher, Anna (1 November 1976). "First Act: Drama Kit". Goodreads. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Scher, Anna. "Desperate to Act". Goodreads. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  26. ↑ "Raymond Charles VERRALL". GOV.UK. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  27. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005: APR 1976 12 1412 HAMPSTEAD – Anna V Scher = Raymond C Verrall
  28. ↑ England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007: OCT 1980 15 2415 WESTMINSTER – John Benedict Verrall
  29. ↑ Obituaries, Telegraph (13 November 2023). "Anna Scher, drama teacher whose school produced actors such as Daniel Kaluuya, Kathy Burke and Linda Robson – obituary". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  30. ↑ Inverne, James (24 June 2004). "New Head of Anna Scher Drama School Announced — And It's Not Scher". Playbill. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  31. ↑ Management, Nic Knight (12 November 2023). "It is with deep sadness that I must report that Anna Scher, the best and kindest drama teacher in the UK for the last 50 years, has passed. Joining her husband, Charles, in a better place to rest. She will be missed but never forgotten. RIP @annascherthtr + Charles Verrall". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  32. ↑ Management, Nic Knight (9 December 2023). "Anna Scher and Charles private funeral details. #annascher #annaschertheatre". X (formally Twitter). Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  33. ↑ "No. 60534". The Gazette. 15 June 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  34. ↑ "Anna Scher - BBC Programme Index". BBC. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 35.5 "Anna Scher". IMDb. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anna_Scher&oldid=9301047"