She has nurtured some of London’s best acting talent and now Anna Scher has been honoured by the Queen.
The Matilda Street resident, who has taught the likes of Kathy Burke, Pauline Quirke and Phil Daniels at her Islington theatre school, was given an MBE at Buckingham Palace on Wednesday for services to drama.
Mrs Scher, 68, opened Anna Scher Theatre in Islington in 1968 and has worked all over the world, even producing her own television programme in Denmark.
The recognition from the palace comes after 45 years of work in the area, as well as serving on juries at BAFTA, the Sony Awards and the Royal Television Society.
Mrs Scher said: “I was really excited when I received the letter through the post a couple of months ago.
“It was thrilling to meet the Queen and get the award from her, she was just wonderful – it was such a heart warming experience.
“We were told to curtsy to her, she gave me the medal and then you turn around and curtsy again.”
Anna was a child actress in Cork, Ireland, before moving to London with her family at the age of 14.
She trained as a teacher at Trent Park College after her father told her to get “a real job”.
“I always wanted to be an actress but my father wouldn’t let me so I trained as a teacher.
“I was really lucky that I did because I have had such a wonderful career.
“I think the secret to my success is enjoyment, if the students enjoy themselves they are more likely to keep at it and that is why some of them have stayed with me for so long,”
Mrs Scher was joined by her husband Charles and her son John as well as friends and other family members after the ceremony for a celebratory meal at Frederick’s in Upper Street.
Also on the honours list on the day was Mr Bean actor Rowan Atkinson who once visited Mrs Scher’s theatre school.
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