She hated bullying and stood up for Marilyn Monroe against Olivier on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl. Yet, although a loving matriarch, her outsize personality could swamp, even damage, family members, not least a granddaughter for whom she had unrealistic theatrical ambitions, while her marriage — enduring for 60 years in spite of Casson’s dalliances — could be tempestuous.

One can sympathise with Marie Lohr, co-starring in Coward’s play about retired actresses, Waiting in the Wings, whose preferred solitude before performances would be shattered by an exuberant Thorndike describing her busy day, which often included a funeral or a memorial service: ‘Remind me,’ Lohr wryly smiled, ‘to add a codicil to my will that Sybil is not to come to my funeral.’ Still, the impression of a great actress and a glowing spirit shines through this richly absorbing chronicle.

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