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Avis Bunnage

Avis Bunnage

Actor · Died October 4, 1990, aged 67 · Manchester, England, UK

​From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.   Avis Bunnage (22 April 1923, Manchester, England, UK – 4 October 1990, England) was a British actress of film, stage and television. She attended Manley Park Municipal School and Chorlton Central School in Manchester. She worked as a secretary and a nursery teacher before deciding to become an actress. She gained stage experience in rep and made her first professional appearance at Chorlton Rep Theatre in Manchester in 1947. Most notably, she appeared as Veronica, the wife of Rigsby, in Rising Damp, for one episode. Bunnage was a member of Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop company at the Theatre Royal Stratford East. There she created the role of Helen, the mother in A Taste of Honey, her first West End role when the play transferred to Wynndems Theatre, and also a role in Oh, What a Lovely War! at Stratford East, which also transferred to Wyndams Theatre. When Avis was on holiday from this production for two weeks, her role was taken over by Danny La Rue. Among her other roles for Theatre Workshop were Mrs. Lovitt in Christopher Bond's play Sweeny Todd (the basis for the Sondheim musical), and the title role in a play about the music hall legend Marie Lloyd. In the early years of Coronation Street she played Lucile Hewitt's auntie. She was in the musical Billy at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, playing the mother of 'Billy Liar'. She played Golda in Fiddler on the Roof, opposite Alfie Bass, at Her Majesty's Theatre in London. Married to Derek Orchard, she died in Thorpe Bay, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, aged 67. Description above from the Wikipedia article Avis Bunnage, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 22, 1923
Died
October 4, 1990 (aged 67)
From
Manchester, England, UK
Works as
Actor
Titles
14 on MovieCove · 51 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 9% in 30 days

What are Avis Bunnage's films like?

Across their 6 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Power and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Power
33%
Society
22%
Self
18%
Bonds
16%
Survival
11%
Class2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 0 · Dark 5

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 1 · Charged 2 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 1 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
5
Tense
3
Warm
2
Dread
1
Absurd
1
Other
2

How their films linger

Bittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Avis Bunnage's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 14 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (3).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Avis Bunnage's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

51 credits, 14 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • The Krays(1990)

    as Helen

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Close to Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs Hayes

  • No Strings (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Miss Butt

  • Yesterday's Dreams (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Auntie Vi

  • Mrs Capper's Birthday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Alice Loft

  • No Surrender (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Martha Gorman

  • Gandhi(1982)

    as Colin's Mother

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Fame Is the Spur (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs Muff

  • Virginia Fly is Drowning (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Mrs Thompson

  • Find Me First (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Isobel

  • Jessie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    as Mrs Appleyard

  • The Gentle Touch(1980)

    Show 4 episodes · as Auntie Win

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all shows

  • The Spoils of War (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 13 episodes · as Helen Hayward

  • Leave it to Charlie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Foster

  • The Mayor of Casterbridge (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 3 episodes · as Mrs Goodenough

  • Scully's New Year's Eve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Florrie

  • Panic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    as Old Lady

  • The Fosters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs Pugh

  • Rising Damp(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Veronica

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows

  • Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Thompson

  • Seven of One (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Doris Norvel

  • The Stumbling Block (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Lorna

  • The Disappearing Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Violet

  • The Frighteners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · as Violet

  • Anne of Green Gables (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 4 episodes · as Rachel Lynde

  • Everybody Say Cheese (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Hylda Cheatham

  • In Loving Memory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 22 episodes · as Amy Jenkinson

  • Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Tulip's Mother

  • Baker's Half-Dozen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Smedley

  • The Whisperers(1967)

    as Mrs. Noonan

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Half Hour Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Maria

  • Out of Town Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · as The Wife

  • The Wrong Box(1966)

    as Queen Victoria

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Thirty-Minute Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 2 episodes · as Rebecca Jarrett

  • A Study in Terror(1965)

    as Landlady

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Rotten to the Core (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Countess de Wett (Matron)

  • Gideon's Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Bessie Cowan

  • Theatre 625 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs Moscroft

  • Espionage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Woman in Bar

  • Tom Jones(1963)

    as Landlady

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • What a Crazy World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    as Mary

  • The Human Jungle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Dineley

  • Sparrows Can't Sing(1963)

    as Bridgie Gooding

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The L-Shaped Room(1962)

    as Doris

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner(1962)

    as Mrs. Smith

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Drama 61-67 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Show 1 episode · as Betty Knowles · as Mrs. Trouncer

  • No Love for Johnnie(1961)

    as Constituent (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Saturday Night and Sunday Morning(1960)

    as Blousy Woman

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Doctor in Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    as Mrs. Mimp (uncredited)

  • Expresso Bongo(1959)

    as Mrs Rudge

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Armchair Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 1 episode · as Lorna · as Martha

Career shape

Star power in the 87th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 51 titles from 1956 to 1990; peak year 1962.

Biggest box office

The Krays (1990)

$62M worldwide

Highest rated

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)

Midcredits 93rd

Most popular right now

The L-Shaped Room (1962)

Film career

19561990

Peak 1962 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1960Screen debut· Saturday Night and Sunday Morning

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting51 of 51: 51 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score70th

By decade

1950s2 · acting1960s23 · acting1970s13 · acting1980s12 · acting1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 0% of 8 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Avis Bunnage's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 70th percentile, the median of all 12; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

83rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 14 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

None of their 14 titles divides audiences: 8 are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed2

Most loved · actor

Gandhi (1982)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 81/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 86, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Avis Bunnage work with?

People who share at least 2 of Avis Bunnage's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Bryan Forbes shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers