The first-ever biography of the fascinating real woman behind the many acclaimed character faces Prunella Scales is of one of Britain's favourite - and most secretive - actresses. Her acting creations are known to millions - from the eternally favourite Sibyl Fawlty to Tesco's cantankerous supergranny. From the nervous evacuee desperate to be a boy so that she would be allowed to fight in the street, to the first live TV broadcasts where she had to rush behind the set for costume changes, this is the captivating true story of a woman who was an unconventional trailblazer in her youth. Her TV debut came in 1952 as Lydia Bennett in Pride and Prejudice; Marriage Lines, Fawlty Towers and Mapp and Lucia established her as a household name for each decade that followed. Her list of theatre credits is long and eclectic and she is also a successful director and an inspirational teacher. Prunella rarely speaks 'in her own right', yet she has been utterly candid with Teresa Ransom. Featuring many of Prunella's own letters and diaries, and drawing on extensive interviews, this biography reveals a life lived to the full both on and off the stage.