"A glorious day" - Norma West recalls working with Sir Alec Guinness and Beryl Reid

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South African born actress Norma West was a very familiar face to television viewers between the 1960s and the 1990s. She appeared in more than sixty series during that time including The Prisoner, Out of the Unknown, Supernatural, Poirot and A Touch of Frost.

Norma was cast as Hilary in Smiley's People - a former secretary at the Circus and Connie Sachs's lover. She gives a powerful and affecting performance, ably supporting the two leads. Norma very kindly agreed to answer a few questions for me by email about her experience of filming these scenes...

How did you come to be cast as Hilary and what do you recall about working with director Simon Langton?

I had worked with Simon Langton some time before Smiley, I think it was one of a series the BBC produced called Supernatural. We clicked - no surprise, we were both born in November 1941!

Sir Alec Guinness and Simon Langton during filming 13th-15th October 1981

Photo courtesy of Norma West

What information were you given about Hilary's backstory and how did you approach playing her?

I loved the script and I loved Hils - those slightly ‘mad’ women are the women I most enjoy playing. Never knowing how they will respond at any given moment…quiet, superficially under control and then… BANG off she goes!

You were working with two actors who would go on to win BAFTAs for this performance. What were your impressions of Sir Alec Guinness and Beryl Reid? What was it like working with them? 

Over the years I had met dear Beryl many times at lunches, mostly with our shared friend Lally Bowers. We were on the same page in so many ways, so to be working with her was pure joy. She put a lot of time and thought into her roles and performances but was always ready for something unexpected to take her in another direction, totally spontaneously. Guinness was the complete opposite, he left nothing to chance. In his pocket he carried a little notebook to which he referred many times, notes he had made about the approach he would take for each scene. It was much more than that though - he was reminding himself of what had gone before. Nothing, or very little, is shot in sequence on a film shoot. He also wanted to know the size of the shot - I remember him asking the cameraman which button on his jacket was the lowest point of the frame!!

Sir Alec Guinness and Beryl Reid during filming 13th-15th October 1981

Photo courtesy of Norma West

What else do you remember about the filming? 

It was a glorious day spent with an excellent director and two big stars of stage and screen who could not have had more differing approaches to the work. A truly lovely memory of a super day!!

I'm very grateful to Norma for agreeing to answer these questions. I would definitely recommend following her on Instagram where you will find the most amazing photos of her beautiful garden. 

Smiley’s visit to see Connie is an important and lengthy scene in episode three. Filming took place at Oswalds House in Southend Common (near Henley-on-Thames) over three days in October 1981. (Wardrobe and make up calls were held at the Red Lion Hotel in Henley-on-Thames, where the cast were staying.)

This is the second time in the story that Smiley is an unwelcome guest. He has already intruded on Stella and William and when Hilary opens the door to him she says, "you said you'd never come here, you swore".

I think it is fair to say that Smiley seems unconcerned about the impact his visit might have on Connie or Hilary. He behaves very unsympathetically in these scenes and is only interested in Connie's memory, showing little regard for her wellbeing. In truth, he is singularly focussed on the rogue elephant charging at him from his past and seems blind to everything and everyone else. It is not surprising that first Esterhase and then Guillam warn Smiley that his Karla obsession is causing him to act in ways that cross his own red lines. Guinness himself recognised a change in the character, telling The New York Times "by the end you should feel that Smiley and Karla are in some way interchangeable. Both lonely men. Both using similar methods". 

I am sure everyone reading this will be familiar with stories that suggest Guinness did not find it easy acting opposite Beryl Reid. Norma West has certainly given us an insight into why he might have struggled working with an actor who thrived on spontaneity. But just as they did in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Guinness and Reid work magic together in the sixteen minutes they are on screen in Smiley's People. 

As they spar verbally, one of their best exchanges is on the subject of Vladimir. Connie sets Smiley up perfectly for an ambush by exclaiming, "Oh Vladimir! How is the old stoat? Still terrifying the virgins of Paddington, I trust?" Smiley stumbles straight into the trap by responding, "I expect so" and is summarily battered over the head by the immediate retort - "I thought he walked into a bullet the other night". It is quite rare for us to see Smiley so completely outfoxed. 

You can't watch these scenes and not be moved by the look on Connie's face when she asks "still love me George...like you used to?" The question goes unanswered but it recalls the line in Tinker Tailor where she asks Smiley to kiss her.

The 'screen captures' highlight the beautiful photography and direction. Another lovely moment is the shot below which conveys Connie's affection for Hilary...

When Smiley kisses her on the forehead and says "Goodbye Conn, I'm sorry", it is clear that they won’t meet again. As Connie looks up at him for the last time the sadness in her eyes is heartbreaking…

After missing out on a BAFTA for Tinker Tailor, it was fitting that Beryl Reid won in 1983 for her final performance as Connie Sachs. When I think of her as Connie, there is always one line that comes to mind and ironically, she does not even say it on screen. The sign by her front door reads 'If out do not leave pets on spec - no bloody monkeys'. I can hear Reid saying 'no bloody monkeys' in my head and it always makes me laugh.

All three actors deliver such excellent performances in these scenes that we are left wishing they had more screen time together. My thanks again to Norma West for sharing her recollections of filming and providing us with a glimpse behind the scenes.

I’m also grateful to Chris for his valuable contributions to this article. If you have any information about the filming of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy or Smiley's People that would be of interest to visitors to this website, please drop us a line at guinnessissmiley@icloud.com

Screen captures (c) BBC 1982

Location photos courtesy of Norma West