Dame Sybil Thorndike

(1882-1976) Actress and manager. Studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Ben Greet's Academy. Married the actor Sir Lewis Casson. Worked for * In 1935 she and her husband performed Shaw’s *** in South Africa under the auspices of African Consolidated Theatres. They did another tour with *** in 1956, brought out by Brian Brooke for a series of drama and poetry recitals, inter alia playing for a black audience at the Bantu Men's Social Centre. During these visits she became interested in and expressed support for the activities of the Johannesburg Repertory Society and the Bantu Dramatic Society.