Difference between revisions of "Leonard Rayne"

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Rayne first came to South Africa in 1895,  having been invited by  [[W.J. Holloway]] of the Lyceum Theatre to become the second lead in a company he was taking to Johannesburg, under the auspices of the [[Wheeler Theatre Company|Ben and Frank Wheeler]] theatre company. The company also included [[Gerald Lawrence]],  [[Amy Grace]], [[John Nesbitt]], [[William Haviland]] and [[Amy Coleridge]].  
 
Rayne first came to South Africa in 1895,  having been invited by  [[W.J. Holloway]] of the Lyceum Theatre to become the second lead in a company he was taking to Johannesburg, under the auspices of the [[Wheeler Theatre Company|Ben and Frank Wheeler]] theatre company. The company also included [[Gerald Lawrence]],  [[Amy Grace]], [[John Nesbitt]], [[William Haviland]] and [[Amy Coleridge]].  
  
The [[Holloway Theatre Company]] opened with ''[[Othello]]'' in the [[Standard Theatre]], Johannesburg on the 26th December 1895,  with  [[William J. Holloway|Holloway]] and [[Amy Coleridge|Coleridge]] in the leads and Rayne in the role of "Roderigo". This was now followed by "Orsino" in ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', "Edmund" in ''[[King Lear]]'', "Dogberry" in ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'', "Gratiano" in ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' and "Sir Peter Teazle" in ''[[School for Scandal]]'' and ''[[Richard II]]''. The company returned to England and Rayne rejoined Sadler's Wells.
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The [[Holloway Theatre Company]] opened with ''[[Othello]]'' in the [[Standard Theatre]], Johannesburg on the 26th December 1895,  with  [[William J. Holloway|Holloway]] and [[Amy Coleridge|Coleridge]] in the leads and Rayne in the role of "Roderigo". This was now followed by "Orsino" in ''[[Twelfth Night]]'', "Edmund" in ''[[King Lear]]'', "Dogberry" in ''[[Much Ado About Nothing]]'', "Gratiano" in ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' and "Sir Peter Teazle" in ''[[School for Scandal]]'' and ''[[Richard II]]''. The company returned to England and Rayne rejoined Sadler's Wells for a while.
  
In 1897 he returned to launch his career as actor-manager, opening at the [[Opera House]] in Cape Town with ''[[Master and Man]]''. 8 he and his wife [[Amy Grace]] came out once again, this time for a production of ''[[East Lynne]]''.
+
In 1897 he returned to launch his career as actor-manager, opening at the [[Opera House]] in Cape Town with ''[[Master and Man]]'' (Pattitt and Sims) in July. From here on, at times in partnership with other local producers,  he would offer a steady stream of productions, many of them standard items in the company's repertoire over the years. He eventually became something of a legend, one of South Africa's leading actor-managers, affectionately known as "the Guvnor". For many years he ran the [[Standard Theatre]] as the home of his company, the [[Leonard Rayne Company]]. His popular leading lady was [[Freda Godfrey]].
  
In 1899 he returned to South Africa with a company put together by himself and his friend [[Alfred Paumier]]. They took the [[Opera House]] in Cape Town where their extensive repertory of plays, included ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo]]''?* and what was to become his most memorable role, "Napoleon" in ''[[A Royal Divorce]]''.
 
  
In 1902-3 he went into partnership with [[Frank de Jongh]] to do ''[[In the Ranks]]'', ''[[My Sweetheart]]'', ''[[The Eternal City]]'', ''[[Sherlock Holmes]]'', ''[[The Liars]]'' and ''[[Trilby]]''  under the auspices of [[Frederick Mouillot]] and [[Frank de Jong]] at the [[Opera House]], Cape Town and then leased the [[Port Elizabeth Opera House]] in 1902 and the [[Gaiety Theatre]] in Johannesburg in 1903
 
  
He now became an independent producer, one of South Africa's leading actor-managers, affectionately known as "the Guvnor". For many years he ran the [[Standard Theatre]] as the home of his company, the [[Leonard Rayne Company]]. His popular leading lady was [[Freda Godfrey]].
+
Productions in 1898 included ''[[East Lynne]]'' (), ''[[The Red Lamp]]'' (), ''[[The Corsican Brothers]]'' (). 
 +
 
 +
In 1899 he returned to South Africa with a new company put together by himself and his friend [[Alfred Paumier]]. They again took the [[Opera House]] in Cape Town where their extensive repertory of plays, included ''[[The Count of Monte Cristo]]'' (Dumas/) and ''[[A Royal Divorce]]'' () (with Rayne as "Napoleon", his most memorable role).  
 +
 
 +
In 1902-3 he went into partnership with [[Frederick Mouillot]] and [[Frank de Jongh]] to do a season that included ''[[In the Ranks]]'', ''[[My Sweetheart]]'', ''[[The Eternal City]]'', ''[[Sherlock Holmes]]'', ''[[The Liars]]'' and ''[[Trilby]]''  at the [[Opera House]], Cape Town, the [[Port Elizabeth Opera House]] and the [[Gaiety Theatre]] in Johannesburg.
  
 
1904 April to June he did ''[[Human Nature]]'', ''[[The Gypsy Earl]]'' (Sims), ''[[Brown at Brighton]]'' (McKay and Stephens), ''[[A Life of Pleasure]]'' (Pettitt and Harris), and ''[[Sunday]]'' (Raceward), ''[[The African Millionaire]]'' (Wallace)  in the Opera House, Cape Town. In the second half of the year he did another season in the Opera House, presenting ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' (Shakespeare), ''[[A Snug Little Kingdom]]'' (Anon), ''[[The Lady of Lyons]]'' (Bulwer-Lytton), ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' (Shakespeare), ''[[Called Back]]'' (Anon) and ''[[The Man in the Iron Mask]]'' (Goldberg).
 
1904 April to June he did ''[[Human Nature]]'', ''[[The Gypsy Earl]]'' (Sims), ''[[Brown at Brighton]]'' (McKay and Stephens), ''[[A Life of Pleasure]]'' (Pettitt and Harris), and ''[[Sunday]]'' (Raceward), ''[[The African Millionaire]]'' (Wallace)  in the Opera House, Cape Town. In the second half of the year he did another season in the Opera House, presenting ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]'' (Shakespeare), ''[[A Snug Little Kingdom]]'' (Anon), ''[[The Lady of Lyons]]'' (Bulwer-Lytton), ''[[The Merchant of Venice]]'' (Shakespeare), ''[[Called Back]]'' (Anon) and ''[[The Man in the Iron Mask]]'' (Goldberg).

Revision as of 05:41, 28 June 2020

Leonard Rayne (1869-1925) was a British born actor and manager.

Biography

Born William Hannay Watts Cowie in Blyth, Northumberland, on 6 March 1869, he ran away from home with a stock company when still a youth, but soon joined the Sadler's Wells Company in London, where - using the stage name given him by a loving aunt - he largely worked on Shakespeare's plays, developing his resonant voice and stage presence, before making a career for himself in South Africa and exerting a great influence on Shakespearean production, and South African theatre in general, over the 30 year period that he worked and toured in the country.

Rayne was married to actress Amy Grace, and later became the lover and partner of Freda Godfrey. He died in Cape Town on 19 June 1925 and was buried in the Woltemade Cemetry there on 21 June 1925.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

Rayne first came to South Africa in 1895, having been invited by W.J. Holloway of the Lyceum Theatre to become the second lead in a company he was taking to Johannesburg, under the auspices of the Ben and Frank Wheeler theatre company. The company also included Gerald Lawrence, Amy Grace, John Nesbitt, William Haviland and Amy Coleridge.

The Holloway Theatre Company opened with Othello in the Standard Theatre, Johannesburg on the 26th December 1895, with Holloway and Coleridge in the leads and Rayne in the role of "Roderigo". This was now followed by "Orsino" in Twelfth Night, "Edmund" in King Lear, "Dogberry" in Much Ado About Nothing, "Gratiano" in The Merchant of Venice and "Sir Peter Teazle" in School for Scandal and Richard II. The company returned to England and Rayne rejoined Sadler's Wells for a while.

In 1897 he returned to launch his career as actor-manager, opening at the Opera House in Cape Town with Master and Man (Pattitt and Sims) in July. From here on, at times in partnership with other local producers, he would offer a steady stream of productions, many of them standard items in the company's repertoire over the years. He eventually became something of a legend, one of South Africa's leading actor-managers, affectionately known as "the Guvnor". For many years he ran the Standard Theatre as the home of his company, the Leonard Rayne Company. His popular leading lady was Freda Godfrey.


Productions in 1898 included East Lynne (), The Red Lamp (), The Corsican Brothers ().

In 1899 he returned to South Africa with a new company put together by himself and his friend Alfred Paumier. They again took the Opera House in Cape Town where their extensive repertory of plays, included The Count of Monte Cristo (Dumas/) and A Royal Divorce () (with Rayne as "Napoleon", his most memorable role).

In 1902-3 he went into partnership with Frederick Mouillot and Frank de Jongh to do a season that included In the Ranks, My Sweetheart, The Eternal City, Sherlock Holmes, The Liars and Trilby at the Opera House, Cape Town, the Port Elizabeth Opera House and the Gaiety Theatre in Johannesburg.

1904 April to June he did Human Nature, The Gypsy Earl (Sims), Brown at Brighton (McKay and Stephens), A Life of Pleasure (Pettitt and Harris), and Sunday (Raceward), The African Millionaire (Wallace) in the Opera House, Cape Town. In the second half of the year he did another season in the Opera House, presenting Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare), A Snug Little Kingdom (Anon), The Lady of Lyons (Bulwer-Lytton), The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare), Called Back (Anon) and The Man in the Iron Mask (Goldberg).

Among his other more notable productions were Rob Roy, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Under Two Flags, A White Man, Kismet, Hamlet, Richard the Third, The Prodigal Son (in which he first appeared with the young Freda Godfrey - 1906), The Rosary (19**), A Royal Divorce (19**).

Legacy

Pieter Toerien opened a new auditorium at the Alhambra in 1983 called the Leonard Rayne Theatre.

Sources

D.C. Boonzaier. 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 420-21;

Margot Bryant 1978. South Africa’s greatest theatrical partnership. (Leonard Rayne & Freda Godfrey). Mafeking Mail, 1(5):6-8. May.

Margot Bryant 1979. Born To Act: The Story of Freda Godfrey. Johannesburg: Ad Donker.

P.J. du Toit. 1988. Amateurtoneel in Suid-Afrika. Pretoria: Academica

Jill Fletcher. 1994. The Story of Theatre in South Africa: A Guide to its History from 1780-1930. Cape Town: Vlaeberg.

Percy Tucker. 1997. Just the Ticket. My 50 Years in Show Business. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.

https://www.sahistory.org.za/people/leonard-born-name-william-hannay-watts-cowie-rayne

https://theatricalia.com/person/gax/arthur-sinbad-pitt

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