Angus Neill
Angus Neill (19**-1987). Actor-director.
Contents
Biography
Angus was born in Edinburgh. He moved to Johannesburg from Nairobi in 1964. He died in October 1987 in South Africa.
Youth
He was brought up on the Isle of Skye and spoke Gaelic before he learnt English.
Training
He was a scholarship student at the College of Art in Edinburgh, enrolled for evening classes at the drama school and subsequently studied with the Perth Repertory Company.
Career
He started his professional career in Scotland. His first acting job for The Wilson Barrett Company was in Twelfth Night. He later went to London, where he branched out into television, radio and screen while still continuing in the legitimate theatre.
While filming in Kenya, he was cabled by Brian Brooke, offering him a role in Mary, Mary.
In South Africa he joined forces with Shirley Firth and ventured into management. They called themselves The Stage Company, and took a two year lease at the Intimate Theatre
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
He performed in The Miser (PACT, 1964), Mary, Mary, A Sock in the Eye, In the Case of J. Robert Oppenheimer, The Magistrate, The Devil's Disciple, (1966), Absence of a Cello, Shut Your Eyes and Think of England (1978) and The World of Dorothy Parker.
Stage Company’s first production was a revival of André Roussin’s comedy The Little Hut in 1966. Their second production was The Creeper in 1967. Together with Shirley Firth he staged Caste, starring himself, Adrian Egan, Elaine Lee and Arthur Hall at the Intimate Theatre in 1967. He renamed the show True Hearts Are More Than Coronets.
In 1979 he directed the Pieter Toerien and Shirley Firth production of The Siege of Nugget Street, staged at the Intimate Theatre.
Awards, etc
Sources
The Miser programme notes, PACT 1964.
SACD 1974.
Tucker, 1997.
Tribute written by George Jackson published in Scenaria, issue 81, October 1987.
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