William Devereux
William Devereux (1869 or 1870-1945)[1] was a British actor and playwright.
Biography
He wrote among many plays Henry of Navarre, Robin Hood (with Henry Hamilton) and the film script for The Lifeguardsman (1916).
Contribution to South African theatre
In 1895-6 he was a member of what Boonzaier, 1923, referred to as the Ernest Searelle Comedy Company, inter alia appearing in The New Boy (Lumley) (billed as William Devereux) and playing "Clement" in Sweet Lavender (billed as W. Devereux).
His play, Henry of Navarre was performed in Cape Town Opera House by Leonard Rayne and his company on 19 April, 1910.
He was later a member of actor-manager Gerald Lawrence's West End theatre company, which toured South Africa in 1929, putting on a portfolio of plays. The tour played in premises owned by African Theatres Ltd. starting in Johannesburg and then visiting Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria, Bulawayo, Salisbury, Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The plays performed were Monsieur Beaucaire, The School for Scandal, David Garrick, 13 Simon Street and Beau Brummel.
Sources
Photo image of Devereux as the "Constable of France" in King Henry V, National Portrait Gallery, London[2]
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/333208025993
Promotional postcard for Robin Hood by Henry Hamilton and William Devereux, Media Storehouse[3]
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 1932. (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.203-205
The S.A. Merry-Go-Round, 2(4):28. August 21st, 1929.
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