Shirley Firth - Revision history

Fogterop at 12:15, 20 November 2019

2019-11-20T12:15:57Z

Miriamt: /* As Manager */

2018-12-13T14:20:51Z

As Manager

Miriamt at 15:18, 30 October 2017

2017-10-30T15:18:53Z

Miriamt at 16:53, 4 July 2017

2017-07-04T16:53:29Z

Miriamt at 10:59, 2 November 2012

2012-11-02T10:59:50Z

Miriamt at 10:52, 2 November 2012

2012-11-02T10:52:26Z

Miriamt at 14:36, 1 November 2012

2012-11-01T14:36:02Z

Miriamt at 14:31, 1 November 2012

2012-11-01T14:31:45Z

Miriamt at 14:22, 1 November 2012

2012-11-01T14:22:45Z

Miriamt at 14:15, 1 November 2012

2012-11-01T14:15:21Z

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-[[Shirley Firth]]. (1934-) Actor and producer.
+[[Shirley Firth]] (b. Boksburg, 03/03/1934 - d. Johannesburg, **/11/2019) was an actress and producer.
 == Biography ==
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 == Sources ==
 [[ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997.

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-The [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented many productions, starting with ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' in 1971. Their last joint production at the [[Intimate Theatre]] was in 1982, namely the [[Baxter Theatre]] production of [[Robert Kirby]]’s [[It's a Boy!]].
+The [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented many productions, starting with ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' in 1971. Their last joint production at the [[Intimate Theatre]] was in 1982, namely the [[Baxter Theatre]] production of [[Robert Kirby]]’s ''[[It's a Boy!]]''.
 See [[Toerien-Firth Company]] for more information about their productions.
@@ Line 39: / Line 39: @@
 : She produced Neil Simon’s ''[[Brighton Beach Memoirs]]'' directed by [[Louis Burke]] at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] in February 1986.
 She returned briefly to the management scene when she presented Barry Creyton’s ''[[Double Act]]'' at the [[Windybrow Theatre]] in 1988.
 == Awards, etc ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-FIRTH, Shirley. (19**-) Actor and producer. **** As an actress she appeared in Dodie Smith’s  ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' at the [[YMCA]]  ([[Toerien-Firth Company]],1955), Kushlick-Gluckman’s revival of Clare Boothe’s ''[[The Women]]'' ([[Kushlick-Gluckman]], 1961), ''[[Pyjama Tops]]'' ([[Brian Brooke Company]], 1963).
+[[Shirley Firth]]. (1934-) Actor and producer.
-As a producer she initially worked with [[Pieter Toerien]] (1955 onwards) staging ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' (1955),  André Roussin’s comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' (195?*), Terrence  Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]''. In 1966 she worked for [[PACT]], then joined forces with actor-director [[Angus Neill]] and ventured back into management. They called themselves The [[Stage Company]], and took a two year lease at the [[Intimate Theatre]] where their first production was a revival of ''[[The Little Hut ]]'' (circa 1966) and ''[[The Creeper]]'' with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[John Hayter]] (1967). *** Later owned The [[Intimate Theatre]], a 235 seater, in partnership with [[Pieter Toerien]].
+== Biography ==
-FIRTH, Shirley. Actor and producer. She starred in Dodie Smith’s romantic comedy ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' at the [[YMCA]] in 1955. [[Jimmy Mentis]] produced and [[Anthony Farmer]] did sets. She was involved with this theatre as her own management and in partnership with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She staged the comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]]. She staged Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' starring [[Robert Flemyng]], together with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She played the lead in [[Kushlick-Gluckman]]’s revival of Clare Boothe’s ''[[The Women]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1961. [[Anthony Farmer]] designed and [[Jenny Gratus]], [[Valerie Miller]] and [[Diane Wilson]] also played leads. She starred in [[Brian Brooke]]’s ''[[Pyjama Tops]]'', which was staged at the [[Playhouse]] in 1963. It also starred [[John Hayter]]. She was kept in steady employment by [[PACT]] in 1966 (See PACT). She joined forces with actor-director [[Angus Neill]] and ventured into management. They called themselves The [[Stage Company]], and took a two year lease at the [[Intimate Theatre]] where their first production was a revival of André Roussin’s comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' circa 1966. Together with [[Angus McNeill]] they staged a second production, ''[[The Creeper]]'', with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[John Hayter]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Together with [[Angus Neill]]  she staged ''[[Caste]]'', starring Neill, [[Adrian Egan]], [[Elaine Lee]] and [[Arthur Hall]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Neill renamed the show ''[[True Hearts Are More Than Coronets]]''. Together with [[Pieter Toerien|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin|Rubin]] she stepped forward as new management of the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1969. Their first co-production was ''[[The Secretary Bird]]'' which was directed by [[Kerry Jordan]] and starred [[Jeremy Hawk]], [[Shelagh Holliday]], [[Ivan Berold]] and Firth herself.
+=== Youth ===
-Together with [[Pieter Toerien|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].
+=== Training ===
-Return to [[ESAT Personalities F]]
+=== Career ===
 Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
 Return to [[Main Page]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:53, 4 July 2017
Line 7:		Line 7:
	Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].		Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].

−	They took a lease on the [[Little Theatre]] and renamed it the [[Barnato Theatre]], after mining magnate [[Barney Barnato]]. Their opening production ''[[Caught in the Act]]'', devised and directed by England’s [[Charles Ross]] with [[Anna Quayle]] and [[Graham Armitage]] was staged in 1976. [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[The Other Side of the Swamp]]'' starring Ryton himself, together with [[Eckard Rabe]] under direction by [[Graham Armitage]] was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1976. It ran for a year. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged William Douglas Home’s ''[[The Kingfisher]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1977 and ''[[The Monkey Walk]]'' starring [[Barbara Kinghorn]] and British actor [[Richard Warwick]], later replaced by [[Paul Jericco]] at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1977. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented [[Anthony Marriott]] and John Chapmans’s ''[[Shut Your Eyes and Think of England]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Peter Blythe]] (later replaced by [[Simon Merrick]]). It ran at the [[Intimate Theatre]] from 1978 to January 1979. Together with [[Pieter Toerien]] she presented Terence Rattigan’s [[Cause Célèbre]], directed by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] and starring [[Mary Millar]] and [[William Lucas]] in 1978. It ran at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] for nine months. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[The Unvarnished Truth]]'' with [[Michael Richard]], [[Anthony ~~Fridjohn~~]], [[Nicholas Ellenbogen]] and [[Lynne White]] and directed by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1979. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Sextet]]'' by Michael Pertwee at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] in 1979. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] produced ''[[Mothers and Fathers]]'' with [[Clive Parnell]], [[Lesley Nott]], [[Elizabeth Rae]] and [[Ian Winter]] which was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1980. Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] she staged Hugh Leonard’s ''[[A Life]]'' directed by [[Godfrey Quigley]] and starring Quigley and [[Margaret Inglis]] at the [[Brooke Theatre]] , Mark Camelotti’s ''[[Happy Birthday]]'' starring [[Clive Scott]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]], and Simon Gray’s ''[[Stage Struck]]'' directed by [[Stephen Hollis]] and starring [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Kenneth Baker]] in 1980. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged Andrew Davies’s ''[[Rose]]'' starring [[Sandra Duncan]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1980/1981. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged their last joint production at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1982 namely the [[Baxter Theatre]] production of [[Robert Kirby]]’s [[It's a Boy!]] starring [[Dale Cutts]], [[Bo Petersen]] and [[James Irwin]] and directed by [[Keith Grenville]]. She produced Neil Simon’s ''[[Brighton Beach Memoirs]]'' directed by [[Louis Burke]] at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s ''[[Double Act]]'' at the [[Windybrow Theatre]] in 1988. (Tucker, 1997)	+	They took a lease on the [[Little Theatre]] and renamed it the [[Barnato Theatre]], after mining magnate [[Barney Barnato]]. Their opening production ''[[Caught in the Act]]'', devised and directed by England’s [[Charles Ross]] with [[Anna Quayle]] and [[Graham Armitage]] was staged in 1976. [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[The Other Side of the Swamp]]'' starring Ryton himself, together with [[Eckard Rabe]] under direction by [[Graham Armitage]] was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1976. It ran for a year. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged William Douglas Home’s ''[[The Kingfisher]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1977 and ''[[The Monkey Walk]]'' starring [[Barbara Kinghorn]] and British actor [[Richard Warwick]], later replaced by [[Paul Jericco]] at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1977. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented [[Anthony Marriott]] and John Chapmans’s ''[[Shut Your Eyes and Think of England]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Peter Blythe]] (later replaced by [[Simon Merrick]]). It ran at the [[Intimate Theatre]] from 1978 to January 1979. Together with [[Pieter Toerien]] she presented Terence Rattigan’s [[Cause Célèbre]], directed by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] and starring [[Mary Millar]] and [[William Lucas]] in 1978. It ran at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] for nine months. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[The Unvarnished Truth]]'' with [[Michael Richard]], [[Anthony Fridjhon]], [[Nicholas Ellenbogen]] and [[Lynne White]] and directed by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1979. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Sextet]]'' by Michael Pertwee at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] in 1979. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] produced ''[[Mothers and Fathers]]'' with [[Clive Parnell]], [[Lesley Nott]], [[Elizabeth Rae]] and [[Ian Winter]] which was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1980. Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] she staged Hugh Leonard’s ''[[A Life]]'' directed by [[Godfrey Quigley]] and starring Quigley and [[Margaret Inglis]] at the [[Brooke Theatre]] , Mark Camelotti’s ''[[Happy Birthday]]'' starring [[Clive Scott]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]], and Simon Gray’s ''[[Stage Struck]]'' directed by [[Stephen Hollis]] and starring [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Kenneth Baker]] in 1980. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged Andrew Davies’s ''[[Rose]]'' starring [[Sandra Duncan]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1980/1981. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged their last joint production at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1982 namely the [[Baxter Theatre]] production of [[Robert Kirby]]’s [[It's a Boy!]] starring [[Dale Cutts]], [[Bo Petersen]] and [[James Irwin]] and directed by [[Keith Grenville]]. She produced Neil Simon’s ''[[Brighton Beach Memoirs]]'' directed by [[Louis Burke]] at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s ''[[Double Act]]'' at the [[Windybrow Theatre]] in 1988. (Tucker, 1997)

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:59, 2 November 2012
Line 7:		Line 7:
	Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].		Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].

−	They took a lease on the [[Little Theatre]] and renamed it the [[Barnato Theatre]], after mining magnate [[Barney Barnato]]. Their opening production ''[[Caught in the Act]]'', devised and directed by England’s [[Charles Ross]] with [[Anna Quayle]] and [[Graham Armitage]] was staged in 1976. [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[The Other Side of the Swamp]]'' starring Ryton himself, together with [[Eckard Rabe]] under direction by [[Graham Armitage]] was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1976. It ran for a year. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged William Douglas Home’s ''[[The Kingfisher]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1977 and ''[[The Monkey Walk]]'' starring [[Barbara Kinghorn]] and British actor [[Richard Warwick]], later replaced by [[Paul Jericco]] at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1977. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented [[Anthony Marriott]] and John Chapmans’s ''[[Shut Your Eyes and Think of England]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Peter Blythe]] (later replaced by [[Simon Merrick]]). It ran at the [[Intimate Theatre]] from 1978 to January 1979. Together with [[Pieter Toerien]] she presented Terence Rattigan’s [[Cause Célèbre]], directed by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] and starring [[Mary Millar]] and [[William Lucas]] in 1978. It ran at the ~~Andre~~ Huguenet for nine months. Toerien-Firth staged Royce ~~Ryton’s~~ The Unvarnished Truth with Michael Richard, Anthony Fridjohn, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Lynne White and directed by Joan Kemp-Welch at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1979. Toerien-Firth presented Sextet by Michael Pertwee at the ~~Andre~~ Huguenet in 1979. Toerien-Firth produced Mothers and Fathers with Clive Parnell, Lesley Nott, Elizabeth Rae and Ian Winter which was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1980. Together with Toerien she staged Hugh Leonard’s A Life directed by Godfrey Quigley and starring Quigley and Margaret Inglis at the ]]Brooke Theatre]] , Mark Camelotti’s Happy Birthday starring Clive Scott at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]], and Simon Gray’s Stage Struck directed by Stephen Hollis and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew ~~Davies’~~ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1980/1981. Toerien-Firth staged their last joint production at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1982 namely the Baxter Theatre production of Robert ~~Kirby’s~~ [[It's a Boy!]] starring Dale Cutts, Bo Petersen and James Irwin and directed by Keith Grenville. She produced Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs directed by Louis Burke at the ~~Andre~~ Huguenet in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s Double Act at the [[Windybrow Theatre]] in 1988. (Tucker, 1997)	+	They took a lease on the [[Little Theatre]] and renamed it the [[Barnato Theatre]], after mining magnate [[Barney Barnato]]. Their opening production ''[[Caught in the Act]]'', devised and directed by England’s [[Charles Ross]] with [[Anna Quayle]] and [[Graham Armitage]] was staged in 1976. [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[The Other Side of the Swamp]]'' starring Ryton himself, together with [[Eckard Rabe]] under direction by [[Graham Armitage]] was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1976. It ran for a year. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged William Douglas Home’s ''[[The Kingfisher]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1977 and ''[[The Monkey Walk]]'' starring [[Barbara Kinghorn]] and British actor [[Richard Warwick]], later replaced by [[Paul Jericco]] at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1977. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented [[Anthony Marriott]] and John Chapmans’s ''[[Shut Your Eyes and Think of England]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Peter Blythe]] (later replaced by [[Simon Merrick]]). It ran at the [[Intimate Theatre]] from 1978 to January 1979. Together with [[Pieter Toerien]] she presented Terence Rattigan’s [[Cause Célèbre]], directed by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] and starring [[Mary Millar]] and [[William Lucas]] in 1978. It ran at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] for nine months. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[The Unvarnished Truth]]'' with [[Michael Richard]], [[Anthony Fridjohn]], [[Nicholas Ellenbogen]] and [[Lynne White]] and directed by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1979. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Sextet]]'' by Michael Pertwee at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] in 1979. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] produced ''[[Mothers and Fathers]]'' with [[Clive Parnell]], [[Lesley Nott]], [[Elizabeth Rae]] and [[Ian Winter]] which was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1980. Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] she staged Hugh Leonard’s ''[[A Life]]'' directed by [[Godfrey Quigley]] and starring Quigley and [[Margaret Inglis]] at the [[Brooke Theatre]] , Mark Camelotti’s ''[[Happy Birthday]]'' starring [[Clive Scott]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]], and Simon Gray’s ''[[Stage Struck]]'' directed by [[Stephen Hollis]] and starring [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Kenneth Baker]] in 1980. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged Andrew Davies’s ''[[Rose]]'' starring [[Sandra Duncan]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1980/1981. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged their last joint production at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1982 namely the [[Baxter Theatre]] production of [[Robert Kirby]]’s [[It's a Boy!]] starring [[Dale Cutts]], [[Bo Petersen]] and [[James Irwin]] and directed by [[Keith Grenville]]. She produced Neil Simon’s ''[[Brighton Beach Memoirs]]'' directed by [[Louis Burke]] at the [[André Huguenet Theatre]] in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s ''[[Double Act]]'' at the [[Windybrow Theatre]] in 1988. (Tucker, 1997)

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:52, 2 November 2012
Line 7:		Line 7:
	Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].		Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].

−	They took a lease on the Little Theatre and renamed it the Barnato Theatre, after mining magnate Barney Barnato. Their opening production Caught in the Act, devised and directed by England’s Charles Ross with Anna Quayle and Graham Armitage was staged in 1976. Royce ~~Ryton’s~~ The Other Side of the Swamp starring Ryton himself, together with Eckard Rabe under direction by Graham Armitage was staged at the Barnato in 1976. It ran for a year. Toerien-Firth staged William Douglas Home’s The Kingfisher at the Intimate in 1977 and The Monkey Walk starring Barbara Kinghorn and British actor Richard Warwick, later replaced by Paul Jericco at the Barnato in 1977. Toerien-Firth presented Anthony Marriott and John Chapmans’s Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, directed by Roger Redfarn and starring Peter Blythe (later replaced by Simon Merrick). It ran at the Intimate from 1978 to January 1979. Together with Pieter Toerien she presented Terence Rattigan’s Cause Célèbre, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch and starring Mary Millar and William Lucas in 1978. It ran at the Andre Huguenet for nine months. Toerien-Firth staged Royce Ryton’s The Unvarnished Truth with Michael Richard, Anthony Fridjohn, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Lynne White and directed by Joan Kemp-Welch at the Intimate in 1979. Toerien-Firth presented Sextet by Michael Pertwee at the Andre Huguenet in 1979. Toerien-Firth produced Mothers and Fathers with Clive Parnell, Lesley Nott, Elizabeth Rae and Ian Winter which was staged at the Barnato Theatre in 1980. Together with Toerien she staged Hugh Leonard’s A Life directed by Godfrey Quigley and starring Quigley and Margaret Inglis at the Brooke , Mark Camelotti’s Happy Birthday starring Clive Scott at the Intimate, and Simon Gray’s Stage Struck directed by Stephen Hollis and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew Davies’ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the Intimate in 1980/1981. Toerien-Firth staged their last joint production at the Intimate in 1982 namely the Baxter Theatre production of Robert Kirby’s ~~It’s~~ a Boy starring Dale Cutts, Bo Petersen and James Irwin and directed by Keith Grenville. She produced Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs directed by Louis Burke at the Andre Huguenet in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s Double Act at the Windybrow in 1988. (Tucker, 1997)	+	They took a lease on the [[Little Theatre]] and renamed it the [[Barnato Theatre]], after mining magnate [[Barney Barnato]]. Their opening production ''[[Caught in the Act]]'', devised and directed by England’s [[Charles Ross]] with [[Anna Quayle]] and [[Graham Armitage]] was staged in 1976. [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[The Other Side of the Swamp]]'' starring Ryton himself, together with [[Eckard Rabe]] under direction by [[Graham Armitage]] was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1976. It ran for a year. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] staged William Douglas Home’s ''[[The Kingfisher]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1977 and ''[[The Monkey Walk]]'' starring [[Barbara Kinghorn]] and British actor [[Richard Warwick]], later replaced by [[Paul Jericco]] at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1977. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented [[Anthony Marriott]] and John Chapmans’s ''[[Shut Your Eyes and Think of England]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Peter Blythe]] (later replaced by [[Simon Merrick]]). It ran at the [[Intimate Theatre]] from 1978 to January 1979. Together with [[Pieter Toerien]] she presented Terence Rattigan’s [[Cause Célèbre]], directed by [[Joan Kemp-Welch]] and starring [[Mary Millar]] and [[William Lucas]] in 1978. It ran at the Andre Huguenet for nine months. Toerien-Firth staged Royce Ryton’s The Unvarnished Truth with Michael Richard, Anthony Fridjohn, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Lynne White and directed by Joan Kemp-Welch at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1979. Toerien-Firth presented Sextet by Michael Pertwee at the Andre Huguenet in 1979. Toerien-Firth produced Mothers and Fathers with Clive Parnell, Lesley Nott, Elizabeth Rae and Ian Winter which was staged at the [[Barnato Theatre\|Barnato]] in 1980. Together with Toerien she staged Hugh Leonard’s A Life directed by Godfrey Quigley and starring Quigley and Margaret Inglis at the ]]Brooke Theatre]] , Mark Camelotti’s Happy Birthday starring Clive Scott at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]], and Simon Gray’s Stage Struck directed by Stephen Hollis and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew Davies’ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1980/1981. Toerien-Firth staged their last joint production at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1982 namely the Baxter Theatre production of Robert Kirby’s [[It's a Boy!]] starring Dale Cutts, Bo Petersen and James Irwin and directed by Keith Grenville. She produced Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs directed by Louis Burke at the Andre Huguenet in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s Double Act at the [[Windybrow Theatre]] in 1988. (Tucker, 1997)

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 FIRTH, Shirley. Actor and producer. She starred in Dodie Smith’s romantic comedy ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' at the [[YMCA]] in 1955. [[Jimmy Mentis]] produced and [[Anthony Farmer]] did sets. She was involved with this theatre as her own management and in partnership with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She staged the comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]]. She staged Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' starring [[Robert Flemyng]], together with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She played the lead in [[Kushlick-Gluckman]]’s revival of Clare Boothe’s ''[[The Women]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1961. [[Anthony Farmer]] designed and [[Jenny Gratus]], [[Valerie Miller]] and [[Diane Wilson]] also played leads. She starred in [[Brian Brooke]]’s ''[[Pyjama Tops]]'', which was staged at the [[Playhouse]] in 1963. It also starred [[John Hayter]]. She was kept in steady employment by [[PACT]] in 1966 (See PACT). She joined forces with actor-director [[Angus Neill]] and ventured into management. They called themselves The [[Stage Company]], and took a two year lease at the [[Intimate Theatre]] where their first production was a revival of André Roussin’s comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' circa 1966. Together with [[Angus McNeill]] they staged a second production, ''[[The Creeper]]'', with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[John Hayter]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Together with [[Angus Neill]]  she staged ''[[Caste]]'', starring Neill, [[Adrian Egan]], [[Elaine Lee]] and [[Arthur Hall]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Neill renamed the show ''[[True Hearts Are More Than Coronets]]''. Together with [[Pieter Toerien|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin|Rubin]] she stepped forward as new management of the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1969. Their first co-production was ''[[The Secretary Bird]]'' which was directed by [[Kerry Jordan]] and starred [[Jeremy Hawk]], [[Shelagh Holliday]], [[Ivan Berold]] and Firth herself.
-Together with [[Pieter Toerien|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in Royce Ryton’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].
+Together with [[Pieter Toerien|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in [[Royce Ryton]]’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].
 They took a lease on the Little Theatre and renamed it the Barnato Theatre, after mining magnate Barney Barnato. Their opening production Caught in the Act, devised and directed by England’s Charles Ross with Anna Quayle and Graham Armitage was staged in 1976. Royce Ryton’s The Other Side of the Swamp starring Ryton himself, together with Eckard Rabe under direction by Graham Armitage was staged at the Barnato in 1976. It ran for a year.  Toerien-Firth staged William Douglas Home’s The Kingfisher at the Intimate in 1977 and The Monkey Walk starring Barbara Kinghorn and British actor Richard Warwick, later replaced by Paul Jericco at the Barnato in 1977. Toerien-Firth presented Anthony Marriott and John Chapmans’s Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, directed by Roger Redfarn and starring Peter Blythe (later replaced by Simon Merrick). It ran at the Intimate from 1978 to January 1979. Together with Pieter Toerien she presented Terence Rattigan’s Cause Célèbre, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch and starring Mary Millar and William Lucas in 1978. It ran at the Andre Huguenet for nine months. Toerien-Firth staged Royce Ryton’s The Unvarnished Truth with Michael Richard, Anthony Fridjohn, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Lynne White and directed by Joan Kemp-Welch at the Intimate in 1979. Toerien-Firth presented Sextet by Michael Pertwee at the Andre Huguenet in 1979. Toerien-Firth produced Mothers and Fathers with Clive Parnell, Lesley Nott, Elizabeth Rae and Ian Winter which was staged at the Barnato Theatre in 1980. Together with Toerien she staged Hugh Leonard’s A Life directed by Godfrey Quigley and starring Quigley and Margaret Inglis at the Brooke , Mark Camelotti’s Happy Birthday starring Clive Scott at the Intimate, and Simon Gray’s Stage Struck directed by Stephen Hollis and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew Davies’ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the Intimate in 1980/1981. Toerien-Firth staged their last joint production at the Intimate in 1982 namely the Baxter Theatre production of Robert Kirby’s It’s a Boy starring Dale Cutts, Bo Petersen and James Irwin and directed by Keith Grenville.  She produced Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs directed by Louis Burke at the Andre Huguenet in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s Double Act at the Windybrow in 1988.   (Tucker, 1997)

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:31, 1 November 2012
Line 5:		Line 5:
	FIRTH, Shirley. Actor and producer. She starred in Dodie Smith’s romantic comedy ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' at the [[YMCA]] in 1955. [[Jimmy Mentis]] produced and [[Anthony Farmer]] did sets. She was involved with this theatre as her own management and in partnership with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She staged the comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]]. She staged Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' starring [[Robert Flemyng]], together with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She played the lead in [[Kushlick-Gluckman]]’s revival of Clare Boothe’s ''[[The Women]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1961. [[Anthony Farmer]] designed and [[Jenny Gratus]], [[Valerie Miller]] and [[Diane Wilson]] also played leads. She starred in [[Brian Brooke]]’s ''[[Pyjama Tops]]'', which was staged at the [[Playhouse]] in 1963. It also starred [[John Hayter]]. She was kept in steady employment by [[PACT]] in 1966 (See PACT). She joined forces with actor-director [[Angus Neill]] and ventured into management. They called themselves The [[Stage Company]], and took a two year lease at the [[Intimate Theatre]] where their first production was a revival of André Roussin’s comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' circa 1966. Together with [[Angus McNeill]] they staged a second production, ''[[The Creeper]]'', with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[John Hayter]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Together with [[Angus Neill]] she staged ''[[Caste]]'', starring Neill, [[Adrian Egan]], [[Elaine Lee]] and [[Arthur Hall]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Neill renamed the show ''[[True Hearts Are More Than Coronets]]''. Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she stepped forward as new management of the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1969. Their first co-production was ''[[The Secretary Bird]]'' which was directed by [[Kerry Jordan]] and starred [[Jeremy Hawk]], [[Shelagh Holliday]], [[Ivan Berold]] and Firth herself.		FIRTH, Shirley. Actor and producer. She starred in Dodie Smith’s romantic comedy ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' at the [[YMCA]] in 1955. [[Jimmy Mentis]] produced and [[Anthony Farmer]] did sets. She was involved with this theatre as her own management and in partnership with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She staged the comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]]. She staged Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' starring [[Robert Flemyng]], together with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She played the lead in [[Kushlick-Gluckman]]’s revival of Clare Boothe’s ''[[The Women]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1961. [[Anthony Farmer]] designed and [[Jenny Gratus]], [[Valerie Miller]] and [[Diane Wilson]] also played leads. She starred in [[Brian Brooke]]’s ''[[Pyjama Tops]]'', which was staged at the [[Playhouse]] in 1963. It also starred [[John Hayter]]. She was kept in steady employment by [[PACT]] in 1966 (See PACT). She joined forces with actor-director [[Angus Neill]] and ventured into management. They called themselves The [[Stage Company]], and took a two year lease at the [[Intimate Theatre]] where their first production was a revival of André Roussin’s comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' circa 1966. Together with [[Angus McNeill]] they staged a second production, ''[[The Creeper]]'', with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[John Hayter]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Together with [[Angus Neill]] she staged ''[[Caste]]'', starring Neill, [[Adrian Egan]], [[Elaine Lee]] and [[Arthur Hall]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Neill renamed the show ''[[True Hearts Are More Than Coronets]]''. Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she stepped forward as new management of the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1969. Their first co-production was ''[[The Secretary Bird]]'' which was directed by [[Kerry Jordan]] and starred [[Jeremy Hawk]], [[Shelagh Holliday]], [[Ivan Berold]] and Firth herself.

−	Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. Toerien-Firth presented Wait Until Dark starring Shirley Anne Field at the Intimate in 1972. Toerien-Firth presented the Francis Durbridge thriller Suddenly at Home and Royce Ryton’s Crown Matrimonial at the Intimate in 1973. The latter starred Owen Holder and Peggy Thorpe-Bates. They also brought Libby Morris to star in Just Libby in December 1973. Toerien-Firth brought Muriel Pavlow, Robert Flemyng, Robert Beatty and Ron Smerczak to star at the Intimate in Terence Rattigan’s In Praise of Love in 1974. They also got John Fernald to direct Hildegard Neil in a revival of Private Lives, and Heather Lloyd-Jones to star in Jerome ~~Chodorov’s~~ A Community of Two, directed by Chodorov at the Intimate in 1974. Toerien-Firth brought Maxine Audley and Richard Huggett with director Laurier Lister from England for Not Bloody Likely at the Intimate and Jeremy Hawk and Elspeth March from England for The Payoff at the Intimate in 1975. Toerien-Firth revived Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire with Michael McGovern and Anne Rogers in 1975. In 1976 Toerien-Firth brought back Owen Holder to star in Royce Ryton’s For the Woman I love; Hywel Bennett starred in Simon Gray’s Otherwise Engaged together with Sandra Duncan; West End director Frith Banbury staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy On Approval, starring Richard Todd and Moyra Fraser. They took a lease on the Little Theatre and renamed it the Barnato Theatre, after mining magnate Barney Barnato. Their opening production Caught in the Act, devised and directed by England’s Charles Ross with Anna Quayle and Graham Armitage was staged in 1976. Royce Ryton’s The Other Side of the Swamp starring Ryton himself, together with Eckard Rabe under direction by Graham Armitage was staged at the Barnato in 1976. It ran for a year. Toerien-Firth staged William Douglas Home’s The Kingfisher at the Intimate in 1977 and The Monkey Walk starring Barbara Kinghorn and British actor Richard Warwick, later replaced by Paul Jericco at the Barnato in 1977. Toerien-Firth presented Anthony Marriott and John Chapmans’s Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, directed by Roger Redfarn and starring Peter Blythe (later replaced by Simon Merrick). It ran at the Intimate from 1978 to January 1979. Together with Pieter Toerien she presented Terence Rattigan’s Cause Célèbre, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch and starring Mary Millar and William Lucas in 1978. It ran at the Andre Huguenet for nine months. Toerien-Firth staged Royce Ryton’s The Unvarnished Truth with Michael Richard, Anthony Fridjohn, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Lynne White and directed by Joan Kemp-Welch at the Intimate in 1979. Toerien-Firth presented Sextet by Michael Pertwee at the Andre Huguenet in 1979. Toerien-Firth produced Mothers and Fathers with Clive Parnell, Lesley Nott, Elizabeth Rae and Ian Winter which was staged at the Barnato Theatre in 1980. Together with Toerien she staged Hugh Leonard’s A Life directed by Godfrey Quigley and starring Quigley and Margaret Inglis at the Brooke , Mark Camelotti’s Happy Birthday starring Clive Scott at the Intimate, and Simon Gray’s Stage Struck directed by Stephen Hollis and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew Davies’ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the Intimate in 1980/1981. Toerien-Firth staged their last joint production at the Intimate in 1982 namely the Baxter Theatre production of Robert Kirby’s It’s a Boy starring Dale Cutts, Bo Petersen and James Irwin and directed by Keith Grenville. She produced Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs directed by Louis Burke at the Andre Huguenet in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s Double Act at the Windybrow in 1988. (Tucker, 1997)	+	Together with [[Pieter Toerien\|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin\|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Wait Until Dark]]'' starring [[Shirley Anne Field]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1972. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented the Francis Durbridge thriller ''[[Suddenly at Home]]'' and Royce Ryton’s ''[[Crown Matrimonial]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1973. The latter starred [[Owen Holder]] and [[Peggy Thorpe-Bates]]. They also brought [[Libby Morris]] to star in ''[[Just Libby]]'' in December 1973. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Muriel Pavlow]], [[Robert Flemyng]], [[Robert Beatty]] and [[Ron Smerczak]] to star at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in Terence Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' in 1974. They also got [[John Fernald]] to direct [[Hildegard Neil]] in a revival of ''[[Private Lives]]'', and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] to star in [[Jerome Chodorov]]’s ''[[A Community of Two]], directed by Chodorov at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1974. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought [[Maxine Audley]] and [[Richard Huggett]] with director [[Laurier Lister]] from England for ''[[Not Bloody Likely]] at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] and [[Jeremy Hawk]] and [[Elspeth March]] from England for ''[[The Payoff]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre\|Intimate]] in 1975. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] revived Tennessee Williams’ ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire]]'' with [[Michael McGovern]] and [[Anne Rogers]] in 1975. In 1976 [[Toerien-Firth Company]] brought back [[Owen Holder]] to star in Royce Ryton’s ''[[For the Woman I love]]''; [[Hywel Bennett]] starred in Simon Gray’s ''[[Otherwise Engaged]]'' together with [[Sandra Duncan]]; West End director [[Frith Banbury]] staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy ''[[On Approval]]'', starring [[Richard Todd]] and [[Moyra Fraser]].
		+
		+	They took a lease on the Little Theatre and renamed it the Barnato Theatre, after mining magnate Barney Barnato. Their opening production Caught in the Act, devised and directed by England’s Charles Ross with Anna Quayle and Graham Armitage was staged in 1976. Royce Ryton’s The Other Side of the Swamp starring Ryton himself, together with Eckard Rabe under direction by Graham Armitage was staged at the Barnato in 1976. It ran for a year. Toerien-Firth staged William Douglas Home’s The Kingfisher at the Intimate in 1977 and The Monkey Walk starring Barbara Kinghorn and British actor Richard Warwick, later replaced by Paul Jericco at the Barnato in 1977. Toerien-Firth presented Anthony Marriott and John Chapmans’s Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, directed by Roger Redfarn and starring Peter Blythe (later replaced by Simon Merrick). It ran at the Intimate from 1978 to January 1979. Together with Pieter Toerien she presented Terence Rattigan’s Cause Célèbre, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch and starring Mary Millar and William Lucas in 1978. It ran at the Andre Huguenet for nine months. Toerien-Firth staged Royce Ryton’s The Unvarnished Truth with Michael Richard, Anthony Fridjohn, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Lynne White and directed by Joan Kemp-Welch at the Intimate in 1979. Toerien-Firth presented Sextet by Michael Pertwee at the Andre Huguenet in 1979. Toerien-Firth produced Mothers and Fathers with Clive Parnell, Lesley Nott, Elizabeth Rae and Ian Winter which was staged at the Barnato Theatre in 1980. Together with Toerien she staged Hugh Leonard’s A Life directed by Godfrey Quigley and starring Quigley and Margaret Inglis at the Brooke , Mark Camelotti’s Happy Birthday starring Clive Scott at the Intimate, and Simon Gray’s Stage Struck directed by Stephen Hollis and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew Davies’ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the Intimate in 1980/1981. Toerien-Firth staged their last joint production at the Intimate in 1982 namely the Baxter Theatre production of Robert Kirby’s It’s a Boy starring Dale Cutts, Bo Petersen and James Irwin and directed by Keith Grenville. She produced Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs directed by Louis Burke at the Andre Huguenet in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s Double Act at the Windybrow in 1988. (Tucker, 1997)

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 As a producer she initially worked with [[Pieter Toerien]] (1955 onwards) staging ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' (1955),  André Roussin’s comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' (195?*), Terrence  Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]''. In 1966 she worked for [[PACT]], then joined forces with actor-director [[Angus Neill]] and ventured back into management. They called themselves The [[Stage Company]], and took a two year lease at the [[Intimate Theatre]] where their first production was a revival of ''[[The Little Hut ]]'' (circa 1966) and ''[[The Creeper]]'' with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[John Hayter]] (1967). *** Later owned The [[Intimate Theatre]], a 235 seater, in partnership with [[Pieter Toerien]].
-FIRTH, Shirley. Actor and producer. She starred in Dodie Smith’s romantic comedy ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' at the [[YMCA]] in 1955. [[Jimmy Mentis]] produced and [[Anthony Farmer]] did sets. She was involved with this theatre as her own management and in partnership with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She staged the comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]]. She staged Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' starring [[Robert Flemyng]], together with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She played the lead in [[Kushlick-Gluckman]]’s revival of Clare Boothe’s ''[[The Women]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1961. [[Anthony Farmer]] designed and [[Jenny Gratus]], [[Valerie Miller]] and [[Diane Wilson]] also played leads. She starred in [[Brian Brooke]]’s ''[[Pyjama Tops]]'', which was staged at the [[Playhouse]] in 1963. It also starred [[John Hayter]]. She was kept in steady employment by [[PACT]] in 1966 (See PACT). She joined forces with actor-director [[Angus Neill]] and ventured into management. They called themselves The [[Stage Company]], and took a two year lease at the [[Intimate Theatre]] where their first production was a revival of André Roussin’s comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' circa 1966. Together with [[Angus McNeill]] they staged a second production, ''[[The Creeper]]'', with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[John Hayter] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Together with [[Angus Neill]]  she staged ''[[Caste]], starring Neill, [[Adrian Egan]], [[Elaine Lee]] and [[Arthur Hall]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Neill renamed the show ''[[True Hearts Are More Than Coronets]]''. Together with [[Pieter Toerien|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin|Rubin]] she stepped forward as new management of the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1969. Their first co-production was ''[[The Secretary Bird]]'' which was directed by [[Kerry Jordan]] and starred [[Jeremy Hawk]], [[Shelagh Holliday]], [[Ivan Berold]] and Firth herself.
+FIRTH, Shirley. Actor and producer. She starred in Dodie Smith’s romantic comedy ''[[I Capture the Castle]]'' at the [[YMCA]] in 1955. [[Jimmy Mentis]] produced and [[Anthony Farmer]] did sets. She was involved with this theatre as her own management and in partnership with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She staged the comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]]. She staged Rattigan’s ''[[In Praise of Love]]'' starring [[Robert Flemyng]], together with [[Pieter Toerien]]. She played the lead in [[Kushlick-Gluckman]]’s revival of Clare Boothe’s ''[[The Women]]'' at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1961. [[Anthony Farmer]] designed and [[Jenny Gratus]], [[Valerie Miller]] and [[Diane Wilson]] also played leads. She starred in [[Brian Brooke]]’s ''[[Pyjama Tops]]'', which was staged at the [[Playhouse]] in 1963. It also starred [[John Hayter]]. She was kept in steady employment by [[PACT]] in 1966 (See PACT). She joined forces with actor-director [[Angus Neill]] and ventured into management. They called themselves The [[Stage Company]], and took a two year lease at the [[Intimate Theatre]] where their first production was a revival of André Roussin’s comedy ''[[The Little Hut]]'' circa 1966. Together with [[Angus McNeill]] they staged a second production, ''[[The Creeper]]'', with [[Michael McCabe]] and [[John Hayter]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Together with [[Angus Neill]]  she staged ''[[Caste]]'', starring Neill, [[Adrian Egan]], [[Elaine Lee]] and [[Arthur Hall]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] in 1967. Neill renamed the show ''[[True Hearts Are More Than Coronets]]''. Together with [[Pieter Toerien|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin|Rubin]] she stepped forward as new management of the [[Intimate Theatre|Intimate]] in 1969. Their first co-production was ''[[The Secretary Bird]]'' which was directed by [[Kerry Jordan]] and starred [[Jeremy Hawk]], [[Shelagh Holliday]], [[Ivan Berold]] and Firth herself.
-Together with Toerien and Rubin she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller Sleuth, starring Ralph Michael and Nicholas Amer, and directed by Warren Jenkins at the Intimate circa 1970. Toerien-Firth presented Who Killed Santa Claus? starring John Justin and Naomi Chance, with direction by Anthony Sharp in 1971. They also staged Don’t Start Without Me, directed by Roger Redfarn and starring Jeremy Hawk; and No sex Please, We’re British, directed by Allen Davis and starring Billy Boyle in 1971. Toerien-Firth presented Wait Until Dark starring Shirley Anne Field at the Intimate in 1972.  Toerien-Firth presented the Francis Durbridge thriller Suddenly at Home and Royce Ryton’s Crown Matrimonial at the Intimate in 1973. The latter starred Owen Holder and Peggy Thorpe-Bates. They also brought Libby Morris to star in Just Libby in December 1973. Toerien-Firth brought Muriel Pavlow, Robert Flemyng, Robert Beatty and Ron Smerczak to star at the Intimate in Terence Rattigan’s In Praise of Love in 1974. They also got John Fernald to direct Hildegard Neil in a revival of Private Lives, and Heather Lloyd-Jones to star in Jerome Chodorov’s A Community of Two, directed by Chodorov at the Intimate in 1974. Toerien-Firth brought Maxine Audley and Richard Huggett with director Laurier Lister from England for Not Bloody Likely at the Intimate and Jeremy Hawk and Elspeth March from England for The Payoff  at the Intimate in 1975. Toerien-Firth revived Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire with Michael McGovern and Anne Rogers in 1975. In 1976 Toerien-Firth brought back Owen Holder to star in Royce Ryton’s For the Woman I love; Hywel Bennett starred in Simon Gray’s Otherwise Engaged together with Sandra Duncan; West End director Frith Banbury staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy On Approval, starring Richard Todd and Moyra Fraser. They took a lease on the Little Theatre and renamed it the Barnato Theatre, after mining magnate Barney Barnato. Their opening production Caught in the Act, devised and directed by England’s Charles Ross with Anna Quayle and Graham Armitage was staged in 1976. Royce Ryton’s The Other Side of the Swamp starring Ryton himself, together with Eckard Rabe under direction by Graham Armitage was staged at the Barnato in 1976. It ran for a year.  Toerien-Firth staged William Douglas Home’s The Kingfisher at the Intimate in 1977 and The Monkey Walk starring Barbara Kinghorn and British actor Richard Warwick, later replaced by Paul Jericco at the Barnato in 1977. Toerien-Firth presented Anthony Marriott and John Chapmans’s Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, directed by Roger Redfarn and starring Peter Blythe (later replaced by Simon Merrick). It ran at the Intimate from 1978 to January 1979. Together with Pieter Toerien she presented Terence Rattigan’s Cause Célèbre, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch and starring Mary Millar and William Lucas in 1978. It ran at the Andre Huguenet for nine months. Toerien-Firth staged Royce Ryton’s The Unvarnished Truth with Michael Richard, Anthony Fridjohn, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Lynne White and directed by Joan Kemp-Welch at the Intimate in 1979. Toerien-Firth presented Sextet by Michael Pertwee at the Andre Huguenet in 1979. Toerien-Firth produced Mothers and Fathers with Clive Parnell, Lesley Nott, Elizabeth Rae and Ian Winter which was staged at the Barnato Theatre in 1980. Together with Toerien she staged Hugh Leonard’s A Life directed by Godfrey Quigley and starring Quigley and Margaret Inglis at the Brooke , Mark Camelotti’s Happy Birthday starring Clive Scott at the Intimate, and Simon Gray’s Stage Struck directed by Stephen Hollis and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew Davies’ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the Intimate in 1980/1981. Toerien-Firth staged their last joint production at the Intimate in 1982 namely the Baxter Theatre production of Robert Kirby’s It’s a Boy starring Dale Cutts, Bo Petersen and James Irwin and directed by Keith Grenville.  She produced Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs directed by Louis Burke at the Andre Huguenet in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s Double Act at the Windybrow in 1988.   (Tucker, 1997)
+Together with [[Pieter Toerien|Toerien]] and [[Basil Rubin|Rubin]] she staged Anthony Shaffer’s thriller ''[[Sleuth]]'', starring [[Ralph Michael]] and [[Nicholas Amer]], and directed by [[Warren Jenkins]] at the [[Intimate Theatre]] circa 1970. [[Toerien-Firth Company]] presented ''[[Who Killed Santa Claus?]]'' starring [[John Justin]] and [[Naomi Chance]], with direction by [[Anthony Sharp]] in 1971. They also staged ''[[Don't Start Without Me]]'', directed by [[Roger Redfarn]] and starring [[Jeremy Hawk]]; and ''[[No Sex Please, We're British]]'', directed by [[Allen Davis]] and starring [[Billy Boyle]] in 1971. Toerien-Firth presented Wait Until Dark starring Shirley Anne Field at the Intimate in 1972.  Toerien-Firth presented the Francis Durbridge thriller Suddenly at Home and Royce Ryton’s Crown Matrimonial at the Intimate in 1973. The latter starred Owen Holder and Peggy Thorpe-Bates. They also brought Libby Morris to star in Just Libby in December 1973. Toerien-Firth brought Muriel Pavlow, Robert Flemyng, Robert Beatty and Ron Smerczak to star at the Intimate in Terence Rattigan’s In Praise of Love in 1974. They also got John Fernald to direct Hildegard Neil in a revival of Private Lives, and Heather Lloyd-Jones to star in Jerome Chodorov’s A Community of Two, directed by Chodorov at the Intimate in 1974. Toerien-Firth brought Maxine Audley and Richard Huggett with director Laurier Lister from England for Not Bloody Likely at the Intimate and Jeremy Hawk and Elspeth March from England for The Payoff  at the Intimate in 1975. Toerien-Firth revived Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire with Michael McGovern and Anne Rogers in 1975. In 1976 Toerien-Firth brought back Owen Holder to star in Royce Ryton’s For the Woman I love; Hywel Bennett starred in Simon Gray’s Otherwise Engaged together with Sandra Duncan; West End director Frith Banbury staged a revival of Frederick Lonsdale’s 1920s comedy On Approval, starring Richard Todd and Moyra Fraser. They took a lease on the Little Theatre and renamed it the Barnato Theatre, after mining magnate Barney Barnato. Their opening production Caught in the Act, devised and directed by England’s Charles Ross with Anna Quayle and Graham Armitage was staged in 1976. Royce Ryton’s The Other Side of the Swamp starring Ryton himself, together with Eckard Rabe under direction by Graham Armitage was staged at the Barnato in 1976. It ran for a year.  Toerien-Firth staged William Douglas Home’s The Kingfisher at the Intimate in 1977 and The Monkey Walk starring Barbara Kinghorn and British actor Richard Warwick, later replaced by Paul Jericco at the Barnato in 1977. Toerien-Firth presented Anthony Marriott and John Chapmans’s Shut Your Eyes and Think of England, directed by Roger Redfarn and starring Peter Blythe (later replaced by Simon Merrick). It ran at the Intimate from 1978 to January 1979. Together with Pieter Toerien she presented Terence Rattigan’s Cause Célèbre, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch and starring Mary Millar and William Lucas in 1978. It ran at the Andre Huguenet for nine months. Toerien-Firth staged Royce Ryton’s The Unvarnished Truth with Michael Richard, Anthony Fridjohn, Nicholas Ellenbogen and Lynne White and directed by Joan Kemp-Welch at the Intimate in 1979. Toerien-Firth presented Sextet by Michael Pertwee at the Andre Huguenet in 1979. Toerien-Firth produced Mothers and Fathers with Clive Parnell, Lesley Nott, Elizabeth Rae and Ian Winter which was staged at the Barnato Theatre in 1980. Together with Toerien she staged Hugh Leonard’s A Life directed by Godfrey Quigley and starring Quigley and Margaret Inglis at the Brooke , Mark Camelotti’s Happy Birthday starring Clive Scott at the Intimate, and Simon Gray’s Stage Struck directed by Stephen Hollis and starring Michael McGovern and Kenneth Baker in 1980. Toerien-Firth staged Andrew Davies’ Rose starring Sandra Duncan at the Intimate in 1980/1981. Toerien-Firth staged their last joint production at the Intimate in 1982 namely the Baxter Theatre production of Robert Kirby’s It’s a Boy starring Dale Cutts, Bo Petersen and James Irwin and directed by Keith Grenville.  She produced Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs directed by Louis Burke at the Andre Huguenet in 1986. She presented Barry Creyton’s Double Act at the Windybrow in 1988.   (Tucker, 1997)