Satj: Created page with "William Russel (fl. early 20th century) was an occasional stage hand for the Leonard Rayne company. Also known as Bill Russell == Biography == Born William R..."

2020-06-29T11:57:19Z

Created page with "William Russel (fl. early 20th century) was an occasional stage hand for the Leonard Rayne company. Also known as Bill Russell == Biography == Born William R..."

New page

[[William Russel]] (fl. early 20th century) was an occasional stage hand for the [[Leonard Rayne]] company.

Also known as [[Bill Russell]]

== Biography ==

Born [[William Russel]], he had served in South Africa during the Anglo Boer War, and in 1902 came back to South Africa with his colleague and friend [[William Thomas Powell]] . They arrived in Cape Town on September and then reached Johannesburg by train on 15 October.

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

While in Johannesburg he and [[Bill Powell]] would work as flymen for the [[Leonard Rayne Company]] in the [[Gaiety Theatre]].

Powell's reminiscences of their period there (published as "Excerpts from the Memoirs of William T. Powell"[]) contain interesting information on Johannesburg at the time and of the work of the [[Leonard Rayne Company]], its manager and its performers in 1902-3.

== 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 1932. (Reprinted in [[F.C.L. Bosman|Bosman]] 1980: pp. 374-439.)

[[F.C.L. Bosman]], 1928. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855''. Pretoria: [[J.H. de Bussy]]. [http://www.dbnl.org/tekst/bosm012dram01_01/]: pp.

[[F.C.L. Bosman]]. 1980. ''Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916''. Pretoria: [[J.L. van Schaik]]: pp.

Go to the [[ESAT Bibliography]]

== Return to ==

Return to [[ESAT Personalities R]]

Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]

Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]

Return to [[Main Page]]

William Russell - Revision history

Satj: Created page with "William Russel (fl. early 20th century) was an occasional stage hand for the Leonard Rayne company. Also known as Bill Russell == Biography == Born William R..."