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| − | [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies]] (1891-1992) was a distinguished actress, singer, and theatrical entrepreneur. (Her name also written [[Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies]])
| + | #REDIRECT [[Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies]] |
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| − | Born in London on 25 January 1891, the only daughter of David ffrangcon-Davies, a Welsh operatic baritone and .
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| − | She was trained by Mrs L.M. Hicks and Agnes Platt. Began as a operatic singer, then joined the Old Vic, for which her first stage appearance was in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. Went on to Birmingham Rep as a dramatic actress, also working in the West End and at the Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon. In 1924, she played Juliet in ''Romeo and Juliet'' and Queen Anne in ''Richard of Bordeaux'' in 1934, both with John Gielgud, ''[[Henry V]] '' (with Ivor Novello, 1934), ''Gas Light'' (1934) and ''Macbeth'' (1942). Came to South Africa in 1940 with [[Marda Vanne]] and became a director of the resuscitated [[Pretoria Repertory Theatre]]. * In 1942 they formed the [[Gwen ffrangçon-Davies / Marda Vanne Company]] and toured the country to present fine classical and modern productions. (See Gwen ffrangçon-Davies-Marda Vanne Company). She played leads in and/or directed works such as ''[[Watch on the Rhine]]'' (1943 at the [[Standard Theatre]]), ''[[Flare Path]]'' (194*), ''[[What Every Woman Knows]]'' (194*), ''[[Blithe Spirit]]'' (1944), ''[[Milestones]]'' (194*), ''[[Merry Wives of Windsor]]'' (1945), ''[[The Wind of Heaven]]'' (1946), ''[[A Month in the Country]]'' (1946), **. In 1943, she had pleaded unsuccessfully for the establishment of a national “Committee for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts”. She returned to Britain in 1946 to continue with a long and distinguished career on the British stage, though she occasionally returned to work in South Africa. For instance ''[[Macbeth]]'' (for [[NTO]], 1950), ''[[Much Ado about Nothing]]'' ([[Johannesburg Repertory Society|Johannesburg REPS]] , 1951, for the inauguration of the new [[Johannesburg Repertory Theatre|Reps Theatre]]), ''[[Waters of the Moon]]'' (for [[Brian Brooke Company]], 1953). She retired from the stage in 1970, but continued to appear on radio and television. She was created a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1991, aged 100, six months before her death at age 101, and made her final acting appearance in a teleplay of the Sherlock Holmes story ''The Master Blackmailer'' opposite Jeremy Brett that same year. Her other films included ''The Witches'' (1966) and ''The Devil Rides Out'' (1968).
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| − | FfRANGÇON-DAVIES, Gwen. Distinguished actress who had a long career on the British stage. Started in opera, before becoming known as a dramatic actress. Performed with all the great actors of her time including John Gielgud. Came to South Africa in 1941 and formed a company with [[Marda Vanne]] that presented plays until 1946. Left South Africa after the war. Died at the age of 101 in 1992. Produced and starred in ''[[Watch on the Rhine]]'' by Lilian Hellman in 1943 at the [[Standard Theatre|Standard]]. Starred in ''[[Blithe Spirit]]'' in 1944 with [[Marda Vanne]], [[Margaret Inglis]] and [[Siegfried Mynhardt]]. Staged ''[[Merry Wives of Windsor]]'' together with [[Marda Vanne]] in 1945, starring [[Wensley Pithey]] as Falstaff. Presented, and starred in Emlyn Williams's ''[[The Wind of Heaven]]'', together with [[Marda Vanne]] in 1946. [[Zoë Randall]], [[Wensley Pithey]] and [[Sidney James]] also starred in this performance. Starred in Turgenev's ''[[A Month in the Country]]'' in 1946 together with [[Marda Vanne]], which was their last production before they went back to England. ''[[Macbeth]]'' in Afrikaans, was directed by Gwen Ffrangçon-Davies in 1950 for the [[National Theatre]]. It was staged at [[His Majesty’s Theatre]] and starred [[André Huguenet]] and [[Anna Neethling-Pohl]]. Directed ''[[Much Ado about Nothing]]'' for the inauguration of the new [[Johannesburg Repertory Theatre|Reps Theatre]], designed by Manfred Hermer, in 1951. It starred [[Margaret Inglis]] and [[Jack Ralphs]]. Starred in ''[[Waters of the Moon]]'' by N.C. Hunter in 1953. She died in January 1992 in London at the age of 101. FFRANGCON-DAVIES, Gwen, ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' & Marda Vanne, 1940/41.
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| − | (See Hartnoll, 19**; Tucker, 1997; Du Toit, 1988, Wikipedia) [TH, JH, SH]
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| − | Return to [[ESAT Personalities F]]
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| − | Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
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| − | Return to [[Main Page]]
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