Ralph Lawson

Ralph Lawson (194*-) is an actor and director.

TO BE EDITED

He was born and grew up in Cape Town, studied at the University of Cape Town Drama Department and the Central School for Speech and Drama, London.

As an actor

He made his professional debut as "Ariel" in the PACOFS production of The Tempest under the direction of Leslie French in 1968.

After 11 years of working in theatre and television in England, Ralph returned to South Africa in 1981 to play the role of "Mozart" in Pieter Toerien's production of Amadeus, thereafter becoming a freelance actor/director, working for most theatre managements, including the various arts councils - CAPAB (Artscape), NAPAC PACOFS and PACT, as well as the Market Theatre, Pieter Toerien Productions, the Baxter Theatre and others.

Roles in i.a. *** Amadeus (1981- Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor), Measure for Measure, Maynardville (1987), Richard II (1990 - Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actor), played Halder in Good (1990), *. * As director won the Rosalie van der Gucht Prize for New Directors in 1988, Panorama (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1988), Rearranging the Deckchairs on the SA Bothatanic (Pieter-Dirk Uys, 1987), did O'Neill's A Long Day's Journey into Night for CAPAB in 1989 (Fleur du Cap Best Director Award), * Two Gentlemen of Verona (Maynardville, 1993).

LAWSON, Ralph. He starred in Pieter Toerien’s production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus together with Richard Haines and directed by Nikolas Simmonds at the Alhambra Theatre in 1981. He starred in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by John Hussey, together with Andrew Buckland, Dorothy-Ann Gould, Gabrielle Lomberg and Shelagh Holliday for PACT in 1982. He starred in A.R.Gurney Jr’s The Dining Room together with Amanda Strydom, Gordon Mulholland and Patricia Sanders with direction by Bobby Heaney at the Baxter Theatre circa 1983 and the Alhambra Theatre in 1983. He starred in Pieter Toerien’s production of Michael Frayn’s Noises Off together with Joy Stewart Spence, Eckard Rabe, Clare Marshall, Rex Garner and Kenneth Baker at the André Huguenet Theatre in 1983. It returned later that same year for another run. He starred in the Baxter’s production of Every Good Boy Deserves Favour in 1988.

As director

LAWSON, Ralph, Hello and Goodbye, Nazli George, Kunstekaap, 2001. Pedro Kruger & Ralph Lawson (Regiseurs).

South African director, Ralph Lawson, is well known to audiences for his award-winning work both as an actor and a director. His career spans four decades, with landmark roles ranging from Shakespeare's Hamlet to Mozart in Shaffer's Amadeus and the Narrator in Sondheim's Into The Woods. Over the years he has worked with most theatre managements, from the Market to Pieter Toerien Productions, the Baxter Theatre and Artscape, has taught widely and been active in drama development programmes in Cape Town and Durban. Lawson has enjoyed a long and illustrious association with The Playhouse having directed the musicals Annie and The Sound Of Music, My Fair Lady (Durban Theatre Award – Best Director), Masterclass (Durban Theatre Award - Best Director) and most recently Cinderella (Durban Theatre Award – Best Director), where he followed his acclaimed performance as Prof. Higgins in My Fair Lady (Durban Theatre Award – Best Actor in a Musical) with an appearance in David Mamet's Race.

He directed The Shakespeare Revue in 1997.

As playwright

Work in TV and film

He has appeared in the television series The Principal.

Awards

My Fair Lady (Durban Theatre Award – Best Director), Masterclass (Durban Theatre Award - Best Director) and most recently Cinderella (Durban Theatre Award – Best Director), where he followed his acclaimed performance as Prof. Higgins in My Fair Lady (Durban Theatre Award – Best Actor in a Musical)

He has won several acting and directing awards, e.g. the Vita Award for his performance as Sigmund freud in Hysteria.

Sources

Biography in Felicity Hand (Ed.). 2020. Durban Dialogues Dissected. An Analysis of Ashwin Singh's Plays. Stellenbosch: Sun Press.

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