Difference between revisions of "Marjorie Gordon"

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(****-****). Actress.  Performed in ''[[People are Living There]]'', ''[[The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-moon Marigolds]]'' and as “the widow of Bath” in ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]''.  ([[SACD]] 1973)
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[[Marjorie Gordon]] (1921-1981). English born actress and comedian, director and producer.
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== Biography ==
  
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GORDON, Marjorie. (1921?-1981) Actress, director and producer. Born in England, where she was an actress and comedian who enjoyed a successful career in London, largely in musical comedy. Invited to Australia where she starred in several musicals and had two world tours including New York. Came to South Africa in circa 1947 with her company to present four plays at The [[Standard Theatre]] in association with [[ACT]] ( including Coward's [[Design for Living]]). She then settled in South Africa and, besides her stage career, became very involved in South African radio and radio drama. In 1955 she went into partnership with actors [[Stuart Brown]] and [[Bruce Anderson]] to form The [[Company of Three]]. Fondly known as Maggie, she was a favourite with critics, audiences and colleagues alike. Prominent performances include roles in [[Leon Gluckman]]’s revue ''[[Xmas Box]]'' (1949), ''[[Private Lives]]'' ([[Johannesburg Repertory Society|Johannesburg Reps]], 1953), ''[[Third Person]]''[?] ([[Company of Three]], 1955), ''[[A Hatful of Rain]]'' ([[Company of Three]], 1957), ''[[Summer of the Seventeenth Doll]]'' ([[NTO]], 1957), Basil Warner’s ''[[Try for White]]'' ([[Cockpit Players]], 1958?), Thornton Wilder’s ''[[The Matchmaker]]'' ([[Cockpit Players]], 1959), Clive Hirschhorn’s ''[[A State of Innocence]]'' ([[Library Theatre]], 1960), Harold Pinter’s ''[[The Birthday Party]]'' (1962?*), Tennessee Williams’s ''[[The Night of the Iguana]]'' ([[Cockpit Players]],  1962), [[Athol Fugard]]’s ''[[People are Living There]]'' ([[CAPAB]]? Touring company, 196*), *.  
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She was born in England and died in South Africa in 1981 at the age of sixty.
  
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GORDON, Marjorie. English born actress and comedian who enjoyed a successful career in London, largely in musical comedy; invited to Australia where she starred in several musicals; had two world tours including New York. She eventually made her home in South Africa. In association with [[ACT]], Marjorie and her company presented four plays at The [[Standard Theatre]] circa 1947 including Coward's ''[[Design for Living]]''. Starred in [[Leon Gluckman]]’s revue ''[[Xmas Box]]'' at the [[Library Theatre]] towards the end of 1949. [[Herbert Kretzmer]] composed five of the songs and cast included [[Johann Nell]]. She was very involved in South Africa’s radio drama scene. She starred in Noël Coward’s ''[[Private Lives]] which was directed by [[Minna Millsten]] for the [[Johannesburg Repertory Society|Reps]] in 1953. She was also fondly known as Maggie and was a favourite with critics, audiences and colleagues. She died in 1981 at the age of sixty. She went into partnership with actors [[Stuart Brown]] and [[Bruce Anderson]] to form The [[Company of  Three]] in 1955. Their first production was ''[[Third Person]]'' and was staged at the [[Reps Theatre]]. She starred in The [[Company of Three]]’s production of the hard-hitting American drama, ''[[A Hatful of Rain]]'', which was directed by [[Stuart Brown]]  and staged at the [[Library Theatre]] in 1957. Also starring [[Ivan Berold]] and [[Jenny Gratus]]. She starred in [[Summer of the Seventeenth Doll]], which was presented by The [[National Theatre]] at the [[Reps Theatre|Reps]] in 1957. It was directed by [[Leonard Schach]], and was written by the Australian Ray Lawler. She starred in [[Leonard Schach]]’s [[Cockpit Players]] production of [[Basil Warner]]’s ''[[Try for White]]'', which opened at the [[Pretoria Opera House]] before moving to the [[Intimate Theatre]] for the remainder of their highly successful run. It also starred [[Nigel Hawthorne]], [[Zoë Randall]], [[Michael Turner]]. [[Joyce Grant]] and [[Fiona Fraser]] replaced [[Minna Millsten]] and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]] respectively, from the Cape Town cast.  
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Fondly known as Maggie, she was a favourite with critics, audiences and colleagues alike.
  
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She played the part of Dolly Levi in Thornton Wilder’s lively period-New York comedy, ''[[The Matchmaker]]'', which was staged by [[Leonard Schach]]’s [[Cockpit Players]] in 1959. This enduring show, also starring [[John McKelvey]], [[Nigel Hawthorne]], [[Michael McGovern]], [[Robert Haber]] and [[Heather Lloyd-Jones]], became the musical ''[[Hello, Dolly!]]'' She starred in Clive Hirschhorn’s ''[[A State of Innocence]]'' which was staged at the [[Library Theatre]] in 1960. [[Ruth Oppenheim]] directed and it also starred [[Johann Nell]]. She starred in Harold Pinter’s ''[[The Birthday Party]]'', followed by Tennessee Williams’ ''[[The Night of the Iguana]]'' which was staged at the [[Playhouse]] by the [[Cockpit Players]] in 1962. [[Leonard Schach]] directed, and in his company of actors for these plays were [[Michael McGovern]], [[Margaret Inglis]], [[Siegfried Mynhardt]], [[Diane Wilson]] and [[Kerry Jordan]]. She replaced [[Joan Blake]] in [[Adam Leslie]]’s revue ''[[Strike it Rich]]'' at the [[Adam Leslie Theatre]] in 1967/8. It starred Leslie, Joan , [[Judy Layne]] and [[Goerge Korelin]]. She starred in [[Leonard Schach]]’s production of the Paul Zindel play ''[[The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-moon Marigolds]]'', for [[PACT]] in 1971. It also starred [[Janice Honeyman]]. She starred in the Ben Travers farce, ''[[The Bed Before Yesterday]]'', together with [[Leonard Whiting]], [[Jean Kent]], [[Naomi Buch]], [[Graham Armitage]] and [[Gordon Mulholland]]. It was presented by [[Pieter Toerien]] in 1976.
 
  
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GORDON, Marjorie, ''[[Summer of the Seventeenth Doll]]'' (Australian comedy-drama)by Ray Lawler, presented by [[NTO]],  [[Edward Ogden]] & [[Bill Brewer]].  [[Frank Graves]] (décor), 1958.  Later changes:  [[Fiona Fraser]], [[Joan Blake]], [[Jane Fenn]], [[Elspeth Bryce]], [[Nigel Hawthorne]], [[Eveline Garratt]], [[Robert Cheetham]], [[Doreen Graves]] (Costumes).
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=== Youth ===
  
  
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Return to [[ESAT Personalities G]]
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=== Training ===
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 +
 
 +
 
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=== Career ===
 +
 
 +
Marjorie enjoyed a successful career in London, largely in musical comedy. She was invited to Australia where she starred in several musicals; had two world tours including New York.
 +
 
 +
She came to South Africa in circa 1947 with her company to present four plays at The [[Standard Theatre]] in association with [[ACT]]. She eventually made her home in South Africa.
 +
 
 +
Besides her stage career, she became very involved in South African radio and radio drama.
 +
 
 +
In 1955 she went into partnership with actors [[Stuart Brown]] and [[Bruce Anderson]] to form The [[Company of Three]]. Their first production was ''[[Third Person]]'' and was staged at the [[Reps Theatre]].
 +
 
 +
==Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance==
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 +
In association with [[ACT]], Marjorie and her company presented four plays at The [[Standard Theatre]] circa 1947 including Coward's ''[[Design for Living]]''. Starred in [[Leon Gluckman]]’s revue ''[[Xmas Box]]'' at the [[Library Theatre]] towards the end of 1949. [[Herbert Kretzmer]] composed five of the songs and the cast included [[Johann Nell]].
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She starred in Noël Coward’s ''[[Private Lives]] which was directed by [[Minna Millsten]] for the [[Johannesburg Repertory Society|Reps]] in 1953.
 +
 
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Other prominent performances include roles in ''[[Third Person]]''[?] ([[Company of Three]], 1955), ''[[A Hatful of Rain]]'' ([[Company of Three]], 1957), ''[[Summer of the Seventeenth Doll]]'' ([[NTO]], 1957), Basil Warner’s ''[[Try for White]]'' ([[Cockpit Players]], 1958?), the part of Dolly Levi in Thornton Wilder’s lively period-New York comedy, ''[[The Matchmaker]]'' ([[Cockpit Players]], 1959), Clive Hirschhorn’s ''[[A State of Innocence]]'' ([[Library Theatre]], 1960), [[Le Malade Imaginaire|The Gay Invalid]] (1960),
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Harold Pinter’s ''[[The Birthday Party]]'' (1962), Tennessee Williams’s ''[[The Night of the Iguana]]'' ([[Cockpit Players]],  1962), [[Athol Fugard]]’s ''[[People are Living There]]'' ([[CAPAB]]? Touring company, 196*), *.
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Performed in ''[[People are Living There]]'', andin ''[[The Canterbury Tales]]''. 
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She replaced [[Joan Blake]] in [[Adam Leslie]]’s revue ''[[Strike it Rich]]'' at the [[Adam Leslie Theatre]] in 1967/8. She starred in [[Leonard Schach]]’s production of the Paul Zindel play ''[[The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-moon Marigolds]]'', for [[PACT]] in 1971, the Ben Travers farce, ''[[The Bed Before Yesterday]]'' (1976).
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Marjorie has also appeared in [[The Killing of Sister George]], [[Rookery Nook]], as “the widow of Bath”  in [[Canterbury Tales (musical)]], [[Love in Albania]], [[Ladies in Retirement]], [[Design for Living]], [[The Hostage]] and [[Oliver!]].
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== Awards, etc ==
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== Sources ==
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[[SACD]] 1973.
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[[ESAT Bibliography Tra-Tz|Tucker]], 1997.
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Entries in the [[NELM]] catalogue.
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Go to [[ESAT Bibliography]]
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== Return to ==
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Return to [[ESAT Personalities G]]  
  
 
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
 
Return to [[South_African_Theatre/Personalities|South African Theatre Personalities]]
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Return to [[The ESAT Entries]]
  
 
Return to [[Main Page]]
 
Return to [[Main Page]]

Revision as of 18:56, 5 December 2017

Marjorie Gordon (1921-1981). English born actress and comedian, director and producer.

Biography

She was born in England and died in South Africa in 1981 at the age of sixty.

Fondly known as Maggie, she was a favourite with critics, audiences and colleagues alike.


Youth

Training

Career

Marjorie enjoyed a successful career in London, largely in musical comedy. She was invited to Australia where she starred in several musicals; had two world tours including New York.

She came to South Africa in circa 1947 with her company to present four plays at The Standard Theatre in association with ACT. She eventually made her home in South Africa.

Besides her stage career, she became very involved in South African radio and radio drama.

In 1955 she went into partnership with actors Stuart Brown and Bruce Anderson to form The Company of Three. Their first production was Third Person and was staged at the Reps Theatre.

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

In association with ACT, Marjorie and her company presented four plays at The Standard Theatre circa 1947 including Coward's Design for Living. Starred in Leon Gluckman’s revue Xmas Box at the Library Theatre towards the end of 1949. Herbert Kretzmer composed five of the songs and the cast included Johann Nell.

She starred in Noël Coward’s Private Lives which was directed by Minna Millsten for the Reps in 1953.

Other prominent performances include roles in Third Person[?] (Company of Three, 1955), A Hatful of Rain (Company of Three, 1957), Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (NTO, 1957), Basil Warner’s Try for White (Cockpit Players, 1958?), the part of Dolly Levi in Thornton Wilder’s lively period-New York comedy, The Matchmaker (Cockpit Players, 1959), Clive Hirschhorn’s A State of Innocence (Library Theatre, 1960), The Gay Invalid (1960), Harold Pinter’s The Birthday Party (1962), Tennessee Williams’s The Night of the Iguana (Cockpit Players, 1962), Athol Fugard’s People are Living There (CAPAB? Touring company, 196*), *. Performed in People are Living There, andin The Canterbury Tales.

She replaced Joan Blake in Adam Leslie’s revue Strike it Rich at the Adam Leslie Theatre in 1967/8. She starred in Leonard Schach’s production of the Paul Zindel play The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-moon Marigolds, for PACT in 1971, the Ben Travers farce, The Bed Before Yesterday (1976).

Marjorie has also appeared in The Killing of Sister George, Rookery Nook, as “the widow of Bath” in Canterbury Tales (musical), Love in Albania, Ladies in Retirement, Design for Living, The Hostage and Oliver!.

Awards, etc

Sources

SACD 1973.

Tucker, 1997.

Entries in the NELM catalogue.

Go to ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities G

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page

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