Will Jamieson

Actor. (1915-1968) Actor, designer and director.

Born in Forfar in Scotland 28 June, 1914 in Forfar, Angus, Scotland. The family came to Port Elizabeth when he was quite young (psooibly 9 years old). His younger brother, Ean was born in Port Elizabeth in 1924. He completed his schooling at Grey High School, and went on to train in theatre at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, having been obtained the Leverhulme Scholarship; and won the bronze medal there in his final year.

He then served in the RAF during the Second World War, and was stationed in West Africa. After the war he returned to Port Elizabeth, marrying Hilda Chapman in St Columba’s Presbyterian Church in Port Elizabeth in 1946. He became a highly respected free-lance actor and producer; one who used to do many of the costume designs for his own productions.

He died in Cape Town in 1968 from a heart attack. Hilda died in 1998 in the UK.

Theatrical career in South Africa

He was for many years very closely involved with PEMADS and the Little Theatre in Port Elizabeth, and the Port Elizabeth Shakespearian Festival; and later became one of the founding members of the Mannville Open Air Theatre in King Georges Park in Port Elizabeth.

Also did work for many other companies in the country over the years, including productions by Maynardville, Gwen ffrangçon-Davies, Brian Brooke; the Munro-Inglis Company and NTO. He was involved with Brian Brooke around the late 1940’s / early 1950’s, before he established the Brooke Theatre in Jhb in 1955.

As an actor

In 1952 he acted the role of Creon during the Company of Four's production of Jean Anouilh's Antigone. As an actor he had roles in, inter alia, in Christopher Fry's The Lady's not for Burning (the Arena Theatre Company, Johannesburg, 1956). For Maynardville, he did a number of performances, including the Merchant in The Merchant of Venice in 1963, and the King of Denmark in Hamlet in 1964, and his performance there was in 1966. He played the Earl of Kent in King Lear at Maynardville in January 1966. (See the Maynardville archives[1])

As a director and designer

In 1952 he produced the Company of Four's presentation of Jean Anouilh's Antigone.

As director he did Twelfth Night, with John Hamber, in the Loubser Hall (Later the The Little Theatre), Port Elizabeth; Henry VIII (dir) Ronnie Davis, Johann Nell & Margaret Inglis. Our Town (Dir), Hamlet (dir) with Jim Shorrock, The Taming of the Shrew (dir) 1964.**

For the Port Elizabeth Shakespearean Festival he directed King Lear in 1960, The Lark by Jean Anouilh in 1961 and possibly also Hamlet circa 1963.

Radio career

While he also had a short career in the SABC, Jamieson found himself ideologically incompatible with the censorship laws, one which he held strong views. According to his daughter (Fiona Jamieson, 2013) he is reported to have said ”and that’s a load of bull****” at the end of a live newscast - whilst still on air - which meant that he was sent packing!

Notes from Fiona Jamieson

TO BE ADDED

I am the daughter of Will Jamieson, an actor and producer mentioned in your database who was very much involved with the South African theatre scene many years ago,

He was born in 1915, and died in 1968, aged just 53. He also played a number of roles at Maynardville in the early 60’s.

I think ESAT is a much needed enterprise and if I can verify anything more regarding my father’s life and work I would be happy to do so.

Kind Regards Hi Temple,

More than happy to help! My son and my brother both live in Cape Town, and my brother has a few scrapbooks and souvenirs from my father’s time in the theatre so we will all get together as much as we can;)

I am living in Spain and my bits and pieces are all in storage in the UK so I’m just working on memory;)

I do know he was born in Forfar in Scotland in 1915, and died in Cape Town in 1968 from a heart attack.

He was awarded the Leverhulme Scholarship at the Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and won the bronze medal there in his final year.

He was married to Hilda Chapman who died in 1998 in the UK.

If you look at the archives for Maynardville (http://www.maynardville.co.za/pages/archive.php) you will find his name a few times – his last performance there was in 1966, but I do know he played the Merchant in the Merchant of Venice in 1963, and the King of Denmark in Hamlet in 1964.

I’ll get back to you when I have more!

Thanks for your kind words about my sites – I believe I inherited some of my dad’s creativity with colour and design – I know he used to do many of the costume designs for his own productions! Hi Temple,

A bit more info - Extracts from an email from my brother with what he can remember;) he is going to try and extricate the scrapbooks which are currently in storage;)

“As far as I know, Dad was born on 28 June, 1914 in Forfar, Angus, Scotland. The family came to Port Elizabeth when he was quite young. Can’t say exactly when, but Ean (younger brother) was born in PE in 1924 so it was before then. I think Dad was 9 when they came to PE. He did go to Grey in PE. Mom and Dad were married in St Columba’s Presbyterian Church in PE in 1946.

Dad served in the RAF in the war, and was stationed in West Africa.

He was involved with Brian Brooke around the late 1940’s / early 1950’s, before he established the Brooke Theatre in Jhb in 1955. I’m not sure quite how he was involved.

(My comment: My Dad had strong views on the ruling party’s censorship laws – is reported to have said ”and that’s a load of bull****” at the end of a newscast whilst still on air & so they sent him packing!!!;).)

I did some research a while ago and came across a history of the Opera House in PE, which mentioned Dad a few times. Unfortunately that website has been changed, but I think I may have made a copy at the time. I’ll see if I can find it. He did quite few productions there – such as King Lear with Andre Huguenot (where I started and ended my very short career on the stage as a herald).

Dad also did several productions for PEMADS at the Little Theatre, and for the Gilbert and Sullivan Society in PE. I particularly recall Princess Ida, which was while we were living at 6 Cleeve Road. And of course there was the Merry Widow, which I think was in the PE City Hall. He also did Merry Widow with Bertie Stern in Cape Town. Bertie owned the Masque Theatre in Muizenberg, where Dad did several productions – I recall Our Town in 1961.

The Maynardville website has an archive section, with the cast names for each production. He was in Much Ado about Nothing in 1962, Merchant of Venice in 1963, Hamlet in 1964, King Lear in 1966, and King Richard II in 1968.

He is also one of the founding sponsors (or something significant) of the Mannville Open Air Theatre in King Georges Park in Port Elizabeth. I recall that Mom and I went to the opening with Taubie Kushlick – were you also there? Can’t remember, isn’t that awful?”

David Jamieson CEng MICE BSc(CivEng) FAArb Senior Consultant, Binnington Copeland & Associates

Sources

David Jamieson (personal correspondence)

Fiona Jamieson (personal correspondence)

Tucker, 1997.

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