Difference between revisions of "James Bromley-Challenor"
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He was married to the actress [[Marjorie Bellairs]] and the two of them are said to have appeared in the farce ''[[When Knights were Bold]]'' over 6000 times over the course of his lifetime. He apparently claimed to have first played the leading role of "Sir Guy de Vere" (with his wife in the role of "Lady Rowena Eggington") in the premiere production in Nottingham and many times thereafter. (The London productions tended to have James Whelan in the leading role, till Whelan's death in 1917, and Challenor made his London debut in the role.) In 1915 Challenor actually purchased the rights to the play, which did well for them over the ensuing years. | He was married to the actress [[Marjorie Bellairs]] and the two of them are said to have appeared in the farce ''[[When Knights were Bold]]'' over 6000 times over the course of his lifetime. He apparently claimed to have first played the leading role of "Sir Guy de Vere" (with his wife in the role of "Lady Rowena Eggington") in the premiere production in Nottingham and many times thereafter. (The London productions tended to have James Whelan in the leading role, till Whelan's death in 1917, and Challenor made his London debut in the role.) In 1915 Challenor actually purchased the rights to the play, which did well for them over the ensuing years. | ||
| − | In 1915 or 1916 he and his wife toured South Africa with his company (which included ) and in 1933 they visited Australia to produce ''[[A Bit of a Test]]'', which apparently failed to appeal to the Melbourne public. | + | In 1915 or 1916 he and his wife toured South Africa with his company (which included ) and in 1933 they visited Australia to produce Ben Travers's farce ''[[A Bit of a Test]]'', which apparently failed to appeal to the Melbourne public. |
Challenor died on 17 December, 1935, while rehearsing ''[[When Knights were Bold]]'' once more at The Fortune theatre in London. | Challenor died on 17 December, 1935, while rehearsing ''[[When Knights were Bold]]'' once more at The Fortune theatre in London. | ||
Revision as of 06:46, 3 May 2020
James Bromley-Challenor (1884–1935)[1] was British actor-manager.
Also known as Bromley Challenor
Contents
Biography
Born on September 3, 1884 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England, UK, he was educated at Hanley, Oxford and Liverpool. He intended to become a doctor, but then tried journalism before entering the theatre. He made his first appearance on stage in The Hand of Justice in 1906 at Coatbridge, and from there went on to a relatively successful career as actor and company manager on tour and in London. Among the plays he appeared in were When Knights were Bold (Marlowe), Are you a Mason, The Punchbowl,
He was married to the actress Marjorie Bellairs and the two of them are said to have appeared in the farce When Knights were Bold over 6000 times over the course of his lifetime. He apparently claimed to have first played the leading role of "Sir Guy de Vere" (with his wife in the role of "Lady Rowena Eggington") in the premiere production in Nottingham and many times thereafter. (The London productions tended to have James Whelan in the leading role, till Whelan's death in 1917, and Challenor made his London debut in the role.) In 1915 Challenor actually purchased the rights to the play, which did well for them over the ensuing years.
In 1915 or 1916 he and his wife toured South Africa with his company (which included ) and in 1933 they visited Australia to produce Ben Travers's farce A Bit of a Test, which apparently failed to appeal to the Melbourne public.
Challenor died on 17 December, 1935, while rehearsing When Knights were Bold once more at The Fortune theatre in London.
Contribution to South African theatre, film, media and performance
In 1915 or 1916 he took the James Bromley-Challenor's theatrical company on a tour of South Africa, the cast including his wife, Marjorie Bellairs, and Norah Sturdee.
Sources
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0149977/
E-mail correspondence with Nick Jackson about Norah Sturdee and the South African tour (1 May 2020).
http://www.robertbuchanan.co.uk/html/knightsrev2.html
Obituary, The Argus, Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, 19 Dec 1935: p.12
J.P. Wearing. 2014. The London Stage 1920-1929: A Calendar of Productions, Performers, and Personnel, Rowman & Littlefield: p.5 [2]
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 Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.
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