Gerald Lawrence

Gerald Lawrence [1] (1873-1957) was a British actor-manager, film actor and director, and playwright.

Biography

Born Gerald Leslie Lawrence on March 23, 1873 in London.

Well known for the films Captain Nighthawk (1914), Enoch Arden (1914) and The Harbour Lights (1914).

He was married to Madge Compton, Fay Davis and Lilian Braithwaite.

In the period 1897-1898: He and William Haviland brought their Haviland and Lawrence Shakespearian & Dramatic Company to South Africa. Among his performances were:

1897:

1898: A production of William Shakespeare's comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, at the Port Elizabeth Opera House on January 3 & 4, 1898, directed by William Haviland. Also featured as performers were William Haviland and Amy Coleridge.

1929: Lawrence, now also known as a film actor, once again visited South Africa as actor-manager of a West End theatre company, under the auspices of African Theatres Ltd. putting on a repertoire of plays that included Monsieur Beaucaire, The School for Scandal, David Garrick, 13, Simon Street and Beau Brummel.

The company included Madge Compton, John Lancaster, William Devereux, Wilson Coleman, May Pemberton, Dennis Roberts and Alan Sawford Dye, The tour started in Johannesburg and then visited Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria, Bulawayo, Salisbury, Pietermaritzburg and ended in Durban.