Wilson Barrett
There are two actor-managers by this name, both with links to South Africa
Contents
Wilson Barrett (1846-1904)[1]
Biography
Born William Henry Barrett in on 18 February 1846,
With his company, Barrett is credited with attracting the largest crowds of English theatregoers ever because of his success with melodrama, an instance being his production of The Silver King (1882) at the Princess's Theatre of London. The historical tragedy The Sign of the Cross (1895) was Barrett's most successful play, both in England and in the United States.
He passed away in London on 22 July 1904.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Barrett and his company visited South Africa in 1902, doing a brief season in the Good Hope Theatre, Cape Town, under the auspices of the Wheeler Brothers in August. The season included performances of The Manxman, (Barrett's adaptation of Hal Caine's novel), The Silver King (Jones and Herman) and his own play, The Sign of the Cross.
The company also included Lilla McCarthy and Ambrose Manning.
Wilson Barrett
The grandson of the playwright, Barrett started out as an actor-director with the Brandon-Thomas Company before starting his own repertory in 1939, called the Wilson Barrett Company. The company was based in Scotland, inter alia using Edinburgh's Lyceum , the Alhambra Theatre Glasgow and for a time based in in Aberdeen. The company also performed on television, at the Edinburgh International Festival and, by invitation, in South Africa. The company was retired in 1954.
Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson_Barrett
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 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)
F.C.L. Bosman, 1928. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel I: 1652-1855. Pretoria: J.H. de Bussy. [2]: pp.
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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