Leon Gluckman

GLUCKMAN, Leon. (1922-1978) Superb actor, director and producer. Initially studied the law at Rhodes University, later completed an M.A. in Literature, after which he travelled extensively, attending training courses at England’s Old Vic School, Yale University, Hollywood Actors Laboratory and the Pasadena Playhouse in the USA. His theatrical career began while in the South African Navy, when he acted in The Middle Watch at the Little Theatre (Leonard Schach, 1944). Came to prominence at Rhodes as an under-graduate when he played in and directed a student production of Murder in the Cathedral in the Rhodes University Great Hall (1947), later done at the Wits Great Hall (1948). Worked in South African theatre between 1948-1955, touring with the National Theatre Organisation (NTO) throughout 1948 and over the years directing plays and performing for the East Rand Theatre Club, the Johannesburg REPS, the Sarah Sylvia Company and The Cockpit Players. In 1955 he left for the UK at the invitation of André van Gyseghem, to work at the Nottingham Playhouse. In 1956 he worked for the Old Vic Company for a while, touring Australia. Married actress Pamela Reed in July 1956. In 1957 decided to settle permanently in South Africa and was determined to develop local theatre, doing some of his most memorable work. Became a partner in the ticket selling venture Show Service, with Audrey Cobden and founder Percy Tucker. He went into partnership with Taubie Kushlick in March 1959 forming the production company Kushlick-Gluckman. In 1964 moved back to the UK permanently. Acting roles over the years included Romeo and Juliet (Johannesburg Reps, 1949), The Eagle Has Two Heads (1949), Liliom (1953), Winterset (1953), ]]The Firstborn]] (1953), King Lear (1954), Look Back in Anger (1957), Career (1958), The Rope Dancer (1958), Try for White (The Cockpit Players, 1958), Long Day’s Journey into Night (1959), The Complaisant Lover (1960), After the Fall (Leonard Schach, 1964).

Often he both directed and performed in plays, e.g. Death of a Salesman (co-directed with Jacob Ben-Ami), Amphitryon 38, and The Same Sky (all in 1952, for the Sarah Sylvia Company), André Obey’s Noah (1955), Inherit the Wind (1959). His other directing credits include Lysistrata (1952), Tartuffe (1952), The Voice of the Turtle (co-directed with Margaret Inglis, 1952), The Governor at Black Rock (1953), King Lear (1954), You Never Can Tell (1954), The Firstborn (1954), Thieves’ Carnival (1958), The School for Scandal (1958), Romanoff and Juliet (1958), The Importance of Being Earnest, Half in Earnest (a musical skit, 1959), Saint Joan (1959), What Shall We Tell Caroline? / The Dock Brief (1959), The Marriage-Go-Round (1959), . Kimberley Train (1958**??), King Kong (Union Artists, 1959 – which he also helped to produce), The Emperor Jones (1960), A Taste of Honey (1960).

Another facet of his work was revue, and in 1949 he created and staged the revue Xmas Box at the Library Theatre and in 1962 came the phenomenal hit Wait a Minim! at the Intimate Theatre. This was followed by Minim Bili (1963) and Minim Export (1964-67).

As producer he joined forces with others to present inter alia Clare Booth’s The Women (1961), Athol Fugard’s The Blood Knot (1961), Sir Donald and Lady Wolfit (the actress Rosalind Iden) in An Evening of Shakespeare (1962), the Athens Drama Company with Iphigenia in Aulis and Lysistrata (Johannesburg and Cape Town, 1963) and The Red Silk Umbrella (1964).

On occasion over the years he acted as an adjudicator for the FATSSA Play Festival.

GLUCKMAN, Leon,. Lysistrata, director: Leon Gluckman. GLUCKMAN, Leon. Law student which went over to theatre. While in the South African Navy, Leonard Schach directed Gluckman and Cecil Williams in The Middle Watch at the Little Theatre in 1944. Directed his first production for the East Rand Theatre Club in 1949. He travelled extensively after obtaining his MA in Literature at Rhodes University, attending training courses at England’s Old Vic School, Yale University, Hollywood Actors Laboratory and the Pasadena Playhouse in the States. Directed T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral at the Rhodes University Great Hall in 1947. After its success it was taken to the Wits Great Hall in 1948. He toured with the National Theatre throughout 1948 with a company including André Huguenet, Siegfried Mynhardt, Frank Wise, Lorna Cowell, Vivienne Drummond, Mathilde Hanekom and Enone van den Bergh, doing many productions. Starred in Romeo and Juliet, which was performed in the Pretoria Opera House and the Wits Great Hall in 1949. It was produced by the Reps to commemorate twenty one years of existance. It was directed by André van Gyseghem, and also starred Eugenie Heyns, Muriel Alexander and Herbert Kretzmer. Sets by Len Grosset and costumes by Louis Jacobson impressed. Starred in The Eagle Has Two Heads, by Jean Cocteau which was performed in the Library Theatre in 1949. Also starring Taubie Kushlick with Percy Tucker working backstage. Staged the revue Xmas Box at the Library Theatre towards the end of 1949. Herbert Kretzmer composed five of the songs and cast included Marjorie Gordon and Johann Nell. Leon Gluckman starred in and co-directed Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman which was the first outside production to be performed at the new Reps Theatre in 1952. His co-director was Jacob Ben-Ami who played Willy Loman, for the Sarah Sylvia Company. Directed and co-starred opposite Margaret Inglis in Giraudoux’s Amphitryon 38 in 1952. He directed Lydia Lindeque and Vivienne Drummond in the Greek comedy Lysistrata in 1952. He acted in and directed The Same Sky with Sarah Sylvia in 1952. He directed André Huguenet in Molière’s Tartuffe for the Reps in 1952. Together with Margaret Inglis, he co-directed and co-starred in John van Druten’s comedy The Voice of the Turtle. It was staged in 1952 and toured the East Rand with Percy Tucker acting as assistant stage manager. He accepted André Gyseghem’s invitation to work at England’s prestigious Nottingham Playhouse. He did so for two years, giving him invaluable experience as both director and actor. Decided in 1957 to settle permanently in South Africa, focussing on the development of local theatre. Decided in 1964 to leave the country permanently. He starred in Ferenc Molnar’s Liliom opposite Molly Seftel in May 1953. It was directed by Cecil Williams. Starred in Maxwell Anderson’s Winterset in 1953. It was also directed by Cecil Williams. Starred in Christopher Fry’s The Firstborn soon after in 1953. He Directed James Ambrose Brown’s The Governor at Black Rock for the East Rand Theatre Club in 1953. The assistant stage managers were Percy Tucker and Barney Simon.

He staged Shakespeare’s King Lear at the Wits University Great Hall in 1954. The play was directed by Elizabeth Sneddon, and Gluckman played Lear. Percy Tucker filled the post of business manager, and Audrey Cobden assisted Gluckman. Together with Audrey Cobden, he became a partner in Percy Tucker’s ticket selling venture Show Service. He directed You Never Can Tell for the National Theatre in 1954. He played the lead in Leonard Schach’s National Theatre production of The Firstborn in 1954. He staged and starred in a production of André Obey’s Noah in 1955, together with Pamela Reed, who became his wife in July 1956. He attended the first meeting of the South African Association of Theatrical Managements, established early 1956.

Leon Gluckman and Taubie Kushlick co-produced Leonard Schach’s production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, which was staged at Technical College Hall in 1956, starring Alec Bell, Gerrit Wessels and Gavin Haughton. Leon (billed as Leon Ryan) was in Australia, co-starring with Katherine Hepburn, in a Shakespeare season with the Old Vic Company in 1956. He sold his Show Service shares to Percy Tucker in 1957. On Gluckman’s return from London in late 1957, he played Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger for the Cockpit Players. He joined forces with Leonard Schach for the fourth time. He returned to the Johannesburg stage in January 1958 in Leonard Schach’s production of the American play Career at the Reps. He directed Anouilh’s Thieves’ Carnival for the Reps in 1958. He co-starred with Lydia Lindeque in Taubie Kushlick’s production of The Rope Dancer in 1958.

He directed the National Theatre hit production of The School for Scandal which toured the country, and directed Heather Lloyd-Jones in Romanoff and Juliet at the Reps in 1958. Gluckman and John McElvey did Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s prizewinning play Inherit the Wind, at the Brooke Theatre in 1959 for Leonard Schach’s Cockpit Players. He also starred in Long Day’s Journey into Night at the Intimate Theatre for the Cockpit Players, together with John McKelvey, Joan Blake and Nigel Hawthorne in 1959.

He went into partnership with Taubie Kushlick in March 1959 forming the production company Kushlick-Gluckman. Their first production was a musical version of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Half in Earnest was directed by Gluckman, with Kushlick portraying the role of Lady Bracknell. It also starred Gordon Mulholland, Olive King, June Hern and Michael McGovern. He directed Shaw’s Saint Joan for the National Theatre in 1959, starring Kita Redelinghuys and Siegfried Mynhardt. He directed John Mortimer’s double bill, What Shall We Tell Caroline? and The Dock Brief for Kushlick-Gluckman in 1959. He directed the play The Marriage-Go-Round which was staged at the Intimate Theatre together with Taubie Kushlick in September 1959, with Gordon Mulholland, Fiona Fraser and Peggy Moran. He directed King Kong, which was staged by Union Artists at the Wits University Great Hall in 1959. Stanley (Spike) Glasser was the musical director, Arthur Goldreich did the design and Arnold Dover did the choreography for this musical starring the trumpeter Hugh Masekela, Nathan Mdledle in the lead role, band vocalist Miriam Makeba, Joe Mogotsi and Peggy Phango. He directed Eugene O’Neill’s powerful tale, The Emperor Jones, starring Joe Mogotsi for Union Artists in 1960. It had an all-black supporting cast of thirty actors and was staged at the Wits Great Hall. Later they staged it in a tent in the Showgrounds in Pretoria after much hostile negotiation. Taubie Kushlick and Gluckman staged Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey in 1960. Kushlick-Gluckman presented Graham Greene’s The Complaisant Lover in July 1960, with Taubie directing Leon and Marijke Haakman. Kushlick-Gluckman mounted a revival of Clare Boothe’s The Women at the Intimate in 1961. Anthony Farmer designed, and Shirley Firth, Jenny Gratus, Valerie Miller and Diane Wilson were in the lead roles. He presented Athol Fugard’s The Blood Knot, starring Fugard himself and Zakes Mokae at the Intimate Theatre in 1961. He staged a revue, Wait a Minim! at the Intimate Theatre in 1962 with musicians Andrew and Paul Tracey, Kendrew Lascelles and Jeremy Taylor. Anthony Farmer was the set designer. They toured the country for eleven months, visiting Durban’s Alhambra, Rhodesia, Cape Town, Pretoria and Port Elizabeth before returning to Johannesburg to play at the Alexander Theatre and the Colony in Hyde Park Hotel. The sequel, Minim Bili, which opened in April 1963 starring Annabel Linder, was followed by Minim Export starring Dana Valery. It toured to London in 1964, New York circa 1967, Australia and New Zealand.

Together with Colin Fish he presented Sir Donald and Lady Wolfit (the actress Rosalind Iden) at the Playhouse in an evening of Shakespeare in 1962. He brought out the Athens Drama Company to the Civic Theatre in 1963. They performed Euripides’ tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis, directed by Costis Michaelides, starring Aleka Katselis, Maria Moscholiou and Costas Kazakos. They also toured Rhodesia and Cape Town. They opened soon after with Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. He put on The Red Silk Umbrella in 1964, and then joined forces with Leonard Schach to produce Arthur Miller’s After the Fall, with Leonard directing Leon and Erica Rogers. It was staged at the University Great Hall and then at the Luxurama for multi-racial audiences This proved to be his last production in South Africa, which he left because of restrictions placed on his work by the apartheid system. He settled in London with his family and never worked here again. GLUCKMAN, Leon. Law student which went over to theatre. While in the South African Navy, Leonard Schach directed Gluckman and Cecil Williams in The Middle Watch at the Little Theatre in 1944.

Directed his first production for the East Rand Theatre Club in 1949. He travelled extensively after obtaining his MA in Literature at Rhodes University, attending training courses at England’s Old Vic School, Yale University, Hollywood Actors Laboratory and the Pasadena Playhouse in the States. Directed T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral at the Rhodes University Great Hall in 1947. After its success it was taken to the Wits Great Hall in 1948. He toured with the National Theatre throughout 1948 with a company including André Huguenet, Siegfried Mynhardt, Frank Wise, Lorna Cowell, Vivienne Drummond, Mathilda Hanekom and Enone van den Bergh, doing many productions. Starred in Romeo and Juliet, which was performed in the Pretoria Opera House and the Wits University Great Hall in 1949. It was produced by the Reps to commemorate twenty one years of existance. It was directed by André van Gyseghem, and also starred Eugenie Heyns, Muriel Alexander and Herbert Kretzmer. Sets by Len Grosset and costumes by Louis Jacobson impressed. Starred in The Eagle Has Two Heads, by Jean Cocteau which was performed in the Library Theatre in 1949. Also starring Taubie Kushlick with Percy Tucker working backstage. Staged the revue Xmas Box at the Library Theatre towards the end of 1949. Herbert Kretzmer composed five of the songs and cast included Marjorie Gordon and Johann Nell. Leon Gluckman starred in and co-directed Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman which was the first outside production to be performed at the new Reps Theatre in 1952. His co-director was Jacob Ben-Ami who played Willy Loman, for the Sarah Sylvia Company. Directed and co-starred opposite Margaret Inglis in Giraudoux’s Amphitryon 38 in 1952. He directed Lydia Lindeque and Vivienne Drummond in the Greek comedy Lysistrata in 1952.

He acted in and directed The Same Sky with Sarah Sylvia in 1952. He directed André Huguenet in Molière’s Tartuffe for the Reps in 1952. Together with Margaret Inglis, he co-directed and co-starred in John van Druten’s comedy The Voice of the Turtle. It was staged in 1952 and toured the East Rand with Percy Tucker acting as assistant stage manager. He accepted André Gyseghem’s invitation to work at England’s prestigious Nottingham Playhouse. He did so for two years, giving him invaluable experience as both director and actor. Decided in 1957 to settle permanently in South Africa, focussing on the development of local theatre. Decided in 1964 to leave the country permanently. He starred in Ferenc Molnar’s Liliom opposite Molly Seftel in May 1953. It was directed by Cecil Williams. Starred in Maxwell Anderson’s Winterset in 1953. It was also directed by Cecil Williams. Starred in Christopher Fry’s The Firstborn soon after in 1953. He Directed James Ambrose Brown’s The Governor at Black Rock for the East Rand Theatre Club in 1953. The assistant stage managers were Percy Tucker and Barney Simon. He staged Shakespeare’s King Lear at the Wits University Great Hall in 1954. The play was directed by Elizabeth Sneddon, and Gluckman played Lear. Percy Tucker filled the post of business manager, and Audrey Cobden assisted Gluckman. Together with Audrey Cobden, he became a partner in Percy Tucker’s ticket selling venture ‘Show Service’. He directed You Never Can Tell for the National Theatre in 1954. He played the lead in Leonard Schach’s National Theatre production of The Firstborn in 1954. He staged and starred in a production of André Obey’s Noah in 1955, together with Pamela Reed, who became his wife in July 1956. He attended the first meeting of the South African Association of Theatrical Managements, established early 1956. Leon Gluckman and Taubie Kushlick co-produced Leonard Schach’s production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot , which was staged at Technical College Hall in 1956, starring Alec Bell, Gerrit Wessels and Gavin Haughton.

Leon (billed as Leon Ryan) was in Australia, co-starring with Katherine Hepburn, in a Shakespeare season with the Old Vic Company in 1956. He sold his Show Service shares to Percy Tucker in 1957. On Gluckman’s return from London in late 1957, he played Jimmy Porter in Look Back in Anger for the Cockpit Players. He joined forces with Leonard Schach for the fourth time. He returned to the Johannesburg stage in January 1958 in Leonard Schach’s production of the American play Career at the Reps. He directed Anouilh’s Thieves’ Carnival for the Reps in 1958. He co-starred with Lydia Lindeque in Taubie Kushlick’s production of The Rope Dancer in 1958. He directed the National Theatre hit production of School for Scandal which toured the country, and directed Heather Lloyd-Jones in Romanoff and Juliet at the Reps in 1958. Gluckman and John McElvey did Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee’s prizewinning play Inherit the Wind, at the Brooke Theatre in 1959 for Leonard Schach’s Cockpit Players. He also starred in Long Day’s Journey into Night at the Intimate Theatre for the Cockpit Players, together with John McKelvey, Joan Blake and Nigel Hawthorne in 1959. He went into partnership with Taubie Kushlick in March 1959 forming the production company Kushlick-Gluckman. Their first production was a musical version of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. Half in Earnest was directed by Gluckman, with Kushlick portraying the role of Lady Bracknell. It also starred Gordon Mulholland, Olive King, June Hern and Michael McGovern. He directed Shaw’s Saint Joan for the National Theatre in 1959, starring Kita Redelinghuys and Siegfried Mynhardt. He directed John Mortimer’s double bill, What Shall We Tell Caroline? and The Dock Brief for Kushlick-Gluckman in 1959. He directed the play The Marriage-Go-Round which was staged at the Intimate Theatre together with Taubie Kushlick in September 1959, with Gordon Mulholland, Fiona Fraser and Peggy Moran. He directed King Kong, which was staged by Union Artists at the Wits University Great Hall in 1959. Stanley (Spike) Glasser was the musical director, Arthur Goldreich did the design and Arnold Dover did the choreography for this musical starring the trumpeter Hugh Masekela, Nathan Mdledle in the lead role, band vocalist Miriam Makeba, Joe Mogotsi and Peggy Phango. He directed Eugene O’Neill’s powerful tale, The Emperor Jones, starring Joe Mogotsi for Union Artists in 1960. It had an all-black supporting cast of thirty actors and was staged at the Wits Great Hall. Later they staged it in a tent in the Showgrounds in Pretoria after much hostile negotiation.

Taubie Kushlick and Gluckman staged Shelagh Delaney’s A Taste of Honey in 1960. Kushlick-Gluckman presented Graham Greene’s The Complaisant Lover in July 1960, with Taubie directing Leon and Marijke Haakman. Kushlick-Gluckman mounted a revival of Clare Boothe’s The Women at the Intimate in 1961. Anthony Farmer designed, and Shirley Firth, Jenny Gratus, Valerie Miller and Diane Wilson were in the lead roles. He presented Athol Fugard’s The Blood Knot, starring Fugard himself and Zakes Mokae at the Intimate Theatre in 1961. He staged a revue, Wait a Minim! at the Intimate Theatre in 1962 with musicians Andrew and Paul Tracey, Kendrew Lascelles and Jeremy Taylor. Anthony Farmer was the set designer. They toured the country for eleven months, visiting Durban’s Alhambra, Rhodesia, Cape Town, Pretoria and Port Elizabeth before returning to Johannesburg to play at the Alexander Theatre and the Colony in Hyde Park Hotel. The sequel, Minim Bili, which opened in April 1963 starring Annabel Linder, was followed by Minim Export starring Dana Valery. It toured to London in 1964, New York circa 1967, Australia and New Zealand. Together with Colin Fish he presented Sir Donald and Lady Wolfit (the actress Rosalind Iden) at the Playhouse in an evening of Shakespeare in 1962. He brought out the Athens Drama Company to the Civic Theatre in 1963. They performed Euripides’ tragedy Iphigenia in Aulis, directed by Costis Michaelides, starring Aleka Katselis, Maria Moscholiou and Costas Kazakos. They also toured Rhodesia and Cape Town. They opened soon after with Aristophanes’ Lysistrata. He put on The Red Silk Umbrella in 1964, and then joined forces with Leonard Schach to produce Arthur Miller’s After the Fall, with Leonard directing Leon and Erica Rogers. It was staged at the University Great Hall and then at the Luxurama for multi-racial audiences This proved to be his last production in South Africa, which he left because of restrictions placed on his work by the apartheid system. He settled in London with his family and never worked here again. He died in 1978 in London at the age of fifty-five.

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