Madge Fabian

(b. London, 16/08/1880 – d. South Africa, **/**/1958). British actress. Marjorie Alice Wilks's father was Washington Fabian Wilks and she took his second name as her stage name. She originally studied at the drama school founded by Henry Neville and began her professional career by touring in such plays as Lord and Lady Algy (1900) and Sherlock Holmes (1902). She joined Lily Langtry on a tour to the United States and her first leading part was in The Breed of the Treshams (1907). After that she appeared in numerous plays and was engaged for five consecutive years for the autumn season at Drury Lane. In May 1914, J.C. Williamson brought her to South Africa to feature on the local theatrical circuit and seems to have been such a success that she stayed for two years, performing in Cape Town and Johannesburg in such plays as The Land of Promise (with Stephen Ewart), Madame X and The Whip. In March 1916 she departed for Australia to embark on another tour and in September of that year the Sydney Morning Herald mentioned that she would be returning “to her home in Johannesburg” in November.

Towards the end of 1918 she made the film Fallen Leaves (1919) for African Film Productions, directed by Dick Cruikshanks, who also played her father. In 1921 an African Mirror of that time reports on a benefit performance by Madge Fabian and Company of Twelfth Night for the Children’s Hospital. According to Thelma Gutsche, Madge Fabian played Mrs. Retief in the English language version of Die Bou van ‘n Nasie / Building a nation (Joseph Albrecht & Andries A. Pienaar/1938) and stayed on in South Africa. She states: "Apart from occasional re-appearances on the Johannesburg amateur stage, she retired to her farm on which she conducted a well-known riding school". The Forum reports that when, in December 1941, she attended a stage production of Alice in Wonderland at the Standard Theatre, the audience gave her a big hand. Madge Fabian was married twice, first, in 1905, to fellow actor Alfred Mansfield (1877-1938), the nephew of the celebrated Richard Mansfield, and then to Charles Arthur Hadley (1880-1933). Hadley was one of the most prominent race horse owners of the time and in 1919 was appointed Master of the Rand Hunt Club. [FO]

Sources

Gutsche, Thelma - The history and social significance of motion pictures in South Africa 1895-1940

Racster, Olga - Curtain up!

Who was who in the theatre: 1912-1976

Sydney Morning Herald, 30 September 1916

Stage & Cinema, 25 January 1919

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