Horace Green

(b. Enfield, Middlesex, **/01/1891 - d. Cape Town, 06/10/1940). Actor, theatre manager. British-born Horace Thomas Green came to South Africa at the age of 25 as a member of a theatrical company. In 1917 he was the principal comedian in Maid of the Mountains with Nancy Benyon’s 's touring company, while in that same year he appeared in an unidentified role in the film And Then--- for African Film Productions, directed by Joseph Albrecht and Dick Cruikshanks. Later, when Dan Thomas produced Dick Whittington and his Cat, his first pantomime at His Majesty’s Theatre in Johannesburg, he chose Horace Green to play the Cat and subsequently he appeared in Thomas's S’Nice. In November 1918 he married Olympia Nava, at the time a fellow member of the London Gaiety Company.

During World War I he was a machine-gunner attached to General Louis Botha's staff during the South West Africa campaign, while in East Africa he was with the 4th South African Horse. During this time he was also involved in organising entertainment for the troops. After leaving the stage he turned to the business side of the theatre. He managed many visiting theatrical companies, ran theatres in different parts of the Union of South Africa and for some years was the representative of African Consolidated Theatres in what was then Rhodesia. At the time of his death he was supervisor of ACT in Cape Town. (FO)

Sources

Cape Argus, 7 October 1940

Sunday Times, 20 October 1940

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