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.
Contribution to South African theatre
1898: He acted in the Haviland and Lawrence Shakespearian & Dramatic Company production of William Shakespeare's comedy, Much Ado About Nothing, at the Port Elizabeth Opera House on January 3 & 4, 1898, which was directed by William Haviland. Co-starred with William Haviland and Amy Coleridge.
He headed a West End theatre company from London as actor-manager touring South Africa in 1929, putting on a portfolio of plays. The company included Madge Compton, John Lancaster, William Devereux, Wilson Coleman, May Pemberton, Dennis Roberts and Alan Sawford Dye.
The tour played in premises owned by African Theatres Ltd. starting in Johannesburg and then visiting Port Elizabeth, East London, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Pretoria, Bulawayo, Salisbury, Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The plays performed were Monsieur Beaucaire, The School for Scandal, David Garrick, 13, Simon Street and Beau Brummel.
Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Lawrence
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0492774/?ref_=nm_ov_bio_lk4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beau_Brummell
Robert Kay. 2011. "Gerald Lawrence, Elgar and the missing Beau Brummel Music", The Elgar Society Journal: pp.4-28[2]
http://www.elgar.org/3brummel.htm
The S.A. Merry-Go-Round, 2(4):28. August 21st, 1929.
Correspondence from Robert Kay of Acuta Music[3], Monday 13 July, 2015.
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