Len Grossett

Len Grossett (b. Devonport, Plymouth, 01/06/1906 – d. Johannesburg, 03/05/1977) was a set designer.

Biography

William Leonard Grossett came to South Africa with his parents as a teenager and, as a young adult, returned to London to study art. For some time he worked for a company that did design work and built models for the Port of London Authorities. In South Africa he earned his living as a commercial artist, but became highly regarded as a set designer for the theatre, first for the Munro-Inglis Company and subsequently for the Johannesburg Repertory Players. Most of his designs were for plays, but they also included the odd variety show and two works for Frank Staff’s newly formed South African Ballet Company. He frequently worked with costume designer Louis Jacobson. In addition he was quite an accomplished fine artist, who took part in a number of group exhibitions but also had two solo shows, at the Pieter Wenning Gallery (1965) and the New Elysia Gallery (1970). In 1930 he married Alicia Ogilvie and the couple’s son, Peter Grossett, became a noted film editor and a producer/director for television.

Credits

1945 – Ladies in Retirement (Standard Theatre), 1945 – Full House (Standard Theatre), 1945 – And So to Bed, 1945 – Pop Goes the Queen (Library Theatre), 1946 – All He Wanted / Easter Evening / Aria da Capo (Experimental Theatre at Library Theatre), 1949 – Romeo and Juliet (Directed by André van Gyseghem for the Johannesburg Repertory Society at the Pretoria Opera House and the Wits University Great Hall), 1952 – Tartuffe (Produced by Leon Gluckman for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1952 – The Mad Woman of Chaillot (Produced by Leonard Schach for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1952 – Champagne for Delilah (Produced by Isadore Karr for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1953 – The Old Ladies (Produced for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1953 – Private Lives (Produced by Minna Millsten for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1953 – The Young Elizabeth (Produced by Leonard Schach for the Johannesburg Repertory Society, 1953 – Winterset (Produced by Cecil Williams for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1953 – Gigi (Produced by Shirley Wakefield for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1954 – Arms and the Man (Produced by Cecil Williams for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1954 – Figure of Fun (Produced by Anthony Farmer for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1954 – A Man About the House (Produced by Anthony Farmer for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1954 – The Third Person (Produced by the Company of Three at the Reps Theatre), 1954 – Witness for the Defence (Produced by Anthony Farmer for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1954 – Colombe (Produced by Anthony Farmer for the Johannesburg Repertory Society), 1954 – Star Parade (variety show) (Produced by Monty Doyle at the Wits University Great Hall), 1955 – L’Après-midi d’un Faun for the South African Ballet Company (Produced by Frank Staff at the Wits University Great Hall), 1955 – Rosmersholm (Produced by André Huguenet for the National Theatre), 1955 – Home of the Brave (Produced by Colin Romoff for the Regent Players at Library Theatre), 1955 – The Immoralist (Produced by Ruth Oppenheim at the Windmill Theatre), 1955 – Transfigured Night for the South African Ballet Company (Produced by Frank Staff at the Wits University Great Hall), 1955 – Two Dozen Red Roses (Produced by the Company of Three at the Library Theatre), 1957 – The Merchant of Venice (Produced by Cecil Williams for the Open Air Theatre at Zoo Lake and at the Donaldson Orlando Community Centre).

Sources

Rand Daily Mail (various issues)

Correspondence with Peter Grossett

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities G

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page