Hugh Rouse

Hugh Rouse (b. Brentford, Middlesex, 17/01/1920 – d. Alberton, Gauteng, 17/05/1998) was an actor and radio personality. Occasionally credited as Hugh Rowse.

Hugh Cecil Rouse was the oldest of three children of Claude Vernon Rouse and his wife, Beatrice Ada Wellacott. He matriculated from University College School in London and had hoped to study modern languages, history and psychology at Cambridge, but when World War II broke out he joined the Royal Navy as a signalman. He served in a number of campaigns and was attached to Mountbatten’s strike force in the English Channel aboard H.M.S. Basset, an armed trawler that functioned as a minesweeper. When, eventually, he was demobilized, he was a lieutenant-commander. He evidently was already interested in the theatre, as in 1946 he appeared in Rodney Ackland’s adaptation of Diary of a Scoundrel for the Questors in Ealing.

Later that year he arrived in Durban on board the Winchester Castle, a city he had first encountered during the war when his ship had passed through. Not soon afterwards he joined the SABC as an announcer-producer and became organiser for the English Service in Natal. During this time he gained experience in a variety of broadcasting assignments, from duty announcer to acting as quiz master and from drama production to sports commentator. This experience stood him in good stead when, in 1958, he switched to Springbok Radio, the SABC’s commercial service. Here he became one of radio’s most familiar voices, reading The World at 7 P.M. and other news bulletin. There was considerable consternation in 1962 when, as a freelancer, he was replaced by a member of the salaried staff.

Through the years he appeared on the stage, in films, on television and on radio and frequently acted as compere at charity events. He also played a major role in the South African Actors’ Equity Association, becoming its Chairman in 1961. In 1980, when there was a disagreement between the South African Film and Theatre Union and the South African Association of Theatre Managements (SAATM), he negotiated and reached a settlement on behalf of SAFTU. Amongst his theatrical accomplishments were his role as Cromwell in A Man for All Seasons (1962), as George Bernard Shaw in Dear Liar (1971), opposite Diane Wilson, as Prospero in The Tempest (1975) and as Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady (1977). His most popular radio appearances were probably in the title role of the long-running Inspector Carr Investigates and as the narrator in The Avengers. In addition he adapted radio plays, wrote commentaries for documentaries and basically tackled everything from Shakespeare to Noddy.

He married four times and is known to have had two daughters with his third wife, Norma Crawford. He died of cancer of the throat in 1998. (FO)

Sources

Tribute published in The Sunday Independent, 12 July 1998.

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