Gertie Lester

Gertie Lester () was an actress.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

She came to South Africa in 1903 as part of a newly constituted company put together by the Wheeler Brothers. Others in the ensemble were Myles Clifton, Victor Gouriet, Maud Marsland and Norah Brocklebank.

Their first appearance in the country was at the Good Hope Theatre in Cape Town on 10 August, 1903 and playing a season of plays there that extended to 23 October of that year. The plays performed included A Country Girl, The Girl from Kay's, The School Girl, The Lady Slavey and Three Little Maids.

The same company of players (with the addition of Arthur Grover) is mentioned again when the first performance in the country of Florodora (Hall, Boyd-Jones, Rubens and Stuart) opened in the Good Hope Theatre on 18 July, 1904. The production was a great success and very popular with the public.

Sources

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1923. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1916. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp. 416, 420, 422, 425, 435

Go to the ESAT Bibliography

Return to

Return to ESAT Personalities L

Return to South African Theatre Personalities

Return to The ESAT Entries

Return to Main Page