Moira Lister

LISTER, Moira (1923-) Actress on stage and film. Born in South Africa on 6 August 1923, she studied acting with Dr Hubert and Amy Coleridge and later trained under Leontine Sagan in South Africa. First appearing on stage at the age of six for the University Players, University of the Witwatersrand in The Vikings of Helgeland (1929?), she made her professional debut in Vintage Wine (with Sir Seymour Hicks), followed by her first appearance in London in 1937 in Post Road. Returning to South Africa she continued her acting career by working with Muriel Alexander and the Johannesburg REPS . In this time she appeared productions such as in J.B. Priestley’s When We Were Married (1941), The Women by Claire Booth (directed in 1942 by Leontine Sagan), The Russians (194*) and Pawns of the Game (194*). She left the country for Britain in 1943/4 to make a career in radio and Shakespeare, before turning to less specialized work on stage, screen and television. Thus she played a season with John Gielgud with plays such as Coward's Present Laughter. On occasion she returned to South Africa to act in shows, usually for Pieter Toerien. These include a Any Wednesday (1964-65), Cowardy Custard (1973), **, **, and Remembering Noel Coward?? (2001). She also made a version of Coward's Hay Fever for SABC Television (1983). Made her debut as director with Pieter Toerien Productions, with Eric Paice’s Deadly Embrace at the Leonard Rayne Theatre in Johannesburg in 1987. Her international film credits include The Yellow Rolls Royce, The Deep Blue Sea, and Double Man. She also had her own TV show in the late 1960s. Her autobiography, The Very Merry Moira, appeared in 1969. (See De Beer, 1995; Joyce 1999; Du Toit, 1988; ) [TH, JH]

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