Madge Fabian

(b. London, 16/08/1880 – d. South Africa, **/**/1958). British-born actress. Marjorie Alice Wilks's father was Washington Fabian Wilks and she took his second name as her stage name. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, she was educated both in Paris and Düsseldorf, and studied at the drama school founded by Henry Neville. She began her acting career by touring in such plays as Lord and Lady Algy (1900), Sherlock Holmes (1902) and Mlle. Mars (1902), and then joined Lily Langtry on a tour to the United States. For three and a half years she was the ingénue of Martin Harvey’s company in England and her first leading part was in The Breed of the Treshams (1907). After that she appeared in numerous plays and was engaged for five consecutive years for the autumn season at Drury Lane, acting in such plays as The Whip (1909) and The Sins of Society (1911).

In May 1914, J.C. Williamson brought her to South Africa to feature on the local theatrical circuit and seems to have been such a success that she stayed for nearly two years, performing in Cape Town and Johannesburg in a number of her London hits, including W. Somerset Maugham’s The Land of Promise. At this time she often appeared with Stephen Ewart, including in The Whip. In March 1916 she sailed for Australia and embarked on an extensive tour of all the major cities, appearing in such plays as Madame X and Romance. Once again she met with great acclaim, but in September of that year the Sydney Morning Herald announced that she would be returning “to her home in Johannesburg” in November.

Back in South Africa she resumed her stage performances in a variety of roles, including some of her previous London and Australian hits. Amongst them were Seven Days’ Leave, Within the Law, Bought and Paid For, The Third Degree, The Argyle Case, Sealed Orders and Peg o' My Heart. In a number of these she co-starred with Frank Cellier. Towards the end of 1918 she made the film Fallen Leaves (1919) for African Film Productions, directed by Dick Cruikshanks, who also played her father. In 1921 an African Mirror of that time reports on a benefit performance by Madge Fabian and Company of Twelfth Night for the Children’s Hospital. Her 1922 appearances at the Pretoria Opera House included The Second Mrs. Tanqueray, Brown Sugar and Dear Brutus. Writing in "Curtain Up!", Olga Racster called her “an actress with a strong, attractive personality and a distinctive deep voice. Her dramatic intensity in "Madame X", often so hackneyed and spoilt by some actresses, was stated to be very fine. “

According to Thelma Gutsche, Madge Fabian played Mrs. Retief in the English language version of Die Bou van ‘n Nasie / Building a nation (Joseph Albrecht & Andries A. Pienaar, 1938) and stayed on in South Africa. She states: "Apart from occasional re-appearances on the Johannesburg amateur stage, she retired to her farm on which she conducted a well-known riding school". The Forum reports that when, in December 1941, she attended a stage production of [[Alice in Wonderland]] at the Standard Theatre, the audience gave her a big hand. Madge Fabian was married twice, first, in 1905, to fellow actor Alfred Mansfield (1877-1938), the nephew of the celebrated Richard Mansfield, and then to Charles Arthur Hadley (1880-1933). Hadley was one of the most prominent race horse owners of the time and in 1919 was appointed Master of the Rand Hunt Club. (FO)

Sources

Gutsche, Thelma - The history and social significance of motion pictures in South Africa 1895-1940

Racster, Olga - Curtain up!

Who was who in the theatre: 1912-1976

Sydney Morning Herald, 26 February 1916

Sydney Morning Herald, 30 September 1916

Stage & Cinema, 25 January 1919

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