Dilys Hamlett (31 March 1928,
South Tidworth
Tidworth is a garrison, garrison town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in south-east Wiltshire, England, on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain. Lying on both sides of the A338 road, A338 about north of the A303 road, A303 primary ro ...
,
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
– 7 July 2002,
Cupar
Cupar ( ; gd, Cùbar) is a town, former royal burgh and parish in Fife, Scotland. It lies between Dundee and Glenrothes. According to a 2011 population estimate, Cupar had a population around 9,000, making it the ninth-largest settlement in Fi ...
,
Fife) was a British
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...
.
Early life
Dilys Hamlett was born on 31 March 1928 in
South Tidworth
Tidworth is a garrison, garrison town and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in south-east Wiltshire, England, on the eastern edge of Salisbury Plain. Lying on both sides of the A338 road, A338 about north of the A303 road, A303 primary ro ...
,
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
(now in
Wiltshire
Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...
), and developed an early interest in literature and theatre. She studied at the
Old Vic
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
* Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
Theatre School in the early 1950s and it was there that she met, and married, a fellow student,
Caspar Wrede
Baron Casper Gustaf Kenneth Wrede af Elimä, known as Caspar Wrede (8 February 1929 in Viipuri, Finland – 25 September 1998 in Helsinki, Finland), was a Finnish theatre and film director. He was long active in the English theatre, co-founding t ...
.
Career
After leaving the theatre school she went immediately into the West End, appearing in ''The Innocents'' before performing in several productions for the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company. Although she continued to work in the West End and for theatres throughout Britain she was particularly associated with the group of directors, including her husband,
Caspar Wrede
Baron Casper Gustaf Kenneth Wrede af Elimä, known as Caspar Wrede (8 February 1929 in Viipuri, Finland – 25 September 1998 in Helsinki, Finland), was a Finnish theatre and film director. He was long active in the English theatre, co-founding t ...
, who eventually formed the
Royal Exchange Company in Manchester. She worked for
Michael Elliott in the 59 Theatre Company and then for
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
in the Century Theatre in Manchester. These two companies led directly to the formation of the 69 Theatre Company and then to the Royal Exchange.
Though primarily known as a theatre actress she also directed a number of theatre productions and appeared in many television plays and films. She appeared as a storyteller on the BBC children's programme ''
Jackanory'', and narrated in
twenty episodes between 1966 and 1967. Her film career included roles in ''
Mix Me a Person
''Mix Me a Person'' is a 1962 British crime drama film directed by Leslie Norman, starring Anne Baxter, Donald Sinden, Adam Faith, Walter Brown and Carole Ann Ford. The screenplay concerns a young London criminal who is faced with being hang ...
'' (1962), ''
Assault'' (1971), ''
What Changed Charley Farthing?'' (1975), ''
Diagnosis: Murder'' (1975), ''
The Rainbow
''The Rainbow'' is a novel by British author D. H. Lawrence, first published by Methuen & Co. in 1915. It follows three generations of the Brangwen family living in Nottinghamshire, focusing particularly on the individual's struggle to growth ...
'' (1988), ''
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
''The Wolves of Willoughby Chase'' is a children's novel by Joan Aiken, first published in 1962. Set in an alternative history of England, it tells of the adventures of cousins Bonnie and Sylvia and their friend Simon the goose-boy as they thw ...
'' (1989), ''
The Fool'' (1990), ''
Harnessing Peacocks
''Harnessing Peacocks'' is the third novel by Mary Wesley, published in 1985 when the author was 73 years old. In 1992 it was adapted for television.
Plot summary
As a baby, Hebe lost her parents in an air crash; her grandparents have brought ...
'' (1993), and ''
Hollow Reed
''Hollow Reed'' is a 1996 drama film directed by Angela Pope. The plot follows a divorced gay man who begins to suspect that his son is being physically abused by his ex-wife's new boyfriend. The story takes place in Bath, Somerset.
Plot
Olive ...
'' (1996).
Her theatre roles included
[The Royal Exchange Theatre Company Words & Pictures 1976-1998, 1998, ]
* Ophelia, ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' for the
Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford –upon-Avon (1956)
* Mariana, ''
Measure for Measure'' for the
Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford –upon-Avon (1956)
* Julie, ''
Danton's Death
''Danton's Death'' (''Dantons Tod'') was the first play written by Georg Büchner, set during the French Revolution.
History
Georg Büchner wrote his works in the period between Romanticism and Realism in the so-called Vormärz era in German hi ...
'' by George Buchner Directed by
Casper Wrede
Baron Casper Gustaf Kenneth Wrede af Elimä, known as Caspar Wrede (8 February 1929 in Viipuri, Finland – 25 September 1998 in Helsinki, Finland), was a Finnish theatre and film director. He was long active in the English theatre, co-founding t ...
for the 59 Theatre Company at The
Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)
The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London. (1959)
* Agnes, ''
Brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create ...
'' by
Henrik Ibsen. Directed by
Michael Elliott for the 59 Theatre Company at The
Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith)
The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London. (1959)
* Adela Quested, ''
A Passage to India
''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English liter ...
'' at the
Oxford Playhouse
Oxford Playhouse is a theatre designed by Edward Maufe and F.G.M. Chancellor. It is situated in Beaumont Street, Oxford, opposite the Ashmolean Museum.
History
The Playhouse was founded as ''The Red Barn'' at 12 Woodstock Road, North Oxfo ...
(1960)
* Rita, ''
Little Eyolf
Little is a synonym for small size and may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Little'' (album), 1990 debut album of Vic Chesnutt
* ''Little'' (film), 2019 American comedy film
*The Littles, a series of children's novels by American author John P ...
'' by
Henrik Ibsen. Directed by
Casper Wrede
Baron Casper Gustaf Kenneth Wrede af Elimä, known as Caspar Wrede (8 February 1929 in Viipuri, Finland – 25 September 1998 in Helsinki, Finland), was a Finnish theatre and film director. He was long active in the English theatre, co-founding t ...
for the 59 Theatre Company (1960)
* Kate Keller, ''
The Miracle Worker
''The Miracle Worker'' refers to a broadcast, a play and various other adaptations of Helen Keller's 1903 autobiography ''The Story of My Life''. The first of these works was a 1957 ''Playhouse 90'' broadcast written by William Gibson and sta ...
'' by
William Gibson
William Ford Gibson (born March 17, 1948) is an American-Canadian speculative fiction writer and essayist widely credited with pioneering the science fiction subgenre known as ''cyberpunk''. Beginning his writing career in the late 1970s, hi ...
at the
Old Vic
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
* Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
(1962)
* Solveig, ''
Peer Gynt'' by
Henrik Ibsen. Directed by
Michael Elliott at the
Old Vic
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
* Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
(1962)
* Isabella, ''
Measure for Measure''. Directed by
Michael Elliott at the
Old Vic
Old or OLD may refer to:
Places
*Old, Baranya, Hungary
*Old, Northamptonshire, England
* Old Street station, a railway and tube station in London (station code OLD)
*OLD, IATA code for Old Town Municipal Airport and Seaplane Base, Old Town, Ma ...
(1963)
* Mary Tyrone, ''
Long Day's Journey into Night'' by
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...
. Directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the Century Theatre, Manchester (1965)
* Mary Louise, ''The Ortolan'' by
Michael Meyer. Directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the Century Theatre, Manchester (1965)
* Portia, ''
The Merchant of Venice
''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock.
Although classified as ...
''. Directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the Century Theatre, Manchester (1967)
* Amanda, ''
Private Lives
''Private Lives'' is a 1930 comedy of manners in three acts by Noël Coward. It concerns a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetu ...
'' by
Noël Coward. Directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the Century Theatre, Manchester (1967)
* Widow Quinn, ''
The Playboy of the Western World
''The Playboy of the Western World'' is a three-act play written by Irish playwright John Millington Synge and first performed at the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, on 26 January 1907. It is set in Michael James Flaherty's public house in County Mayo (o ...
'' by
J. M. Synge
Edmund John Millington Synge (; 16 April 1871 – 24 March 1909) was an Irish playwright, poet, writer, collector of folklore, and a key figure in the Irish Literary Revival. His best known play ''The Playboy of the Western World'' was poorly r ...
. Directed by
Michael Elliott for the Century Theatre, Manchester (1968)
* Gertrude, ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
''. Directed by
Casper Wrede
Baron Casper Gustaf Kenneth Wrede af Elimä, known as Caspar Wrede (8 February 1929 in Viipuri, Finland – 25 September 1998 in Helsinki, Finland), was a Finnish theatre and film director. He was long active in the English theatre, co-founding t ...
for the 69 Theatre Company (1968)
* Joan, ''
The Trial of Joan of Arc
''The Trial of Joan of Arc'' (french: Procès de Jeanne d'Arc) is a 1962 French historical drama film written and directed by Robert Bresson. The title role is played by Florence Delay.
Synopsis
In 1431, Jeanne d'Arc, a peasant girl who has l ...
'' by
Gerard McLarnon
Gerard McLarnon (16 April 1915 – 16 August 1997) was an English-Irish actor and playwright. Born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, England, he was raised in Northern Ireland. His plays have been performed throughout the world, including Ireland, the U ...
. Directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
for the Century Theatre, Manchester (1969)
* Donna Lucia, Charley's Aunt at the Apollo Theatre 1971, London
* Donna Lucia, ''
Charley's Aunt
''Charley's Aunt'' is a farce in three acts written by Brandon Thomas. The story centres on Lord Fancourt Babberley, an undergraduate whose friends Jack and Charley persuade him to impersonate the latter's aunt. The complications of the plot in ...
'' by
Brandon Thomas Brandon Thomas may refer to:
*Brandon Thomas (playwright) (1848–1914), English actor and playwright who wrote the hit farce, ''Charley's Aunt''
*Brandon Thomas (musician) (born 1980), American rock band singer
*Brandon Thomas (American football), ...
Directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the 69 Theatre Company, Manchester (1972)
* ''
Time and the Conways
''Time and the Conways'' is a British play written by J. B. Priestley in 1937 illustrating J. W. Dunne's Theory of Time through the experience of a moneyed Yorkshire family, the Conways, over a period of nineteen years from 1919 to 1937. Wide ...
'' by
J B Priestley
John Boynton Priestley (; 13 September 1894 – 14 August 1984) was an English novelist, playwright, screenwriter, broadcaster and social commentator.
His Yorkshire background is reflected in much of his fiction, notably in ''The Good Compa ...
. Directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the 69 Theatre Company, Manchester (1973)
* Rosalind, ''
As You Like It'' at the
Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London.
The theatre
Established in 1932, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (1,256 seats) and is situated in Queen Mary ...
(1973)
* Catherine Petkoff, ''
Arms and the Man'' by
George Bernard Shaw
George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
at the
Northcott Theatre
The Northcott Theatre is a theatre situated on the Streatham Campus of the University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, England. It opened in 1967 and was run until 2010 by the Northcott Theatre Foundation, when the company ceased operating after a p ...
, Exeter (1974)
* Vera, ''
Pal Joey'' by
Rodgers and Hart
Rodgers and Hart were an American songwriting partnership between composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and the lyricist Lorenz Hart (1895–1943). They worked together on 28 stage musicals and more than 500 songs from 1919 until Hart' ...
at the
Northcott Theatre
The Northcott Theatre is a theatre situated on the Streatham Campus of the University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, England. It opened in 1967 and was run until 2010 by the Northcott Theatre Foundation, when the company ceased operating after a p ...
, Exeter (1974)
* Cleopatra, ''
Antony and Cleopatra'' at the
Northcott Theatre
The Northcott Theatre is a theatre situated on the Streatham Campus of the University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon, England. It opened in 1967 and was run until 2010 by the Northcott Theatre Foundation, when the company ceased operating after a p ...
, Exeter (1976)
* The Norwegian Lady, ''
The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold
''The Ordeal of Gilbert Pinfold'' is a novel by the British writer Evelyn Waugh, first published in July 1957. It is Waugh's penultimate full-length work of fiction, which the author called his "mad book"—a largely autobiographical account ...
'' by
Ronald Harwood
Sir Ronald Harwood ( né Horwitz; 9 November 1934 – 8 September 2020) was a South African-born British author, playwright, and screenwriter, best known for his plays for the British stage as well as the screenplays for ''The Dresser'' (for w ...
. World premiere directed by
Michael Elliott at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1977)
* Paulina, ''
The Winter's Tale
''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some crit ...
'' at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1978)
* Countess Freudenberg, ''The Deep Man'' by
Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist.
Early life
Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-cl ...
. British premiere directed by
Casper Wrede
Baron Casper Gustaf Kenneth Wrede af Elimä, known as Caspar Wrede (8 February 1929 in Viipuri, Finland – 25 September 1998 in Helsinki, Finland), was a Finnish theatre and film director. He was long active in the English theatre, co-founding t ...
at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1979)
* Lyuba, ''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by '' Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate editio ...
'' by
Anton Chekhov at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1980)
* Mrs Clay, ''Blood, Black and Gold'' by
Gerard McLarnon
Gerard McLarnon (16 April 1915 – 16 August 1997) was an English-Irish actor and playwright. Born in Clitheroe, Lancashire, England, he was raised in Northern Ireland. His plays have been performed throughout the world, including Ireland, the U ...
. World premiere directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1980)
* Adelaide Dupont, ''Have You Anything to Declare'' by
Maurice Hennequin
Maurice Hennequin (10 December 1863 – 3 September 1926) was a French-naturalized Belgian playwright.
Biography
A great-grandson of the painter Philippe-Auguste Hennequin, Maurice Hennequin was the son of Alfred Hennequin (1842–1887), him ...
. British premiere directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1980)
* Akhmatova, ''Hope Against Hope'' adapted and directed by
Casper Wrede
Baron Casper Gustaf Kenneth Wrede af Elimä, known as Caspar Wrede (8 February 1929 in Viipuri, Finland – 25 September 1998 in Helsinki, Finland), was a Finnish theatre and film director. He was long active in the English theatre, co-founding t ...
at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1983)
* Mary Cavan Tyrone, ''
Long Day's Journey into Night'' by
Eugene O'Neill
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill (October 16, 1888 – November 27, 1953) was an American playwright and Nobel laureate in Nobel Prize in Literature, literature. His poetically titled plays were among the first to introduce into the U.S. the drama tech ...
at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1985)
* Judith Bliss, ''
Hay Fever'' by
Noël Coward at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1985)
* The Dowager Countess of Drumdurris, ''The Cabinet Minister'' by
Arthur Wing Pinero at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1988)
* Jeannie, ''Your Home in the West'' by Rod Wooden. World premiere directed by
Braham Murray
Braham Sydney Murray, OBE (12 February 1943 – 25 July 2018) was an English theatre director. In 1976, he was one of five founding Artistic Directors of the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester, and the longest-serving (he retired in 2012).
Ear ...
at the
Royal Exchange, Manchester (1991)
Personal life
She married
Casper Wrede
Baron Casper Gustaf Kenneth Wrede af Elimä, known as Caspar Wrede (8 February 1929 in Viipuri, Finland – 25 September 1998 in Helsinki, Finland), was a Finnish theatre and film director. He was long active in the English theatre, co-founding t ...
in 1951 in London. They had one son. They were divorced in 1976.
Filmography
Bibliography
*
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hamlett, Dilys
1928 births
2002 deaths
British actresses
People from South Tidworth