Donald Wolfit

Sir Donald Wolfit, KBE (born Donald Woolfitt; Harwood, Ronald
"Wolfit, Sir Donald (1902–1968)"
''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008; accessed 14 July 2009 20 April 1902 – 17 February 1968) was an English actor-manager, known for his touring wartime productions of Shakespeare. He was especially renowned for his portrayal of King Lear.

Personal life

Wolfit was born at New Balderton, near Newark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire, and attended the Magnus Grammar School. He made his stage début in 1920 and first appeared in the West End in 1924, playing in ''The Wandering Jew.'' He was married three times. His first wife was the actress Chris Castor, and their daughter Margaret Wolfit (1929–2008) was also an actor. He had two children by his second marriage - Harriet Graham, actor and writer, and Adam Wolfit, a photographer. An active Freemason, he became Master of Green Room Lodge in 1965.

Wolfit was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1950 for his services to the theatre, and knighted in 1957.

Career

He played some major supporting roles at the Old Vic Theatre in 1930, appearing in ''Richard of Bordeaux'' with John Gielgud, and finally gained prominence at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in 1936 as Hamlet, whereupon he tried to persuade the management to finance him on a tour of the provinces. They declined the invitation, so he withdrew his savings and in 1937 started his own touring company, which he would lead for many years, prompting Hermione Gingold's ''bon mot'': "Olivier is a tour-de-force, and Wolfit is forced to tour."

Shakespearean theatre

Wolfit's speciality was Shakespeare. He was known especially for his Shakespearean touring company which he set up with his own money touring in many countries Far East (Asia) Arabia Australia USA And England Not only was he a director he also acted in many of his plays alongside his main leading principle Pamella Carrington Coutte He was also well know in King Lear and Richard III. He also played Oedipus, and the lead roles in Ben Jonson's ''Volpone'' and Christopher Marlowe's ''Tamburlaine''. His touring company performed in London during the Battle of Britain in 1940 and Wolfit staged a very successful series of abridged versions of Shakespeare's plays in London during the Second World War in the early afternoon for lunchtime audiences. In January 1942, by arrangement with Lionel L. Falck, Donald Wolfit presented ''Richard III'' at the Strand Theatre in London. Wolfit played King Richard; others in the production included Eric Maxon (King Edward IV), and Frank Thornton (Sir William Catesby). In 1947 Wolfit proved unpopular with American critics when he took the company to Broadway. He appeared at Stratford during the 1950s in his signature role of King Lear, and was invited to play Falstaff at the RSC in 1962 but turned the offer down when he discovered Paul Scofield would be playing Lear there at the same time, saying "Lear is still the brightest jewel in my crown!" Edith Sitwell wrote to Wolfit: "The cosmic grandeur of your King Lear left us unable to speak. ... all imaginable fires of agony and all the light of redemption are there."

Amongst his many other theatrical roles were appearances in ''A Murder Has Been Arranged'' by Emlyn Williams, Agatha Christie's '' Black Coffee'', Constance Cox's ''The Romance of David Garrick'' and Bill Naughton's '' All in Good Time''.

Film and radio

Although Wolfit was primarily a stage actor, he appeared in over thirty films, such as ''Svengali'' (1954), ''Blood of the Vampire'' (1958), '' Room at the Top'' (1959), ''Lawrence of Arabia'' (1962) and ''Becket'' (1964). He worked a good deal for the BBC
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