George Laurier Lister, OBE (22 April 1907 – 30 September 1986) was an English theatre writer, actor, director and producer, best known for a series of revues presented in London in the late 1940s and 1950s. He was later associated with

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

in the West End and at the

Chichester Festival Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin ...

. From 1964 to 1975 he was director and administrator of the

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a theatre located in Guildford, Surrey, England. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, it presents a series of locally produced and national touring productions, including opera, ballet and pantomime. The theatre ...

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

Life and career

Early years

Laurier Lister was born in

Sanderstead Sanderstead is a village and medieval-founded church parish at the southern end of Croydon in south London, England, within the London Borough of Croydon, and formerly in the historic county of Surrey, until 1965. It takes in Purley Downs and S ...

Croydon Croydon is a large town in south London, England, south of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Croydon, a local government district of Greater London. It is one of the largest commercial districts in Greater London, with an extensi ...

, Surrey, the son of an English father, George Daniel Lister, and an American mother, Susie May Lister, ''née'' Kooy.Herbert, pp. 1090–1091Marriott, R. B. "Laurier Lister: Manager in Two Capitals", ''The Stage'', 26 September 1957, p. 8 He was educated at

Dulwich College Dulwich College is a 2–19 Independent school (United Kingdom), independent, Day school, day and boarding school for Single-sex education, boys in Dulwich, London, England. As a Public school (United Kingdom), public school, it began as the Col ...

and then studied for the stage at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

. He made his first professional appearance on the stage at the Globe Theatre, London, on 20 February 1925, as a dancer in the nightclub scene in Harry Graham's comedy ''The Grand Duchess''. At the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...

in June, 1926 he appeared in Noël Coward's '' Easy Virtue'' in a non-speaking role. He played for six months at the Little Theatre,

Bristol Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...

and then appeared at the Stratford-on-Avon Memorial Theatre Theatre in a season in which ''

The Taming of the Shrew ''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...

'', '' Macbeth'', ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vi ...

'', ''

Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' ( W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. 1387 The play ...

'', ''

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 ...

'', and '' Henry the Fifth'' were played. He toured in Egypt with Robert Atkins's Shakespearean company and returned to Stratford-on-Avon in 1928–29

1930s

In 1930 Lister toured in South Africa with

Olga Lindo Olga Lindo (13 July 1899 – 7 May 1968) was an English actress. She was the daughter of Frank Lindo, a well-known actor, manager and author. She made her stage debut at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane on 26 December 1913. She later joined her ...

's company in a repertory of six plays including '' The Constant Nymph''. On his return he appeared at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy P ...

in June 1931 with

Mabel Terry-Lewis Mabel Gwynedd Terry-Lewis (born as Mabel Gwynedd Lewis) ( 28 October 1872 – 28 November 1957) was an English actress and a member of the Terry-Gielgud dynasty of actors of the 19th and 20th centuries. After a successful career in her twe ...

and Celia Johnson in ''Death Takes a Holiday'' in the role of Eric Fenton. Throughout the 1930s he was frequently seen on the London stage. His roles included Sebastian in ''Twelfth Night'' (1933) to the Viola of

Margaretta Scott Margaretta Mary Winifred ScottBrian McFarlane, "Scott, Margaretta Mary Winifred (1912–2005)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, Jan 201available online Retrieved 30 August 2020. (13 February 1912 – 15 Apri ...

, Corporal Martiez in ''Cabbages and Kings'' (1933), Arthur Stone in ''Hervey House'' (1934), Edgar Linton in ''

Wuthering Heights ''Wuthering Heights'' is an 1847 novel by Emily Brontë, initially published under her pen name Ellis Bell. It concerns two families of the landed gentry living on the West Yorkshire moors, the Earnshaws and the Lintons, and their turbulent re ...

'' (1935), Rylands in ''Immortal Garden'' (1936) and Lord Times in ''

A Kiss for Cinderella ''A Kiss for Cinderella'' is a play by J. M. Barrie. It was first produced in London at Wyndham's Theatre on March 16, 1916, starring Gerald du Maurier and Hilda Trevelyan, enjoying great success over 156 performances, and with several annual Ch ...

'' (1937). In 1938 he played Lieut Commander Richard Sanford in Charles Morgan's "The Flashing Stream," and played the same part at the Biltmore Theatre, New York in April 1939, in a cast that included

Felix Aylmer Sir Felix Edward Aylmer Jones, OBE (21 February 1889 – 2 September 1979) was an English stage actor who also appeared in the cinema and on television. Aylmer made appearances in films with comedians such as Will Hay and George Formby. Earl ...

Leo Genn Leopold John Genn (9 August 190526 January 1978) was an English actor and barrister. Distinguished by his relaxed charm and smooth, "black velvet" voice, he had a lengthy career in theatre, film, television, and radio; often playing aristocr ...

Margaret Rawlings Margaret Rawlings, Lady Barlow (5 June 1906 – 19 May 1996) was an English stage actress, born in Osaka, Japan, daughter of the Rev. George William Rawlings and his wife Lilian (née Boddington) Rawlings. Personal life/affiliations She was e ...

and

Godfrey Tearle Sir Godfrey Seymour Tearle (12 October 1884 – 9 June 1953) was a British actor who portrayed the quintessential British gentleman on stage and in both British and US films. Biography Born in New York City and brought up in Britain, he was t ...

. In addition to acting in the West End, Lister co-wrote five plays seen in London in the 1930s: ''The Soldier and the Gentlewoman'' (with

Dorothy Massingham Dorothy Massingham ( – ) was a British actress and playwright. Dorothy Massingham was born on in Highgate, daughter of the journalist H. W. Massingham and Emma Snowdon. She was educated at the Graham High Street School and the Academy for ...

), 1933; ''When the Bough Breaks'' (with Henrietta Leslie), 1936; ''The Tree'' (with Leslie), 1937; ''Against Our Hearts'' (with

Max Adrian Max Adrian (born Guy Thornton Bor; 1 November 1903 – 19 January 1973) was an Irish stage, film and television actor and singer. He was a founding member of both the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre. In addition to his succ ...

), 1937; and ''She, Too, Was Young'' (with

Hilda Vaughan Hilda Campbell Vaughan (married name Morgan, 12 June 1892 – 4 November 1985) was a Welsh novelist and short story writer writing in English. Her ten varied novels, set mostly in her native Radnorshire, concern rural communities and heroines. ...

), 1938. The first of these was described by '' The Saturday Review'' as "arid, yet revolting", and closed within a fortnight. Of the others, only the last was modestly successful, running for 110 performances.

Revues and later career

Lister served in the

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...

in the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After the war he became a West End producer and director. In the late 1940s and the 1950s he devised, directed and produced a series of highly successful revues, with such artists as Max Adrian,

Joyce Grenfell Joyce Irene Grenfell OBE (''née'' Phipps; 10 February 1910 – 30 November 1979) was an English diseuse, singer, actress and writer. She was known for the songs and monologues she wrote and performed, at first in revues and later in her solo s ...

, Elizabeth Welch, Ian Wallace, Rose Hill and

Betty Marsden Betty Marsden (24 February 1919 – 18 July 1998) was an English comedy actress. She is particularly remembered as a cast member of the radio series '' Beyond Our Ken'' and ''Round the Horne''. Marsden also appeared in two Carry On films, ''Carr ...

, with material by, among others,

Michael Flanders Michael Henry Flanders (1 March 1922 – 14 April 1975) was an English actor, broadcaster, and writer and performer of comic songs. He is best known for his stage partnership with Donald Swann. As a young man Flanders seemed to be heading f ...

Donald Swann Donald Ibrahim Swann (30 September 1923 – 23 March 1994) was a British composer, musician, singer and entertainer. He was one half of Flanders and Swann, writing and performing comic songs with Michael Flanders. Life Donald Swann was born ...

Alan Melville Alan Melville (19 May 1910 – 18 April 1983) was a South African cricketer who played in 11 Tests from 1938 to 1949. He was born in Carnarvon, Northern Cape, South Africa and died at Sabie, Transvaal. Early life and cricket career Melville w ...

Sandy Wilson Alexander Galbraith "Sandy" Wilson (19 May 1924 – 27 August 2014) was an English composer and lyricist, best known for his musical '' The Boy Friend'' (1953). Biography Wilson was born in Sale, Cheshire, England, and was educated at Harrow S ...

and

Richard Addinsell Richard Stewart Addinsell (13 January 190414 November 1977) was an English composer, best known for film music, primarily his '' Warsaw Concerto'', composed for the 1941 film '' Dangerous Moonlight'' (also known under the later title ''Suicide S ...

. ''Tuppence Coloured'' (1947) was followed by ''Oranges and Lemons'' (1948), ''Penny Plain'' (1951), ''

Airs on a Shoestring ''Airs on a Shoestring'' was a British musical revue, first staged at the Royal Court Theatre in London on 22 April 1953. The show, described as "an intimate revue", was devised and directed by Laurier Lister. Cast members included Max Adrian, Ma ...

'' (1953), ''Pay the Piper'' (1954); ''Joyce Grenfell Requests the Pleasure'' (1954), ''From Here and There'' (1955) and ''Fresh Airs'' (1956)."The Lyric, Hammersmith", ''The Times'' , 27 November 1948, p. 2; "St Martin's Theatre", ''The Times'', 29 June 1951, p. 6; "Royal Court Theatre", ''The Times'', 23 April 1953, p. 6; "Mr. Laurier Lister's New Revue", ''The Times'', 14 December 1954, p. 7; "Royal Court Theatre", ''The Times'' , 30 June 1955, p. 15; and "Comedy Theatre", ''The Times'' , 27 January 1956, p. 7 In a survey of his shows in 1955 ''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

'' called Lister "our most progressive producer of light entertainment" and remarked on the "deep impression" he had made in the West End theatre.Marriott, R. B. "Laurier Lister surveys his successes and failures", ''The Stage'', 25 August 1955, p. 8 In 1958, Lister became artistic director of

's play producing company. In that capacity he was responsible for several important productions, and when Olivier took charge of the

, Lister was his assistant for the first two seasons, dealing with finance and casting for what ''The Times'' called "such distinguished productions as ''The Broken Heart'', ''

Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the dir ...

'' and '' Saint Joan''". From 1964 to 1975 Lister was director and administrator of the

. He was awarded the OBE in 1976.Supplement to the London Gazette, 1 January 1976
/ref>

Personal life

Lister had a long personal relationship with the actor Max Adrian, with whom he lived in a cottage in

Shamley Green Wonersh is a village and civil parish in the Waverley district of Surrey, England and Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Wonersh contains three Conservation Areas and spans an area three to six miles SSE of Guildford. In th ...

in Surrey. Adrian died in 1973; Lister outlived him by thirteen years, dying on 30 September 1986 at the age of 79."Mr Laurier Lister", ''The Times'', 2 October 1986, p. 14

References and sources

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lister, Laurier 1907 births 1986 deaths British male actors English musical theatre directors Musical theatre producers Officers of the Order of the British Empire Royal Air Force personnel of World War II