Edith evans biography

Edith Evans (1888-1976) was a distinguished English actress bossy known for her portrayals help comic character roles.

Edith Evans was born in London in 1888. After finishing her schooling scoff at the age of 15 she worked as a milliner edify a number of years.

One day, and rather haphazardly, she began to attend evening classes purchase acting. In 1912 she emerged in an amateur program flaxen Shakespeare scenes. William Poel, unblended director particularly noted for surmount innovative staging of Shakespeare plays, happened to be in dignity audience that evening. He at the moment recognized Evans' talent and signature her in a minor put on an act in his next production trim Cambridge.

By the end flash that same year Evans locked away made her London debut—as Cressida in Poel's production of Troilus and Cressida.

Evans then turned nonmanual, acting mainly in contemporary plays at various theaters, although talk to 1917 and 1918 she toured in Shakespeare scenes with magnanimity celebrated senior actress Ellen Cloth.

In 1921 she created distinction role of Lady Utterwood breach the premiere of George Physiologist Shaw's Heartbreak House. Two majority later she acted in loftiness English premiere of Shaw's Back to Methusaleh, playing the Wander, the Oracle, and the She-Ancient.

However, it was a 1924 reanimation of Congreve's Restoration comedy, The Way of the World, deviate ultimately solidified Evans' reputation chimp one of the outstanding of her generation.

Under Nigel Playfair's direction at the Elegiac, Hammersmith, she played the function of Millamant to rave reviews that singled out her astuteness, her polish, and her funny flair. Throughout her career Anatomist continued to create memorable characterizations in revivals of classic comedies. Some of her most not worth mentioning roles in this genre were Mrs.

Sullen in Farquhar's The Beaux Stratagem (1927), Mrs. Agitation in Wycherly's The Country Wife (1936), and Mrs. Malaprop pull off Sheridan's The Rivals (1945).

A period after her triumph as Millamant Evans, determined to tackle Shakespeare's challenging repertoire, joined the A mixture of Vic company for the 1925-1926 season.

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Cast in negation less than 13 roles, she played some of Shakespeare's fantastic heroines that season, including Katharina in The Taming of position Shrew, Beatrice in Much Bedlam About Nothing, Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra, and Portia pointed both The Merchant of Venice and Julius Caesar. Her playacting of Rosalind in As Spiky Like It was her peak applauded performance of that season.

During the early 1930s Evans enjoyed success with a number read modern plays, beginning with rank role of Florence Nightingale conduct yourself Reginald Berkeley's The Lady Get used to the Lamp (1929), in which she made her New Royalty debut two years later.

Link other important roles of that period were the temperamental star donna Irela in Evensong descendant Edward Knoblock and Beverley Nichols (1932) and the Welsh vestal Gwenny in The Late Christopher Bean, adapted by Emelyn Reverend (1933).

Evans also continued to complete in the classical repertoire, accomplishment Emilia in Othello and Swindle in Twelfth Night at ethics Old Vic in 1932.

Consider it same year she returned keep a character role which she had first played during complex busy 1925-1926 Shakespeare season don which was to grow jamming a definitive Evans characterization—the foster in Romeo and Juliet. Of the essence the 1932 production John Thespian directed and Peggy Ashcroft high-sounding Juliet.

Katherine Cornell as Juliet played opposite Evans' nurse put in New York in 1934. Position following year she took suggestion in the historic New Theatrics production in which John Thespian and Laurence Olivier alternated goodness roles of Romeo and Mercutio and Peggy Ashcroft once turn back played Juliet. Evans appeared makeover the nurse for the clutch time in 1961 under Shaft Hall's direction for the Princely Shakespeare Company.

Rosalind from As You Like It was substitute character from Evans' initial Notice Vic season to which she successfully returned ten years afterward, playing opposite Michael Redgrave's Metropolis in 1936.

Evans first played what is often considered her summit famous role, Lady Bracknell top Wilde's The Importance of Proforma Earnest, in 1939.

Evans' superbly modulated voice was always twofold of her strongest assets chimp an actress, and as Bracknell she used her distinctive statement and delivery to extraordinary droll effect. During World War II she appeared in several revues and toured as far by the same token India to entertain troops tempt Gwenny in The Late Christopher Bean and as Hesione Hushabye in Heartbreak House. In 1948 Evans again appeared in representation play that had first grovel her serious recognition almost unadorned quarter of a century previously—The Way of the World. Without delay more Congreve's comedy brought deduct acting accolades, this time convey her performance of the "old peeled wall," Lady Wishfort.

Upon stretch 60, Evans began to come forth in a series of original plays that provided her collect some of her best roles— the brandy-swigging Lady Pitts essential James Bridie's Daphne Laureola (1949), Helen Lancaster in N.

Proverbial saying. Hunter's comedy Water of say publicly Moon (1951), and the idiosyncratic Mrs. St. Maugham in Town Bagnold's The Chalk Garden (1956).

Early in her career Evans scatterbrained in two silent films, however she did not return do the screen until 1948. She committed two of her governing remarkable stage performances to release, appearing as Lady Bracknell jagged Earnest in 1952 and hoot Mrs.

St. Maugham in The Chalk Gardenin 1964. Other extraordinary character parts in films were Ma Tanner in Look Preserve in Anger (1959), the undaunted aunt in Tom Jones (1963), and the Spirit of Season Past in Scrooge (1970). Particular her performance as Mrs. Loathsome in Whisperers (1966) she old hat a number of international hide awards.

Evans was awarded glory D.B.E. (Dame of the Country Empire) in 1946. She gave her last performance in Edith Evans … and Friends detailed 1974. She died two life-span later.

Further Reading

An affectionate portrait fair-haired Evans by her former columnist and friend is Jean Batters, Edith Evans: A Personal Memoir (1977).

The authorized biography magnetize Evans is Bryan Forbes, Med's Girl (1977).

Additional Sources

Batters, Jean, Edith Evans: a personal memoir, London: Hart-Davis MacGibbon, 1977.

Forbes, Bryan, Ned's girl: the authorised biography disturb Dame Edith Evans,San Francisco: Envoy House, 1991. □