Mary Casson

Last updated

Mary Casson
Born(1914-05-22)22 May 1914
London, England, United Kingdom
Died22 September 2009(2009-09-22) (aged 95)
OccupationTheatre actress
Years active1921–mid-1970s
Spouse(s)
​
​
(m. 1936;div. 1948)​
Children1

Mary Casson (22 May 1914 – 22 September 2009) was an English theatre actress who made her name in portraying characters in the plays of William Shakespeare and Wendy Darling in Peter Pan . Born into a theatrical family, she was in the theatre until the late 1930s before she switched to a career in music touring the United Kingdom.

Contents

Biography

Mary Casson was born on 22 May 1914 in the British capital of London. She was the daughter of the actor and director Lewis Casson and the actress Sybil Thorndike. Casson was part of a theatrical family that included her brothers Christopher, John and a sister Ann. [1] She was educated at home until she was seven years old when she was sent to the Francis Holland School in Sloane Square. Casson made her debut in the theatre at the age of six when she appeared as Belinda Cratchit in a 1921 production of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol at the Lyric Theatre . She appeared alongside her mother as Astyanax in The Trojan Women in 1922 and was Warwick's page in Saint Joan in Paris in 1924. [2] [3] Three years later, Casson made the first of six successive appearances as Wendy Darling at the Christmas performance of Peter Pan in the Gaiety Theatre and returned there in 1928. [2] [4] That year, she also toured South Africa with her parents, playing in Medea, Jane Clegg , The Lie, and Saint Joan . [5]

In 1929, she appeared opposite Gerald du Maurier in J. M. Barrie's Dear Brutus, [2] and made another appearances as Wendy Darling in Peter Pan at the St. James's Theatre from 1929 to 1931. Casson played the same character twice more in the same play at the Palladium Theatre between 1931 and 1933. [4] She played the Second Witch in Macbeth in April 1932 at the Kingsway Theatre, [6] and went on to portray more of William Shakespeare's characters, such as Juliet, Ophelia, Olivia in Twelfth Night, Nerissa in The Merchant of Venice and Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew for which her performances were praised for "their sincerity and freshness." [2] From their wedding at the Reedmer Church in London on 7 March 1936 to 1948, Casson was married to the actor William Devlin and the couple had a daughter; [7] [8] Casson and Deviln had become engaged in December 1932. [3]

Afterwards, she began a second career as a musician touring the United Kingdom and accompanied herself on the virginals. In 1952, Casson married her daughter's primary school teacher, Ian Haines, and worked as an accompanist in schools in Barking, East London until she retired in the mid-1970s. She began to play the organ at the age of 70 and continued to play the instrument at the St Andrews Church in Wickhambreaux near Canterbury a few weeks before her death. [2] Casson died on 22 September 2009. [5]

Personality

The journalist Jonathan Croall described Casson as "a lively, intelligent woman, full of the zest for life that characterised her mother" and had "a clear-sighted view of her parents". [2]

Related Research Articles

J. M. Barrie British novelist and playwright (1860-1937)

Sir James Matthew Barrie, 1st Baronet, was a Scottish novelist and playwright, best remembered as the creator of Peter Pan. He was born and educated in Scotland and then moved to London, where he wrote a number of successful novels and plays. There he met the Llewelyn Davies boys, who inspired him to write about a baby boy who has magical adventures in Kensington Gardens, then to write Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up, a 1904 West End "fairy play" about an ageless boy and an ordinary girl named Wendy who have adventures in the fantasy setting of Neverland.

Peggy Ashcroft English actress (1907–1991)

Dame Edith Margaret Emily Ashcroft, known professionally as Peggy Ashcroft, was an English actress whose career spanned more than 60 years.

Noël Coward Theatre West End theatre in St. Martins Lane in London, formerly the Albery Theatre

The Noël Coward Theatre, formerly known as the Albery Theatre, is a West End theatre in St. Martin's Lane in the City of Westminster, London. It opened on 12 March 1903 as the New Theatre and was built by Sir Charles Wyndham behind Wyndham's Theatre which was completed in 1899. The building was designed by the architect W. G. R. Sprague with an exterior in the classical style and an interior in the Rococo style.

<i>Peter Pan</i> (2003 film) 2003 American film directed by P. J. Hogan

Peter Pan is a 2003 fantasy adventure film directed by P.J. Hogan and written by Hogan and Michael Goldenberg. The screenplay is based on the 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J.M. Barrie. Jason Isaacs plays the dual roles of Captain Hook and George Darling, Olivia Williams plays Mary Darling, while Jeremy Sumpter plays Peter Pan, Rachel Hurd-Wood plays Wendy Darling, and Ludivine Sagnier plays Tinker Bell. Lynn Redgrave plays a supporting role as Aunt Millicent, a new character created for the film.

<i>Peter Pan</i> (1953 film) 1953 animated fantasy-adventure film by Disney

Peter Pan is a 1953 American animated adventure fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the 1904 play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J. M. Barrie. Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske and Wilfred Jackson, it is the 14th Disney animated feature film. Starring the voices of Bobby Driscoll, Kathryn Beaumont, Hans Conried, Paul Collins, Heather Angel, and Bill Thompson, the film's plot involves a group of kids who meet Peter Pan and travel to the island of Never Land to stay young, where Peter also attempts to evade Captain Hook.

<i>Finding Neverland</i> (film) 2004 US/UK historical fantasy drama film by Marc Forster

Finding Neverland is a 2004 biographical drama film directed by Marc Forster and written by David Magee, based on the 1998 play The Man Who Was Peter Pan by Allan Knee. The film is about playwright J. M. Barrie and his relationship with a family who inspired him to create Peter Pan. The film earned seven nominations at the 77th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for Johnny Depp, and won for Best Original Score. The film was the inspiration for the stage musical of the same name in 2012.

Sybil Thorndike British actress

Dame Agnes Sybil Thorndike, Lady Casson was an English actress who toured internationally in Shakespearean productions, often appearing with her husband Lewis Casson. Bernard Shaw wrote Saint Joan specially for her, and she starred in it with great success. She was made Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1931, and Companion of Honour in 1970.

Lewis Casson English actor and theatre director

Sir Lewis Thomas Casson MC was an English actor and theatre director, and the husband of actress Dame Sybil Thorndike.

Henry Ainley English actor

Henry Hinchliffe Ainley was an English actor.

Wendy Darling Character created by J.M. Barrie

Wendy Moira Angela Darling is a fictional character and one of the main protagonists of the 1904 play and 1911 novel Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie, as well as in most adaptations in other media. Her exact age is not specified in the original play or novel by Barrie, though it is implied that she is about 12–13 years old or possibly younger, as she is "just Peter's size". As a girl on the verge of adulthood, she stands in contrast to Peter Pan, a boy who refuses to grow up, the major theme of the Peter Pan stories. Wendy hesitates at first to fly off to Neverland, but she comes to enjoy her adventures. Ultimately, she chooses to go back to her parents and accepts that she has to grow up.

<i>Peter Pan</i> (1954 musical) 1954 musical adaptation

Peter Pan is a musical based on J. M. Barrie's 1904 play Peter Pan and his 1911 novelization of it, Peter and Wendy. The music is mostly by Moose Charlap, with additional music by Jule Styne, and most of the lyrics were written by Carolyn Leigh, with additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green.

Margaret Rawlings English actress

Margaret Rawlings, Lady Barlow was an English stage actress, born in Osaka, Japan, daughter of the Rev. George William Rawlings and his wife Lilian Rawlings.

<i>Peter and Wendy</i> Book and play by J. M. Barrie

Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up or Peter and Wendy, often known simply as Peter Pan, is a work by J. M. Barrie, in the form of a 1904 play and a 1911 novel. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous yet innocent little boy who can fly, and has many adventures on the island of Neverland that is inhabited by mermaids, fairies, Native Americans, and pirates. The Peter Pan stories also involve the characters Wendy Darling and her two brothers John and Michael, Peter's fairy Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and the pirate Captain Hook. The play and novel were inspired by Barrie's friendship with the Llewelyn Davies family. Barrie continued to revise the play for years after its debut until publication of the play script in 1928.

Pamela Margaret Stanley was a British actress who appeared in a number of stage and film roles in Britain and the United States; the role with which she became most identified with was that of Queen Victoria.

Basil Langton English actor

Basil Calvert Langton was an English actor, director and photographer, who made a career on both sides of the Atlantic. He was an authority on the plays of George Bernard Shaw and compiled an archive of more than 400,000 words of interviews with people who had known and worked with Shaw. He was also a teacher, working at colleges in New York and California.

Viva Birkett

Viva Birkett was a British stage actress active on both sides of the Atlantic over the early decades of the twentieth century.

John Sayer Crawley British actor

John Sayer Crawley was an English actor who, as Sayre Crawley, spent more than 40 years in American theatre playing roles on Broadway and at the Garden Theatre, among other venues.

Wendy & Peter Pan is a play by Ella Hickson, adapted from the original play and novel Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by J.M. Barrie. The play is a re-telling of the classic children's story which features Wendy Darling as the protagonist who flies away with Peter Pan to Neverland.

Ela Q. May Child actress of the Edwardian era

Ela Queenie May was a child actress of the Edwardian era. She is probably best remembered as Liza, the Darling family servant, in the original production of Peter Pan and later played Wendy Darling in the touring companies of Peter Pan (1906–08). Before that, she played roles at several West End theatres from 1900, including the title role in Ib and Little Christina in 1901 and again in 1904.

References

  1. ↑ Commire, Anne; Klezmer, Deborah, eds. (2007). "Casson, Mary (b. 1914)" . Dictionary of Women Worldwide: 25,000 Women Through the Ages . Vol. 1. Yorkin Publications. p. 344. Retrieved 31 July 2019– via Gale Virtual Reference Library.{{cite encyclopedia}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Croall, Jonathan (1 October 2009). "Mary Casson obituary". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Miss Mary Casson Engaged; Secret Kept For Six Weeks". Gloucester Citizen . 30 January 1936. p. 6. Retrieved 30 April 2022– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
  4. 1 2 K. Hanson, Bruce (10 August 2011). Peter Pan on Stage and Screen, 1904–2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. pp. 342–344. ISBN   978-0-7864-8619-9 . Retrieved 31 July 2019.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. 1 2 Croall, Jonathan (20 October 2009). "Mary Casson". The Stage . Archived from the original on 31 July 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  6. ↑ Parker, John (1933). "Kingsway: 18 April, 1932: "Macbeth": A tragedy by William Shakespeare". Who's Who in the Theatre: A Biographical Record of the Contemporary Stage: 131. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  7. ↑ "Obituary of Mr William Devlin, Scholarly actor famous for his interpretation of Lear" . The Times . 27 January 1987. Retrieved 31 July 2019– via Gale Academic OneFile.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ↑ "Romance of the Stage Wedding of Miss Mary Casson and Mr. Wm. Devlin Miss Mary Casson". Western Mail . 9 March 1936. p. 13. Retrieved 30 April 2022– via Newspapers.com Open Access logo PLoS transparent.svg .
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.