Playwright. Born Leicester. Came to London in 1951 as a student at RADA, where he met fellow student Kenneth Halliwell. Works include Entertaining Mr Sloane and Loot, in which he wrote the part of Inspector Truscott for his close friend Kenneth Williams. In 1962 Orton and his partner, Halliwell, were prosecuted for stealing and defacing books from the Islington Public Library. Jealous of his sexual adventures, Halliwell murdered Orton with a hammer and then committed suicide with sleeping pills, at 25 Noel Road.
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Lilian Baylis, C.H.
Theatrical producer and manager. Born 19 Nottingham Street, Marylebone, Niece of Emma Cons. Managed the Old Vic and Sadler's Wells. Ran other companies which later became: The English National Oper...
Nell Gwynne
Eleanor Gwyn, Gwynn, Gwynne, whatever. Born Hereford. Rumoured to have lived at Lauderdale House as the mistress of Charles II, where she dangled her first-born from a window to scare the King int...
Spotlight
Publishes casting directories.
George Edwardes
Theatre manager. Born Lincolnshire. His cousins were Irish theatre managers which enabled him to start in the business. He moved to London in the late 1870s and worked for D'Oyly Carte. In 1885 ...
Sir Henry Taylor
Born Bishop Middleham, County Durham. Poet, playwright and public servant. He went to sea as a young man, but after finding it did not agree with his health, took up a position in the Treasury. H...
Person, Poetry, Politics & Administration, Race Issues, Theatre