MR ALLAN WILKIE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIII, 11 May 1929, Page 4

MR ALLAN WILKIE

REMARKABLE SHAKESPEAREAN RECORD

SUCCESS OF UNPROMISING ENTERPRISE

Mr Allan Wilkie, who, with his Shakespearean company, will appear at Nelson for a week commencing on 2!lth May, by touring Australia aud New Zealand for eight and a half years with his Shakespearean company, lias achieved what was believed by experienced theatrical managers to lie an impossibility. Shakespeare has never been found to be a handsomely remunerative proposition as a theatrical venture.in any part of the British Empire even when there arc larger populations than in this part of the world. As a matter of fact countless theatrical ventures with Shakespeare have ended in financial disaster. It required an inordinate faith in Shakespeare and himself on the part of Mr Wilkie to embark oil such an unpromising enterprise. That he lias contrived to carry out his self-imposed task, the popularising of Shakespeare, for so long a period in the face of stupendous difficulties, including a disastrous lire in a Geelong theatre which destroyed the whole of his wardrobe, is a tribute to his unswerving devotion to the cause. Mr Wilkie is a native of Liverpool, where he was born 51 years ago. His father was a native of Rothesay, Scotland, and his mother’s birthplace was Hampshire, England. Mr Wilkie Was educated at the Liverpool High School, and in liis school days was a devoted student of Shakespeare. He left school when sixteen years of age, and, to his disgust, was placed in the office of a Liverpool cotton firm. After live years of commercial life Mr Wilkie embarked upon a theatrical career. His first appearance was at the New Theatre, Cambridge, in “A Lady of Quality,” a drama by Frances Hodgson Burnett (authoress of “Little Lord Fauntleroy”). Mr Wilkie had to be content with a “walking part” at the munificent salary of £1 Is per week! Mr Wilkie played in the drama in Ipswicli, and finally in London. He next received an engagement with one of tlie twenty companies controlled by Mr Ben Greet, the noted actor-manager. He figured in the small part of Virturius in “The Sign of tlie Cross” at a weekly salary of 255. Mr Wilkie toured through Scotland with the company, and then followed engagements with other of Mr Grcet’s touring companies, playing Drury Lane dramas. His third engagement was with “The Great Ruby” Company, being required to play five speaking parts each night for a salary of 30s per week. Following that Mr Wilkie joined Rawson Buckley’s Shakespearean Company. Next came a six months’ engagement with Mr Ben Greet’s comedy company which toured tlie English provinces with Shakespearean and old English comedies. A varied career ensued for him, playing as he did in all kinds of companies, ranging from melodrama to comedy and farce comedy, and embracing West End successes. Mr Wilkie’s roles included “leads,” heavy parts, old and young men. The time was spent mostly in touring the provinces, but included one or two short London engagements. He next appeared with Sir Herbert Tree for a year, taking important parts in Shakespeare and “Tlie Man Who Was” —an adaptation of Kipling’s story of that name. This engagement included seasons in London and Dublin and a tour of the provinces, also a special “command” performance before King Edward in which Mr Wilkie took the role of Northumberland in “Richard II.” After that Mr Wilkie joined Fred Terry and Julia Nielson for a six months’ season in London and a tour of the provinces, in “Tlie Scarlet Pimpernel.”

Mr Wilkie next assumed the responsibilities of an actor-manager of his own company, taking “leads” in Shakespearean plays, old English comedies and classical dramas, touring the English provinces for six years. He then toured with his own company through India and the Far East for eighteen months, taking his established repertoire enlarged with modern plays by Bernard Shaw, Pinero, Oscar Wilde, etc., etc. On his return to England, after a well-earned rest, he went to South Africa under engagement to Mr Leonard Bayne to appear in modern plays. When the Great War broke out Mr Wilkie went to Australia and accepted an engagement to appear with Nellie Stewart in “Sweet Nell,” ‘fDu Barry” and similar productions. A Shakespearean season followed, in 1916, at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, after which Mr Wilkie formed his own company, and produced several modern plays, including a couple of war productions.

In September, 1920—over eight years ago—Mr Wilkie started his present Sliakespearean Company, and, except for the interim of a few months necessitated by the fire at Geelong, has toured the Commonwealth and the Dominion year in and year out, producing Shakespearean plays exclusively. In recognition of his unparalleled services in presenting the works of Britain’s great national playwright with such continuous devotion His Majesty the King conferred upon Mr Wilkie the decoration of the C.B.E.