Charles Laurence
Encyclopedia
Early life
Charles Laurence was born Carlos Felipes in Tangiers on 10 January 1931 when it was an International Zone, to a Swiss-Scottish mother and a Gibraltarian father of Spanish-Italian decent. Until the age of seven he spoke only French and Spanish. He learned English as well when the family moved to England. As a young boy he went to Taunton School in Somerset and then to the Actors Academy RADA.Career
In the early 1950s after a spell at Guildford Repertoire (1953) he appeared in numerous stage plays and comedies in repertoire at the Oxford Playhouse and the Bristol Old VicBristol Old Vic
The Bristol Old Vic is a theatre company based at the Theatre Royal, King Street, in Bristol, England. The theatre complex includes the 1766 Theatre Royal, which claims to be the oldest continually-operating theatre in England, along with a 1970s studio theatre , offices and backstage facilities...
. In the West End
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
he appeared in Ross at the Haymarket Theatre
Haymarket Theatre
The Theatre Royal Haymarket is a West End theatre in the Haymarket in the City of Westminster which dates back to 1720, making it the third-oldest London playhouse still in use...
. In the 1950s and 1960s he appeared in films and on TV. He worked as a playwright from 1969 to 1999.
Work as an actor
- Man in a Suitcase (1967–1968)
- The Magnificent Two (1967)
- Vendetta (1966)
- 199 Park Lane (1965)
- A High Wind in Jamaica (1965)
- The Third Man (1964)
- Sierra Nine (1963)
- Dixon of Dock Green (1962)
- Hotel Imperial (1960)
- ITV Play of the Week: (The Last Hours (1959) and The School for Wives (1958))
- A Hill in KoreaA Hill in KoreaA Hill in Korea is a 1956 British war film based on Max Catto's 1953 novel of the same name. The original name was Hell in Korea, but was changed for distribution reasons, except in the U.S. It was directed by Julian Amyes and the producer was Anthony Squire...
(1956) - Cross Channel (1955)
Work as a playwright
- What’s a Mother For? (Jan 1969) Armchair TheatreArmchair TheatreArmchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
, ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
(starring June WhitfieldJune WhitfieldJune Rosemary Whitfield, CBE is an English actress, well known in the United Kingdom since the 1950s for roles in radio and television comedy series....
and Joe Brown) - The Swan Won’t go in the Fridge (Oct 1969) Armchair Theatre, ITV (starring Rosemary LeachRosemary LeachRosemary Leach is a British stage, television and film actress.She was born at Much Wenlock, Shropshire. Her parents were teachers related to Edmund Leach. She attended grammar school and RADA...
and Peter CellierPeter CellierPeter Cellier is an English actor who has appeared in film, stage and television. He is perhaps best known for his role as Sir Frank Gordon in Yes Minister and then Yes, Prime Minister in the 1980s.-Biography:...
] - Now, Take My Wife (1971), a TV series of 6 episodes for the BBC (starring Sheila HancockSheila HancockSheila Cameron Hancock, CBE is an English actress and author.-Early life:Sheila Hancock was born in Blackgang on the Isle of Wight, the daughter of Ivy Louise and Enrico Cameron Hancock, who was a publican. Her sister Billie is seven years older...
, Donald HoustonDonald HoustonDonald Daniel Houston was a Welsh actor whose first two films – The Blue Lagoon with Jean Simmons, and A Run for Your Money with Sir Alec Guinness – were highly successful...
, and Liz Edmiston) - Just Harry and Me (1971) for Comedy PlayhouseComedy PlayhouseComedy Playhouse was a long-running British anthology series of one-off unrelated sitcoms that aired for 120 episodes from 1961 to 1975. Many episodes later graduated to their own series, including Steptoe and Son, Till Death Us Do Part, All Gas and Gaiters, The Liver Birds, Are You Being Served?...
, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff... - My Fat Friend (1972), a stage comedy (with Kenneth WilliamsKenneth WilliamsKenneth Charles Williams was an English comic actor and comedian. He was one of the main ensemble in 26 of the Carry On films, and appeared in numerous British television shows, and radio comedies with Tony Hancock and Kenneth Horne.-Life and career:Kenneth Charles Williams was born on 22 February...
and Jennie LindenJennie LindenJennie Linden is an English film and television actress.Linden was born in Worthing to Marcus and Freida Fletcher, an architect and housewife. She attended the Central School of Speech and Drama at the age of 17 on a scholarship...
) - Snap! (1975), a stage comedy
- Poor Little Rich Girls (1984), a TV series of 8 episodes starring Maria AitkenMaria AitkenMaria Penelope Katharine Aitken is an English actress, writer, producer and director.Aitken was born in Dublin, the daughter of Sir William Aitken, a Conservative MP, and socialite Penelope Aitken, whose father was John Maffey, 1st Baron Rugby. She is a great-niece of newspaper magnate and...
, Jill Bennett and Joan HicksonJoan HicksonJoan Hickson OBE was an English actress of theatre, film and television, famed for playing Agatha Christie's Miss Marple in the television series Miss Marple.- Wivenhoe :... - About Alice (1998), a stage comedy
- The Ring Sisters (1999), a stage comedy
External links
- ftvdb.bfi.org.uk
- http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/search.php?category=Titles&needle=the%20ring%20sisters
- http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsL/laurence-charles.html#20119