Charles Hickman (director)

Charles Hickman (18 January 19053 April 1983) was a British theatre director and actor who worked mainly in London's West End theatres. According to his obituary in ''The Times'', as a performer, "He had an easy manner and a quick period sense in parts between Shakespeare and light comedy, revue and pantomime."

After an early career in acting Hickman made his directorial debut in London in 1940 with ''The Peaceful Inn'' at the Duke of York's Theatre. The last West End play he directed was ''A Murder Announced'' in 1979. Between those two dates he directed a total of 61 London productions. He also directed several plays in Australia and South Africa, as well as one production, ''Black Chiffon'' (1950) in New York. Hickman directed many of the biggest stars of the London stage such as Evelyn Laye, Anton Walbrook, George Formby, Margaret Lockwood, Sybil Thorndike, Robertson Hare, Beryl Reid, Ralph Lynne and many others. Some of his most successful plays include ''Annie Get your Gun, Wedding in Paris, Black Chiffon'' and ''The Merry Widow.''

Life and career

Hickman left Chigwell School at the age of sixteen and spent two years studying drama at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. He says of his teachers at RADA, " If Norman Page taught me to think for myself and Helen Hayes how to behave in a Drawing-room, then Claude Rains showed me how to enjoy being an actor. 'Lovely-lovely! Go on! Wonderful!' "

In 1923 Hickman made his first appearance on stage with a small part during the first act of ''Aren't We All?'' by Frederick Lonsdale at the Globe Theatre, now the Gielgud Theatre, in London's West End. He was paid £3 a week. In 1929 Hickman was given the opportunity to perform in New York City. The play ''Bird in Hand,'' in which Hickman played the part of Gerald, was ending its run at the Royalty Theatre and was going to be produced in New York by Lee Shubert. Hickman wrote, " I was to get the unbelievable salary of $100 a week! ... New York loved the play and loved English actors even more. We were a sell-out." Hickman spent most of the following year (1930) touring with the play in Chicago and finally in Cleveland.

In 1931 Hickman's film career began when he was contracted to play the part of George, co-starring with Jean Colin and C. M. Hallard in the film ''Compromising Daphne.'' His contract stated he would be paid £30 a week for a guaranteed period of ten weeks. For one week Charles Hickman's name was in lights on the front of the Empire cinema in Leicester Square. He pursued an acting career for almost two decades before achieving his ambition to become a director, firstly in 1939 with the Wilson Barrett company at the Empire Theatre, Edinburgh and then in 1940 with ''The Peaceful Inn'' in London's West End.

During the early war years of 1940 to 1943 Hickman worked as director for the Wilson Barrett Repertory Company. Wilson Barrett and his partner Neil Crawford decided to move the company from Hammersmith, London, to Edinburgh after a brief stay in Wales. Hickman wrote, " The Floral Hall in Llandudno gave us a home on our way to Edinburgh - where sirens wailed and windows were blacked and we went on doing a different play every week." During the run of the revue ''Sweet and Low'' (1943) Emile Littler, the producer of the show, offered Hickman a contract to direct any production of his but with the freedom to work for other managements in between. The contract was for £2,000 a year. Hickman's agent Aubrey Blackburn thought it was a good offer and Hickman accepted. After ''Sweet and Low'' Hickman directed two more revues which were revised versions of the first, ''Sweeter and Lower'' (1944) and ''Sweetest and Lowest'' (1946). The leading lady of these three revues was Hermione Gingold and she had been performing in them for three consecutive years. The war was over and the management agreed to give Gingold three weeks holiday. She and Hickman bought sleeper tickets from London to Naples and from there they took the boat to Capri.

Also, in 1946 Hickman left his flat in 14 Buckingham Street, Covent Garden, in the heart of London's theatre land and bought a small house in Knightsbridge, 81 Kinnerton Street, which was to be his main residence until his death in 1983. Hermione Gingold lived a couple of doors down from him at 85 Kinnerton Street.

By the late 1940s Hickman's career as a theatre director was well established. A play that ran for 337 performances was ''Cage Me a Peacock'' (1948). It was a musical comedy adaptation of Noel Langley's rollicking novel set in ancient Greece. Hickman wrote, " The show was ahead of its time and although the general public may not have been ready to accept its high-camp, it managed to fill both the Strand and Cambridge theatres for nearly a year and was a signpost to musicals of the future."

Theatre career as actor

* 1923 played Arthur Wells in ''Aren't We All?'', Globe Theatre, London
* 1925 toured as Algy Fairfax in ''Diplomacy''
* 1926 toured in ''Lavender Ladies, Hay Fever, The Love Game''
* 1927 played Toby Sinclair in ''The Price''
* 1927 played Dennis Cobtree in ''Dr. Syn,'' Strand Theatre, London
* 1928 played Harold in ''The Eldest Son,'' Everyman, London
* 1928 played Benjamin in ''Easter, Arts Theatre,'' London
* 1928 played Truman in ''The Clandestine Marriage''
* 1929 played Gerald in ''Bird in Hand ,'' Royalty, London then at The Booth Theatre, New York
* 1930 toured the United States in the same part
* 1930 played Anthony Howard in ''The Silent Witness,'' The Comedy, London
* 1931 played Norman chase in ''Bed Rock,'' The Apollo, London
* 1931 played Geoffrey Barrowdale in ''Marry at Leisure,'' Haymarket, London
* 1932 played Johnny March in ''Windows,'' Duchess

* 1933 played Reggie Cawston in ''The Methods of Margot,'' "Q" Theatre Company, London
* 1933 played Widow Twankey in ''Aladin,'' Embassy, London
* 1934 played Giotto in ''For Ever,'' Shaftesbury
* 1934 played Jean in ''The Fisher of Shadows, the Charta Theatre''
* 1935 played Captain Vanbrugh in ''Viceroy Sarah,'' Whitehall
* 1938 played Rudolf in ''Elizabeth of Austria,'' Garrick Theatre, London
* 1939 played Frederick in ''The Return of Peter Grimm,'' King's, Hammersmith
* 1944 played Osric in ''Hamlet,'' Old Vic Company, New Theatre, London

Theatre career as director

* 1939 ''The Enchanted Cottage,'' Wilson Barrett Company, Empire Theatre, Edinburgh
* 1940 ''The Peaceful Inn,'' Duke of York's Theatre, London
* 1943 ''Sweet and Low (revue),'' Jack Pemberton production, Ambassadors Theatre, London
* 1944 ''Zero Hour,'' Duke of York's Theatre, London
* 1944 ''Daughter Janie,'' Apollo Theatre, London
* 1944 ''Sweeter and Lower (revue),'' Ambassadors, London
* 1945 ''Lady from Edinburgh,'' Playhouse Theatre, London
* 1945 '' Young Mrs Barrington''
* 1945 ''The Vicar of Wakefield''
* 1946 ''Song of Norway'' (musical)'','' Emile Littler production, Palace Theatre, London
* 1946 ''Sweetest and Lowest,'' Ambassadors, London
* 1946 ''Mother Goose (pantomime),'' Casino Theatre, London
* 1947 ''Call Home the Heart''
* 1947 ''Annie Get Your Gun,'' London Coliseum
* 1947 ''The Red Mill,'' Palace Theatre, London
* 1947 '' Outrageous Fortune'', by Ben Travers, starring Ralph Lynn, Winter Garden Theatre
* 1947 ''The Blind Goddess,'' Apollo Theatre, London
* 1948 ''Cage Me a Peacock,'' Strand and Cambridge Theatres, London
* 1948 ''Little Lambs Eat Ivy,'' Ambassadors, London
* 1948 ''Slings and Arrows,'' (of which he was co-author)
* 1949 ''Breach of Marriage,'' Peter Saunders production'','' Duke of York's Theatre, London
* 1949 ''A Woman's Place,'' Vaudeville Theatre, London
* 1949 ''Black Chiffon,'' by Lesley Storm, starring Flora Robson, Westminster Theatre
* 1949 ''Bonaventura,'' Strand Theatre, London
* 1950 ''The School Mistress,'' Saville Theatre, London
* 1950 ''His Excellency,'' Princes Theatre (now Shaftesbury Theatre) London
* 1950 ''Dear Miss Phoebe,'' Emile Littler production, Phoenix Theatre, London
* 1950 ''Black Chiffon,'' 48th Street Theatre, New York
* 1950 ''Beauty and the Beast,'' Westminster Theatre, London
* 1951 ''Count Your Blessings,'' Wyndham's then Westminster Theatre, London
* 1951 ''Taking Things Quietly,'' Ambassadors Theatre, London
* 1951 ''Zip Goes a Million,'' Palace Theatre, London
* 1952 ''Sunset in Knightsbridge''
* 1952 ''The Young Elizabeth,'' Criterion Theatre, London
* 1952 ''And If I Laugh,'' 'Q' Theatre Company, London
* 1952 ''Love from Judy,'' Emile Littler production, Saville Theatre, London
* 1952 ''Wild Horses,'' Aldwych Theatre, London
* 1953 ''The Man Upstairs,''
* 1953 ''Red-Headed Blonde,'' Vaudeville Theatre, London
* 1953 ''Drama at Innish or is Life Worth Living?,'' Arts Theatre, London
* 1953 ''A London Actress''
* 1954 ''Wedding in Paris,'' Hippodrome, Bristol then London Hippodrome
* 1954 ''The Party Spirit,'' Piccadilly Theatre, London
* 1955 ''The Tender Trap,'' Theatre Royal, London
* 1955 ''The Water Gypsies,'' Winter Garden Theatre, London
* 1956 ''Summer Song,'' Princes Theatre, London
* 1956 ''The Bride and the Bachelor,'' Duchess Theatre, London
* 1956 ''Bachelor Borne,'' Bristol Hippodrome
* 1957 ''Silver Wedding,'' Cambridge Theatre, London
* 1958 ''The Merry Widow,'' Bristol Hippodrome then Sadler's Wells, London
* 1958 ''Verdict,'' Strand Theatre, London
* 1958 ''The Big Tickle,'' Globe Theatre, London
* 1958 ''A Day in the Life of ...'' Savoy Theatre, London
* 1959 ''And Suddenly It's Spring,'' Duke of York's, London
* 1960 ''Land of Smiles,'' The Coliseum, London
* 1963 ''All Square,'' Vaudeville, London
* 1964 '' The Reluctant Peer,'' Duchess Theatre, London
* 1965 ''The Circle,'' Savoy Theatre, London
* 1965 ''The Last of Mrs Cheyney,'' Phoenix Theatre, London
* 1968 ''Oh, Clarence,'' Lyric Theatre, London
* 1973 ''Mistress of Novices,'' Piccadilly Theatre, London
* 1973 ''Any Other Business,'' Ambassadors, London
* 1974 ''The Dame of Sark, Wyndham's and Duke of York's,'' London
* 1979 ''A Murder is Announced,'' Vaudeville, London

Film and TV

* 1931 played George in ''Compromising Daphne''
* 1931 played Orville Wright (uncredited) in ''The Conquest of the Air''
* 1932 played Eddie Kaye in '' Josser on the River''
* 1933 ''Mayfair Girl''
* 1933 played Son in '' Smithy''
* 1934 played House detective (uncredited) in ''Girl in Danger''
* 1935 played Sgt. Brace in ''Ten Minute Alibi''
* 1938 played Alfie Hobson in ''They're Off! (TV Movie)''
* 1939 played Ralph Mayne in ''The Infinite Shoeblack (TV Movie)''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hickman, Charles
1905 births
1983 deaths