Laidman Browne (13 September 1896 – 11 September 1961) was an English stage, radio and television actor. Born in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle ( , Received Pronunciation, RP: ), is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is England's northernmost metropolitan borough, located o ...

in 1896, he was a founder member of the Newcastle Repertory Company in 1925, playing leading parts there until 1931. Later, in 1939, he was a founder member of the BBC Radio Repertory Company, with whom he remained for 12 years, reputedly playing 2,126 roles. In 1949 he was the narrator of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes story '

The Adventure of the Speckled Band "The Adventure of the Speckled Band" is one of 56 short Sherlock Holmes stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the eighth story of twelve in the collection ''The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes''. It was originally published in ''Strand Magaz ...

', the first book read on the BBC's long-running series ''

A Book at Bedtime ''Book at Bedtime'' (''A Book at Bedtime'' until 9 July 1993) is a long-running radio programme that is broadcast on BBC Radio 4 each weekday evening between 22:45 and 23:00. The programme presents readings of fiction, including modern classics ...

''. His stage credits included seasons at the

Shakespeare Memorial Theatre The Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) (originally called the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre) is a Grade II* listed 1,040+ seat thrust stage theatre owned by the Royal Shakespeare Company dedicated to the English playwright and poet William Shakes ...

and the

Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London, established in 1932. Originally known for its Shakespearean productions, the theatre now features a wide variety of performances, including musicals, ope ...

, together with such West End plays as ''

1066 and All That ''1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England, Comprising All the Parts You Can Remember, Including 103 Good Things, 5 Bad Kings and 2 Genuine Dates'' is a tongue-in-cheek reworking of the history of England. Written by W. C. Sellar and R. ...

'' (1935-36) and ''

A Dead Secret ''A Dead Secret'' is a 1957 crime play by Rodney Ackland. It is a murder drama set in 1911 London and is based on the Seddon murder trial. It premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool then transferred to the Piccadilly Theatre in London's ...

'' (1957).https://theatricalia.com/person/1vg/laidman-browne He died in

Bournemouth Bournemouth ( ) is a coastal resort town in the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole unitary authority area, in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. At the 2021 census, the built-up area had a population of 196,455, making it the largest ...

in 1961, aged 64.

Filmography

References

External links

* 1896 births 1961 deaths 20th-century English male actors Male actors from Newcastle upon Tyne English male radio actors English male television actors {{England-actor-stub