Nancy Price
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Nancy Price,
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(3 February 1880 – 31 March 1970) was an English
actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...
on stage and screen,
author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
,
animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...
activist and
theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
. Her acting career began in a
repertory A repertory theatre, also called repertory, rep, true rep or stock, which are also called producing theatres, is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom ...
theatre company before progressing to the London stage, silent films,
talkies A sound film is a Film, motion picture with synchronization, synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, bu ...
and finally television. In addition to appearing on stage she became involved in theatre production and was a founder of the People's National Theatre.


Personal life

Christened Lilian Nancy Bache Price in Kinver, Staffordshire, England, in 1880, Nancy was the daughter of William Henry Price (a retired farmer) and Sarah Mannix. Her mother was the granddaughter of Sir Henry Mannix. After schooling in her home village and then in nearby Malvern Wells she decided at an early age to become an actress. She married the actor Charles Maude on 17 May 1907, and they were together until his death in 1943. They had two daughters Joan Maude and Elizabeth Maude. Joan, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's daughter Jennifer Phipps all went on to become actresses. Soon after Charles and Nancy's daughters were born, they made the village of Findon in Sussex her home, living in a cottage called "Arcana" in Heather Lane on the Downs. She wrote many books, including her autobiography, ''Into an Hour-Glass'' (1953). At one time she managed the "Little Theatre" in the Adelphi, off the Strand. Findon remained her home until her death in 1970.


Animal welfare

Price was an advocate of
animal welfare Animal welfare is the quality of life and overall well-being of animals. Formal standards of animal welfare vary between contexts, but are debated mostly by animal welfare groups, legislators, and academics. Animal welfare science uses measures ...
and co-founded the Council of Justice to Animals in 1911. Price became a
vegetarian Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the Eating, consumption of meat (red meat, poultry, seafood, insects as food, insects, and the flesh of any other animal). It may also include abstaining from eating all by-products of animal slau ...
in the 1920s after an experience at a walking tour in the fens. She became lost in a fog and credited the local sheep as saving her life by offering her protection and keeping her warm. Price was president of the Sussex Vegetarian Society and lectured on vegetarianism in
Worthing Worthing ( ) is a seaside town and borough in West Sussex, England, at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of Chichester. With a population of 113,094 and an area of , the borough is the second largest component of the Br ...
. In 1951, at a vegetarian public meeting she argued that more people would turn to vegetarianism if they visited a slaughterhouse. She suggested that vegetarian restaurants should be publicized more. In 1937, Price denounced the use of gin traps on rabbits as "barbarous cruelty" and a "savage instrument of torture". Price authored a book on dogs, ''Tails and Tales'', published in 1945. The anthology is made up of facts about dogs taken from many sources. In 1949, she funded the creation of a "Warrior Birds" memorial stone at Beach House Park to commemorate
war pigeon Homing pigeon, Homing pigeons have long played an important role in war. Due to their homing ability, speed, and altitude, they were often used as military messengers. Carrier pigeons of the Racing Homer breed were used to carry messages in Worl ...
s who gave their lives in service during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Price was concerned about rabbits suffering from
myxomatosis Myxomatosis is a disease caused by '' Myxoma virus'', a poxvirus in the genus '' Leporipoxvirus''. The natural hosts are tapeti (''Sylvilagus brasiliensis'') in South and Central America, and brush rabbits (''Sylvilagus bachmani'') in North ...
. In 1954, Price supported a petition urging the Government to pass a new law making delibrate speading of myxomatosis an offence. The petition gained support from the RSPCA and animal lovers in Worthing. In 1963, Price campaigned against the careless ringing of young birds by ornithologists. She commented that the metal often damaged the legs of small birds and suggested legislation to prevent unqualified people from bird ringing. She was an opponent of
blood sport A blood sport or bloodsport is a category of sport or entertainment that involves bloodshed. Common examples of the former include combat sports such as cockfighting and dog fighting, and some forms of hunting and fishing. Activities charact ...
s and attended meetings of the
League Against Cruel Sports The League Against Cruel Sports, formerly known as the League for the Prohibition of Cruel Sports, is a UK-based animal welfare charity which campaigns to stop blood sports such as fox hunting, hare and deer hunting; game bird shooting; and anim ...
Worthing branch. Price was an anti-vivisectionist. She was a speaker at the annual meeting of the
National Anti-Vivisection Society The National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) is an international non-profit Animal welfare, animal protection group, based in London, working to end animal testing, and focused on the replacement of animals in research with advanced, scientific t ...
in 1939. She was president of the Richmond and Twickenham branch of the
British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection Cruelty Free International is a British animal rights and advocacy group that campaigns for the abolition of all animal testing. It organises certification of cruelty-free products which are marked with the symbol of a leaping bunny. It was ...
(BUAV) in 1944. Price was president of the Storrington and district branch of the BUAV in 1954. She stated that "if people could see inside a vivisector's chamber and see what was going on they would be horrified".


Theatre career

Nancy joined F.R. Benson's theatre company whilst still at school. The company specialised in Shakespeare's plays and toured extensively in the provinces. Her first big break came when she caught the attention of
Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (17 December 1852 – 2 July 1917) was an English actor and Actor-manager, theatre manager. Tree began performing in the 1870s. By 1887, he was managing the Haymarket Theatre in the West End theatre, West End, winning ...
, who cast her as Calypso in
Stephen Phillips Stephen Phillips (28 July 1864 – 9 December 1915) was an English poet and dramatist, who enjoyed considerable popularity early in his career. Biography He was born at Summertown near Oxford, the son of the Rev. Stephen Phillips, precento ...
's production of ''Ulysses'' at
Her Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated in the Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The building, designed by Charles J. Phipps, was constructed in 1897 for the actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who ...
, London in 1902, a role in which she enjoyed great success. The part of Hilda Gunning was written for her by Arthur Wing Pinero in ''Letty'' (1904), a role in which the theatre critic J. T. Grein said: "In Letty, while others enhanced their fame, Miss Nancy Price, in the part of Hilda, the shop-girl, made her name. If we read the character aright, Miss Price realised it well-nigh to perfection". In 1909 she appeared as Mrs. D'Aquila in George Dance's production of '' The Whip'' at the
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and listed building, Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) an ...
. She joined Edith Craig's Pioneer Players at the Kingsway Theatre in 1911 for a performance of Christopher St. John's ''The First Actress''. In March 1912, she appeared as India in Sir Edward Elgar's Imperial Masque '' The Crown of India'' at the
London Coliseum The London Coliseum (also known as the Coliseum Theatre) is a theatre in St Martin's Lane, City of Westminster, Westminster, built as one of London's largest and most luxurious "family" variety theatres. Opened on 24 December 1904 as the Lond ...
. Together with the Dutch-born theatre impresario J.T. Grein, Nancy Price founded the People's National Theatre in 1930. Their first production was ''The Man from Blankleys'' by F. Anstey at the
Fortune Theatre The Fortune Theatre is a 432-seat West End theatre in Russell Street, near Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster. From 1989 until 2023 the theatre hosted the long running play '' The Woman in Black''. History The site was acquired by aut ...
. When Grein left the company Nancy became its honorary director, and in 1932 a permanent home was found at the Little Theatre in the Adelphi with Nancy as manager. The enterprise came to an end with the destruction of the theatre in 1941. During this period, Nancy established the English School Theatre Movement, which toured productions of Shakespeare plays to
working class The working class is a subset of employees who are compensated with wage or salary-based contracts, whose exact membership varies from definition to definition. Members of the working class rely primarily upon earnings from wage labour. Most c ...
children. In the 1950 King's Birthday Honours, Nancy was awarded a
CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
for services to the stage. In the same year, she gave her final stage performance as Martha Blanchard in the play she co-wrote with Eden Phillpotts, ''The Orange Orchard'', at the New Lindsey Theatre.


Theatre performances


Film career

Having established herself as a stage actress in London's West End, Nancy's first film role was in the black and white, silent film '' The Lyons Mail (1916 film), The Lyons Mail''. In the next decade she appeared in a further eight silent films before her first "
talkie A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades passed befo ...
", '' The American Prisoner'', which was recorded in mono sound in 1929. The last silent film in which she appeared ''The Price of Divorce'' was adapted by producer Oswald Mitchell to incorporate sound and released under the name ''Such is the Law''.


Filmography


Television filmography


Radio broadcasting


Bibliography


Plays

* ''Whiteoaks: A Play'' (With
Mazo de la Roche Mazo de la Roche (; born Maisie Louise Roche; January 15, 1879 – July 12, 1961) was a Canadian writer who was the author of the ''Jalna (novel series), Jalna'' novels, one of the most popular series of books of her time. Biography Early lif ...
, Macmillan, 1936) * ''The Orange Orchard'' (With Eden Phillpotts, London: Samuel French, 1951)


Poetry

* ''Hurdy-Gurdy'' (London : Frederick Muller, 1944)


Novels

* ''Ta-mera'' (London : Hutchinson & Co., 1950)


Essays, memoires and diaries

* ''Behind the Night-Light: the by-world of a child of three. Described by Joan Maude and faithfully recorded by Nancy Price'' (London : John Murray, 1912) * ''Vagabond's Way. Haphazard wanderings on the fells ... With illustrations by A.S. Hartrick'' (London : John Murray, 1914) * ''Shadows on the Hills, etc. On the English Lake District. With plates'' (London : Victor Gollancz, 1935) * ''The Gull's Way. An account of a cruise along the East Coast of England'' (London : Victor Gollancz, 1937) * ''Nettles and Docks, etc. Essays'' (London : G. Allen & Unwin, 1940) * ''Jack by the Hedge, etc. Sketches of country life'' (London : Frederick Muller, 1942) * ''I had a Comrade "Buddy" On the author's dog'' (London : G. Allen & Unwin, 1944) * ''Tails and Tales. On dogs'' (London : Victor Gollancz, 1945) * ''Where the Skies Unfold, etc. Essays'' (Birmingham : George Ronald, 1947) * ''Wonder of Wings. A book about birds'' (London : Victor Gollancz, 1947) * ''Acquainted with the Night. A book of dreams'' (Illustrated by Michael Rothenstein, Oxford : George Ronald, 1949) * ''Bright Pinions. On parrots'' (Oxford : George Ronald, 1952) * ''Feathered Outlaws'' (London & Worthing : Henry E. Walter, 1953) * ''In Praise of Trees. An anthology for friends'' (London : Frederick Muller, 1953) * ''Into an Hour-Glass. An autobiography'' (London : Museum Press, 1953) * ''Pagan's Progress. High days and holy days'' (London : Museum Press, 1954) * ''The Heart of a Vagabond. On country life in Sussex'' (London : Museum Press, 1955) * ''I watch and listen. A book mainly concerned with the courtship and song of birds'' (London : Bodley Head, 1957) * ''Winged Builders. A book of bird lore, chiefly concerned with the nesting, building and family habits of British birds'' (London : George Ronald, 1959) * ''Each in his own way! Personalities I have valued, selected from my album of memories ... Woodcuts by William Wood'' (London : Frederick Muller, 1960)


References


External links


Nancy Price at IMDb

Little Theatre in the Adelphi
*
Tribute to Warrior birds commissioned by Nancy Price

British Pathe newsreel film featuring Nancy Price

Photograph of Nancy Price as Mrs. D'Acquilar in The Whip
{{Animal welfare, state=collapsed 1880 births 1970 deaths 20th-century English actresses 20th-century English diarists 20th-century English women writers 20th-century English novelists 20th-century English poets 20th-century English dramatists and playwrights 20th-century English essayists Actresses from Staffordshire Actors from Arun District Actresses from West Sussex Anti-hunting activists Dog writers English animal welfare workers English anti-vivisectionists English film actresses English silent film actresses English stage actresses English television actresses English vegetarianism activists English women novelists English women poets Commanders of the Order of the British Empire English theatre directors British women theatre directors British women memoirists English women diarists English women non-fiction writers People from Findon, West Sussex People from Kinver