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Capel Tristan Rawson (20 January 1888 – 20 May 1974), known professionally as Tristan Rawson, was an English actor After an early career as an opera singer in Germany, he took up amateur dramatics in Switzerland during the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and on returning to England he turned professional in 1919 and pursued a career lasting forty years. He became particularly associated with Shakespearean roles, and played in more than forty Shakespeare productions. He established a long connection with the
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre 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 ...
where he appeared in many summer seasons between 1938 and 1960. He was mostly known as a stage actor, but broadcast on BBC radio and television, and appeared in four cinema films. In addition to his acting, Rawson adapted German, French and Spanish plays for the British stage, working with his younger brother, the playwright Graham Rawson.


Life and career


Early years

Rawson was born in
Marylebone Marylebone (usually , also ) is an area in London, England, and is located in the City of Westminster. It is in Central London and part of the West End. Oxford Street forms its southern boundary. An ancient parish and latterly a metropo ...
, London on 20 January 1888, the elder of two sons of Harry Stanhope Rawson and his wife Isabel Ada, ''née'' Hanbury."Capel Tristan Rawson"
Ancestry UK. Retrieved 4 August 2021
His younger brother, Graham, became a playwright.Parker, Gaye and Herbert, pp. 1990–1992 He was educated at a boarding school in
Eastbourne Eastbourne () is a town and seaside resort in East Sussex, on the south coast of England, east of Brighton and south of London. It is also a non-metropolitan district, local government district with Borough status in the United Kingdom, bor ...
, Sussex. He began his performing career as a singer, playing
baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...
roles at the
Cologne Opera The Cologne Opera (German language, German: Oper der Stadt Köln or Oper Köln) refers to both the main opera house in Cologne, Germany and its resident opera company. History of the company From the mid 18th century, opera was performed in the ...
, where he made his debut in September 1910 and remained for four years.Ellmann, p. 425 In October 1914 he married the pianist Guida Franken (1894–1920), a pupil of
Carl Friedberg Carl Rudolf Hermann Friedberg (September 18, 1872 in Bingen am Rhein, Bingen, German Empire, Germany – September 9, 1955 in Merano, Italy) was a German pianist and teacher of Jewish origin. Biography He was son of Eduard Friedberg (?–1937) ...
. The couple had a daughter and a son. During the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
Rawson was a member of the company of the
Zurich Opera Zurich Opera (Opernhaus Zürich) is a Swiss opera company based in Zurich. The company gives performances in the Zurich Opera House. History The first performance at the current theatre occurred on 30 September 1891, with a production of Wagner's ...
, where he created the role of Barak in
Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary ...
's ''
Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...
''. He was persuaded to take part in an amateur production given by "The English Players" – organised by
James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (born James Augusta Joyce; 2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influentia ...
– of ''
The Importance of Being Earnest ''The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People'' is a play by Oscar Wilde, the last of his four drawing-room plays, following ''Lady Windermere's Fan'' (1892), ''A Woman of No Importance'' (1893) and ''An Ideal Husban ...
'' in the leading role of John Worthing. In the 1970s
Tom Stoppard Sir Tom Stoppard (; born , 3 July 1937) is a Czech-born British playwright and screenwriter. He has written for film, radio, stage, and television, finding prominence with plays. His work covers the themes of human rights, censorship, and politi ...
made that production the crux of his comedy ''
Travesties ''Travesties'' is a 1974 play by Tom Stoppard. It centres on the figure of Henry Wilfred Carr, Henry Carr, an old man who reminisces about Zürich in 1917 during World War I, the First World War, and his interactions with James Joyce when he w ...
''. Rawson continued to act with the company during 1918 in plays including '' Hindle Wakes'', ''
The Dark Lady of the Sonnets ''The Dark Lady of the Sonnets'' is a 1910 short comedy by George Bernard Shaw in which William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the g ...
'', and ''
She Stoops to Conquer ''She Stoops to Conquer'' is a comedy by Irish writer Oliver Goldsmith, first performed in London in 1773. The play is a favourite for study by English literature and theatre classes in the English-speaking world. It is one of the few plays ...
''.


West End

In 1919, back in England, Rawson made his professional debut on the non-musical stage with the
Lena Ashwell Lena Margaret Ashwell, Lady Simson ( Pocock; 28 September 1872 – 13 March 1957) was a British actress and theatre manager and producer, known as the first to organise large-scale entertainment for troops at the front, which she did during Wo ...
players, under the direction of
D. A. Clarke-Smith Douglas Alexander Clarke-Smith (2 August 188812 March 1959), professionally known as D. A. Clarke-Smith or sometimes Douglas A. Clarke-Smith was a British actor. In a stage career lasting from 1913 to 1954, with interruptions to fight in both Wo ...
. In 1920, at the
Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith The Lyric Theatre, also known as the Lyric Hammersmith, is a nonprofit theatre on Lyric Square, off King Street, Hammersmith, London."About the Lyric" > "History" ''Lyric'' official website. Retrieved January 2024. Background The Lyric Theatre ...
, he played Silvius in ''
As You Like It ''As You Like It'' is a pastoral Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare believed to have been written in 1599 and first published in the First Folio in 1623. The play's first performance is uncertain, though a performance at Wil ...
'' in
Nigel Playfair Sir Nigel Ross Playfair (1 July 1874 – 19 August 1934) was an English actor and director, known particularly as actor-manager of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, in the 1920s. After acting as an amateur while practising as a lawyer, he turned ...
's production, and during the long run of ''
The Beggar's Opera ''The Beggar's Opera'' is a ballad opera in three acts written in 1728 by John Gay with music arranged by Johann Christoph Pepusch. It is one of the watershed plays in Augustan drama and is the only example of the once thriving genre of sati ...
'' he was one of the actors playing the role of Lockit. In July 1920 he appeared in ''Down Stream'', a play by his brother, Graham. Guida Rawson died aged 26 in 1920, and the following year Rawson married the actress Mary Barton. He made a single silent film, ''
The Fair Maid of Perth ''The Fair Maid of Perth'' (or ''St. Valentine's Day'') is an 1828 novel by Sir Walter Scott, one of the Waverley novels. Inspired by the strange, but historically true, story of the Battle of the North Inch, it is set in Perth, Scotland, Perth ...
'', in 1923, but did not return to the film studios until the 1950s."Tristan Rawson"
British Film Institute. Retrieved 4 August 2021
In 1927 he made his first radio broadcast for the BBC, but did little further radio work until the 1940s."Tristan Rawson"
BBC Genome. Retrieved 4 August 2021
Throughout the 1920s Rawson was continually seen in West End productions and occasionally on tour. He was in plays ranging from modern comedy to old melodrama (''
East Lynne ''East Lynne, or, The Earl's Daughter'' is an 1861 English sensation novel by Ellen Wood, writing as Mrs. Henry Wood. A Victorian-era bestseller, it is remembered chiefly for its elaborate and implausible plot centering on infidelity and dou ...
''), Elizabethan classics (Kent in ''
Edward II Edward II (25 April 1284 – 21 September 1327), also known as Edward of Caernarfon or Caernarvon, was King of England from 1307 until he was deposed in January 1327. The fourth son of Edward I, Edward became the heir to the throne follo ...
'' and Bassanio in ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...
)'', new costume drama (''Robert E. Lee'' by John Drinkwater), and
Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...
(Borgheim in ''
Little Eyolf ''Little Eyolf'' (''Lille Eyolf'' in the original Norwegian title) is an 1894 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen. The play was first performed in Norwegian on December 3, 1894, at a 9 a.m. matinee performance in the Haymarket Theatre in Lo ...
''). Each Christmas season from 1927 to 1932 he played the Genie and Mr Carey in ''
Where the Rainbow Ends ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' is a children's play, originally written for Christmas 1911 by Clifford Mills and John Ramsey. The incidental music was composed by Roger Quilter. ''Where the Rainbow Ends'' is a fantasy story which follows the journe ...
''. During the 1920s Rawson collaborated with his brother on adaptations of foreign plays, Rawson was an excellent linguist (he played a version of ''Faust'' in German in 1930) and the brothers produced English versions of German, French and Spanish plays: Wilhelm von Scholtz's ''The Race with the Shadow'' (1921),
Georges Duhamel Georges Duhamel may refer to: * Georges Duhamel (politician) (1855–1892), Canadian lawyer and political * Georges Duhamel (footballer) (1879–), French footballer * Georges Duhamel (author) (1884–1966), French author {{DEFAULTSORT:Duha ...
's ''The Mental Athletes'' (1923), Goethe's ''Faust'' (1924),
Jules Romains Jules Romains (born Louis Henri Jean Farigoule; 26 August 1885 – 14 August 1972) was a French poet and writer and the founder of the Unanimism literary movement. His works include the play '' Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine'', and a cyc ...
's ''The Dictator'' (1928),
Jacinto Benavente Jacinto Benavente y Martínez (12 August 1866 – 14 July 1954) was one of the foremost Spanish dramatists of the 20th century. He was awarded the 1922 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the happy manner in which he has continued the illustrious t ...
's ''The Princess'' (1929) and
Eberhard Wolfgang Möller Eberhard Wolfgang Möller (6 January 1906 – 1 January 1972) was a German dramatist and poet. Biography Möller was born on 6 January 1906 in Berlin. His first two published works appeared in 1929, the First World War drama ''Douaumont'', and ''K ...
's ''Douamont'' (1929). In the 1930s Rawson's repertoire tilted markedly towards Shakespeare."Mr Tristan Rawson", ''The Times'', 22 May 1974, p. 22 He played Marcellus, Laertes and Claudius in productions of ''
Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
'', Richmond and Hastings in productions of ''
Richard III Richard III (2 October 1452 – 22 August 1485) was King of England from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the Plantagenet dynasty and its cadet branch the House of York. His defeat and death at the Battle of Boswor ...
'', Page in ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'', Cinna in ''
Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in Caesar's civil wa ...
'', the Duke of Venice in ''
Othello ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'', often shortened to ''Othello'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare around 1603. Set in Venice and Cyprus, the play depicts the Moorish military commander Othello as he is manipulat ...
'', Theseus in ''
A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a Comedy (drama), comedy play written by William Shakespeare in about 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One s ...
, ''Orsino in ''
Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...
'', the Duke in ''As You Like It'', Leonato in ''
Much Ado About Nothing ''Much Ado About Nothing'' is a Shakespearean comedy, comedy by William Shakespeare thought to have been written in 1598 and 1599.See textual notes to ''Much Ado About Nothing'' in ''The Norton Shakespeare'' (W. W. Norton & Company, 1997 ) p. ...
'' and Simonides in ''
Pericles Pericles (; ; –429 BC) was a Greek statesman and general during the Golden Age of Athens. He was prominent and influential in Ancient Athenian politics, particularly between the Greco-Persian Wars and the Peloponnesian War, and was acclaimed ...
''.


Later years

During the late 1930s Rawson built up an association with the
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre 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 ...
, and during the 1940s this continued with eleven Shakespearean roles, as well as roles such as Raphael in ''Tobias and the Angel'', and Raphael in ''Faust''. During the 1945 season 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 ...
,
Stratford Upon Avon Stratford-upon-Avon ( ), commonly known as Stratford, is a market town and civil parish in the Stratford-on-Avon district, in the county of Warwickshire, in the West Midlands region of England. It is situated on the River Avon, north-west o ...
he appeared in ''Twelfth Night'', ''
The Merry Wives of Windsor ''The Merry Wives of Windsor'' or ''Sir John Falstaff and the Merry Wives of Windsor'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare first published in 1602, though believed to have been written in or before 1597. The Windsor of the play's title is a ref ...
'', ''Othello'' and ''Much Ado About Nothing''. From 1946 to 1950 he appeared each Christmas, at various West End theatres, as Dr Livesey in ''Treasure Island''. During the 1940s he became a frequent broadcaster on BBC radio. During the 1950s Rawson made three cinema films: '' Time Gentlemen, Please!'' (1952), ''The Missing Man'' (1953) and ''
Front Page Story ''Front Page Story'' (also known as ''Behind the Headlines'') is a 1954 British drama film directed by Gordon Parry and starring Jack Hawkins, Elizabeth Allan and Eva Bartok. It was written by Jack Howells and Jay Lewis. Plot Grant is a hard ...
'' (1954). He appeared on
BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1 January 1927. It p ...
in several productions, including a
Francis Durbridge Francis Henry Durbridge (; 25 November 1912 – 10 April 1998) was an English dramatist and author, best known for the creation of the character Paul Temple, the gentlemanly detective who appeared in 16 BBC multi-part radio serials from 1 ...
detective serial, ''The Broken Horseshoe'' (1952). The Open-Air Theatre connection continued for the rest of Rawson's stage career. He played roles in fifteen Shakespeare productions there between 1951 and 1960, his last role being Theseus in ''A Midsummer Night's Dream''. Rawson died at his home in
Hampstead Hampstead () is an area in London, England, which lies northwest of Charing Cross, located mainly in the London Borough of Camden, with a small part in the London Borough of Barnet. It borders Highgate and Golders Green to the north, Belsiz ...
, London, on 20 May 1974 aged 86. His second wife predeceased him.


Notes, references and sources


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rawson, Tristan 1888 births 1974 deaths 20th-century English male actors People from Marylebone Male actors from London English male stage actors English male television actors 20th-century English male opera singers English operatic baritones English male radio actors