Donald Wolfit
Born to a conventional middle-class family in Nottinghamshire, Wolfit was stage-struck from an early age. His debut was at the Robin Hood Opera House at Aveling to which he cycled from school to join the theatre rep company. After a brief spell as a teacher he joined the touring company of the actor-manager Charles Doran and later that of Fred Terry. He made his London début in 1924 and simplified the spelling of his surname from Woolfitt to Wolfit.
In 1929 Wolfit joined Lilian Baylis's company at the Old Vic but developed a strong antipathy to the leading man, John Gielgud, and left the company after a season. He joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre companies for the festivals of 1936 and 1937, in thirteen major roles, winning excellent reviews for his performance as Hamlet. He then set up his own touring company, taking the plays of Shakespeare and others round Britain and from time to time overseas. He continued to appear in the West End and made several films but his main concern was for his touring company. Its standards were criticised but several members moved on to greater fame, including Harold Pinter and Brian Rix.
Biography from the Wikipedia article Donald Wolfit. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Known For
Recently Updated Shows
Fake or Fortune?
Journalist Fiona Bruce teams up with art expert Philip Mould to investigate mysteries behind paintings.
The Pitt
The Pitt is a realistic examination of the challenges facing healthcare workers in today's America as seen through the lens of the frontline heroes working in a modern-day hospital in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Each episode follows an hour of Dr. Robby's 15-hour shift as the chief attendant in Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital's emergency room.
Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches
Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches centers on an intuitive young neurosurgeon who discovers that she is the unlikely heir to a family of witches. As she grapples with her newfound powers, she must contend with a sinister presence that has haunted her family for generations.
The Ark
The Ark takes place 100 years in the future when planetary colonization missions have begun as a necessity to help secure the survival of the human race. The first of these missions on a spacecraft known as Ark One encounters a catastrophic event causing massive destruction and loss of life. With more than a year left to go before reaching their target planet, a lack of life-sustaining supplies and loss of leadership, the remaining crew must become the best versions of themselves to stay on course and survive.
