Noel Willman

Noel Willman was born on August 4, 1918 in Londonderry, Ireland. He died on December 24, 1988 in New York City, USA. He trained with Michel St Denis at the London Theatre Studio.

On tour in 1940 with The Beggar’s Opera, with Michael Redgrave produced by John Gielgud, at the Kings Theatre Glasgow, Willman as acting ASM stood in for Redgrave as Macheath at short notice, when Dunstan Hart the normal understudy was also ill. He became known for his sinister character roles, and enjoyed some success in Hammer horror films. Tyrone Guthrie prompted his decision to develop his career as director.

In November 1961 he won a ‘Tony’ award for his direction of ‘A Man of All Seasons’ on Broadway.

In his later years he directed Katherine Hepburn in off-Broadway shows in New York.

Past productions

Peter Cauchon, Saint Joan 1974, New Theatre, Oxford.
Director, The Beheading 1971 – 1972, Apollo Theatre (Shaftesbury Avenue), London.
Director, Ring Round the Moon, Haymarket Theatre Royal Company and Tennent Productions Ltd 30^th October 1968 – 1^st February 1969, Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London.
Director, Othello, Nottingham Theatre Trust 20^th September – 25^th November 1967, Nottingham Playhouse.
Director, Brother and Sister, H M Tennent Ltd 10^th April – 27^th May 1967, Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, and other locations.
Director, Gentle Jack, H M Tennent Ltd 28^th November 1963 – 1964, Queen’s Theatre, (Shaftesbury Ave) London (now Sondheim Theatre, London).
Hamlet 1961 – 1962, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Much Ado About Nothing 1961 – 1962, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Claudius, Hamlet, Royal Shakespeare Company 11^th April 1961 (press night), Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Don Pedro, Much Ado About Nothing, Royal Shakespeare Company 4^th April 1961 (press night), Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Director, A Man for All Seasons, H M Tennent Ltd started 1^st July 1960, Globe (Shaftesbury Ave), London (now Gielgud Theatre, London).
Director, It’s the Geography that Counts, Toby Rowland Ltd 29^th April – 27^th July 1957, St James’s Theatre, London, Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, and other locations.
/ Director, The Devil’s Disciple 1955 – 1956, Bristol Hippodrome.
Director, All’s Well That Ends Well, Royal Shakespeare Company 26^th April 1955 (press night), Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
The Interrogator, The Prisoner, Globe Theatre 15^th March – 5^th June 1954, Globe (Shaftesbury Ave), London (now Gielgud Theatre, London), Olympia Theatre, Dublin, and other locations.
Director, Someone Waiting, H M Tennent Ltd 14^th September 1953 – 12^th June 1954, Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, Opera House, Manchester, and other locations.
Director, The White Carnation, H M Tennent Ltd 5^th January – 25^th July 1953, Bristol Hippodrome, Globe (Shaftesbury Ave), London (now Gielgud Theatre, London), and other locations.
Colonel Izquierdo / Director, Montserrat, Tennent Productions Ltd 24^th March – 10^th May 1952, Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith), London, Theatre Royal, Brighton, and other locations.
Daker, Accolade, H M Tennent, in association with Joshua Logan and Leland Hayward 31^st July 1950 – 10^th February 1951, Aldwych Theatre, London, Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool, and other locations.
Sir Joseph Wrathie, Shall We Join the Ladies? 19^th January – 18^th February 1950, Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith), London.
Chorus; Tawm, The Boy with a Cart 19^th January – 18^th February 1950, Lyric Theatre (Hammersmith), London.
Pandarus, Troilus and Cressida, Royal Shakespeare Company 2^nd July 1948 (press night), Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Gremio, The Taming of the Shrew, Royal Shakespeare Company 7^th May 1948 (press night), Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Osric, Hamlet, Royal Shakespeare Company 23^rd April 1948 (press night), Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Antonio, The Merchant of Venice, Royal Shakespeare Company 19^th April 1948 (press night), Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Peter of Pomfret / Robert Faulconbridge, King John, Royal Shakespeare Company 15^th April 1948 (press night), Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Baron Foehn, The Eagle Has Two Heads, Company of Four and Tennent Plays Ltd 19^th August – 30^th November 1946, Prince of Wales Theatre, Cardiff, Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, and other locations.
The Beaux’ Stratagem started 19^th February 1946, Bristol Old Vic – Theatre Royal.
Jenny Villiers 1945 – 1946, Bristol Old Vic – Theatre Royal.
Twelfth Night 1945 – 1946, Bristol Old Vic – Theatre Royal.
The Seagull 1945 – 1946, Bristol Old Vic – Theatre Royal.
Macbeth 1945 – 1946, Bristol Old Vic – Theatre Royal.
Director, The Moonstone 1945 – 1946, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
Uneasy Laughter 1944 – 1945, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
Lisa 1944 – 1945, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
The Alchemist 1944 – 1945, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
Romeo and Juliet 1943 – 1944, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
House of Regrets 1943 – 1944, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
Doctor Faustus 1943 – 1944, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
Twelfth Night 1943 – 1944, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
Caleb Jennings / Edwin Stanton / John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln, Old Vic Company 13^th April – 5^th June 1943, Playhouse Theatre, London.
The Merchant of Venice started 16^th February 1943, New Theatre (now Noël Coward Theatre), London.
The Beggar Prince 1942 – 1943, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
Blow Your Own Trumpet 1942 – 1943, Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool.
Grigori Tansmann, House of Regrets, Arts Theatre Club 6^th October – 1^st November 1942, Arts Theatre, London.
Performer, Light and Shade 29^th July – 5^th September 1942, Ambassadors Theatre, London.
The Merchant of Venice 3^rd – 7^th March 1942, Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
The Merchant of Venice 1941 – 1942, Old Vic Tour.
Tonight at 8.30 1940 – 1941, Prince’s Theatre, Bristol.
The Player, The Beggar’s Opera 5^th March – ? 1940, Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London.
Councillor, Hamlet 28^th June – 15^th July 1939, Lyceum Theatre, London and Kronborg Castle, Elsinore, Denmark.
Stage Management, The Importance of Being Earnest started 31^st January 1939, Globe (Shaftesbury Ave), London (now Gielgud Theatre, London).

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Noel Willman

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