Joan White

Joan White was born in Alexandria, Egypt and grew up in Portugal where her father was chief engineer of The East Telegraph Company. She attended St. Helen’s School in Northwood, MX and then the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She joined Tyrone Guthrie’s Cambridge Festival Players in 1930 and from there during the 1930s played many roles in London, including Connie Windlestraw in ‘The Black Eye,“ Button Faringdon in ”Housemaster,“ Tonie in ”Children to Bless You,“ Judy in ” Little Ladyship“ and during WW2 was Judy Graves in ”Junior Miss.“ in the 1940’s she was Doto in ”A Phoenix Too Frequent“ and in ”The Cure for Love“ with Robert Donat. Following successful Repertory seasons in Birmingham, Salisbury, Bristol, Dundee and Manchester, both acting and directing, in 1956 she emigrated to North America; first to Canada where she acted and directed at the Grand Theatre in London Ontario. She married for the third time, an American, Robert Grose and moved to the U.S. immediately playing Mrs Higgins in the National Tour of ”My Fair Lady."
Broadway and Regional theatre appearances followed, plus five years teaching at the University of Washington in Seattle where she formed the Joan White English Theatre School in 1970 which for the next twenty years took American students to the UK. In 1983 she returned to England continued her school and started The Next Stage a company for young actors to show off their talents to producers and agents.
This entry was written by her daughter Judy White Staber who has completed a biography of Joan White and hopes to have it published. April 3, 2021

Past productions

One of 'The Couple', Bed, National Theatre 4^th March – ? 1989, Cottesloe Theatre, National Theatre.
Polena Andryeevna, The Seagull, Nottingham Playhouse Company 27^th – 30^th November 1968, Nottingham Playhouse.
Queen Elinor, King John, Nottingham Playhouse 25^th September – 23^rd November 1968, Nottingham Playhouse.
Mrs Turton, A Passage to India 31^st January – 5^th May 1962, Ambassador Theatre, New York.
Director, The Bespoke Overcoat, Salisbury Playhouse October 1955, Salisbury Playhouse.
Bertha Hayhoe, As Black As She’s Painted, The Repertory Players started 5^th June 1955, Globe (Shaftesbury Ave), London (now Gielgud Theatre, London).
I Capture the Castle 1954, Aldwych Theatre, London.
Emmie Cartwright, The Sun and I, Windsor Repertory Company 23^rd – 28^th November 1953, Theatre Royal, Windsor.
Storks Don’t Talk ? – 14^th July 1951, Theatre Royal, Bath and Comedy Theatre, London (now Harold Pinter Theatre, London).
Doctor’s Joy 1950 – 1951, Theatre Royal, Bath.
The Lady’s Not For Burning 1950 – 1951, Bristol Old Vic.
The Merry Wives of Windsor 1950 – 1951, Bristol Old Vic.
The Magistrate 1950 – 1951, Bristol Old Vic.
Puss in Boots 1950 – 1951, Bristol Old Vic.
The Cocktail Party 1950 – 1951, Bristol Old Vic.
The School for Scandal 1950 – 1951, Bristol Old Vic.
The Good Natured Man 1950 – 1951, Bristol Old Vic.
Mary Quirke, Blind Man’s Buff, Bristol Old Vic started November 1950, Theatre Royal, Bristol.
The Diary Of A Scoundrel 5^th – 30^th July 1949, Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Marvellous History Of St. Bernard 31^st May – 2^nd July 1949, Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
The Romantic Young Lady 3^rd – 28^th May 1949, Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Duchess of York, mother to Duke of Gloucester, Richard III 5^th – 30^th April 1949, Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Cassilis Engagement 8^th March – 2^nd April 1949, Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Modern Everyman 15^th February – 5^th March 1949, Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
Junior Miss started 24^th March 1943, Saville Theatre, London.
Little Ladyship started 1938, Strand Theatre, London (now Novello Theatre, London) and Aldwych Theatre, London.
Button Faringdon, Housemaster 12^th November 1936 – 1938, Apollo Theatre (Shaftesbury Avenue), London, Aldwych Theatre, London, and other locations.
Tonie, Children, To Bless You! 10^th February – 13^th June 1936, Ambassadors Theatre, London, Duke of York’s Theatre, London, and other locations.
Bella Hedley, The Barretts of Wimpole Street started 22^nd January 1935, Piccadilly Theatre, London.

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