Wendy Smith’s profile

My equity name was Wendy Lawrence, but I was born Wendy Smith in Salisbury, Wiltshire and I went regularly to the theatre from the age of 14. I went to Mountview Theatre School in 1969 on the first full-time Stage Management course. When I left the following year, I first worked at the Palace Theatre, Bournemouth with Jessie Matthews doing two plays alternately each week throughout the summer of 1970, Hay Fever and Night Must Fall. I then went to the Connaught Theatre in Worthing. I then worked at Watford Palace Theatre for a while, eventually moving on to Ipswich Arts Theatre as Stage Manager. I was there for a season and a half, finishing at the summer recess in 1973, after I had secured a job at Bristol Old Vic. During the gap between Ipswich and Bristol, I did a summer season at the Little Theatre in Sheringham, Norfolk. I started at Bristol at the beginning of the O’Toole season in Sept 1973. I got married to Lee Donald on the 12 Oct 1974 in Salisbury, where he was working. We have one daughter, who is married and has two children. Lee died on 14^th January 2021. We lived most of our lives in Wales, where I still live.

Seen, or going to see

• Ring Round the Moon, Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury Arts Theatre Ltd, 9^th – 26^th October 1974
• The Daughter-in-Law, Royal Court Theatre, London, English Stage Company, 1967