ANGUS McBEAN : SECOND COMING : AT ART ON THE HILL, NEWPORT, SOUTH WALES

 

ANGUS McBEAN’S SECOND COMING

IN ART ON THE HILL : ST MARKS CHURCH 

NEWPORT, SOUTH WALES NP20 4PH

SAT 29 NOVEMBER –SUN 30 NOVEMBER

12pm-5pm

FREE ENTRANCE

ST MARKS CHURCH NEWPORT NP20 4PH

ANGUS McBEAN ORIGINALS FROM THE PERSONAL COLLECTION OF WILLIAM CROSS, FSA SCOT

SOME THEATRE ICONS

PHOTOS ON  BACK ROW :   NAMES  OF ACTORS/ ACTRESSES AND SETTING

PAUL ROGERS, (1917-2013),  in “JB’,  by Alexander Macleish  at the Phoenix Theatre,  London, 1961.

VIVIEN LEIGH, (1913-1967), in 1955,  as Viola   in Shakespeare’s  “ TWELFTH NIGHT” .

LAURENCE OLIVER,  (1907-1989 ) as  “ Titus Andronicus”  Stratford,  1955 Season.  

RICHARD BURTON, (1925-1984 ), as King Henry  V at Stratford Memorial Theatre, 1951.

PATRICK LUDLOW, (1903-1996). Best known for his roles in Noel Coward Comedies.

PHOTOS IN MIDDLE ROW : NAMES OF ACTORS/ACTRESSES AND SETTING

OKLAHOMA’. DRURY LANE, LONDON. 1948.  Howard Keel ( 1919-2004) as “Curly”.

DONALD SINDEN, (1923-2014),  as “JB’  at the Phoenix Theatre , London,  with  CONSTANCE CUMMINGS, ( 1910-2005). 

DONALD SINDEN, (1923-2014),  as “JB’  with PAUL ROGERS, ( 1917-2013),  as Nickles, Phoenix Theatre, London, 1961. 

Two Unknown Players in a Kodak reproduction. May be MICHAEL GOODLIFFE (  1914-1976) and ROSEMARY LEACH ( 1935-2017)  c1961. Kodak Image. found in a junk shop.

Appearing left to right   RODDY MAUDE –ROXBY (born 1930 ),  DONALD SINDEN,  (1923-2014),   GEOFFREY CHATER, (1921-2021),  &  FELIX FELTON,  ( 1911-1972), “ JB”, London. 

PHOTOS ON BOTTOM ROW: NAMES OF ACTORS/ ACTRESSES AND SETTING

Actress/ Fashion Icon AUDREY HEPBURN ( 1919-1993)  Poster Girl.  c 1950 Audrey in an  advert for LACTO-CALAMINE.

A Personal Christmas Card  Image from Angus and his partner David Ball to a friend, Marika. The message  reads “ For Marika Happy Christmas Love Angus and David”.

From 1936, Actors  IVOR  NOVELLO ( 1892-1951)  and MARIUS GORING ( 1912-1998)  in the play   “ The Happy Hypocrite” ,  HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE, LONDON. 

VIVIEN LEIGH,  (1913-1967), as Blanche de Bois in  Laurence Olivier’s English  Premier production of “ STREET CAR NAMED DESIRE”, in 1950, at the Aldwych Theatre, London.

GERALDINE McEWAN, (1932-2015) , in 1954,  as Annie in  “For Better, For Worse”, Comedy Theatre, London and on UK Tour. Studio Photograph by McBean.

QUENTIN CRISP, (1908-1990). Raconteur, Author and art model. Lover of  McBean in the 1930s.  The 1968 cover for Crisp’s  memoir “ The Naked Civil Servant”  is based on a photograph by Angus  McBean.

BEATRIX LEHMANN, (1903- 1979) Actress.  Studio Work,  London, 1938.

IVOR  NOVELLO,  (1892-1951) : Playwright  & Actor.  1930s.   Studio  Portrait. Portsmouth.

IVOR NOVELLO,  (1892-1951):  2nd image (c1930s) Studio Portrait. Portsmouth.

FRASER CAMERON LOWDEN, ( 1932-2003). Producer & Actor. Worked with Angus  McBean  in the 1958 Manchester production of “ WEST SIDE STORY”.

Further information/ contact William Cross on email

williecross@aol.com

BRIEF LIVES: GEOFFREY GOMER DAVIES: 1908-1954

 

BRIEF LIVES: GEOFFREY GOMER DAVIES: 1908-1954

ACTOR AND THEATRE OWNER WITH DAVID LAMBERT

Geoffrey Gomer [Davies] was born in London  on 7 February 1908 and died today on 4 November 1954 at Dartford in Kent.

His father was Robert Cropley Davies , ( 1874-1941),  a  solicitor, his mother, Ethel  Beatrice Woolf ( 1878-1952),  was a Yorkshire lass.  The family home  with several siblings, was first at Gerrards Cross and Geoffrey later moved to Hartford, near Dartford.

He was educated at Lancing College, West Sussex,  and became an army cadet, he later joined the Territorial Army and he was also a Police Reservist.

As “ Geoffrey Gomer” he made a name for himself  as a stage  actor and stage manager  with  his  close friend and business partner, David Lambert, whose family was based in Lewisham, South London.

                              The Richmond Players

The Gomer/ Lambert combo thrived  for many years, with weekly rep played out at the Theatre Royal, Lincoln and  The Scala, Dartford.  As the “Richmond Players” they toured the country  in a number of shows, including Emlyn Williams’ drama “ Night Must Fall”, the screw ball American comedy        farce “ Arsenic and Old Lace” and Noel Coward’s “ Hay Fever”. 

                             Where the Rainbow Ends

In the 1930s, a notable role for Geoffrey as an actor was to play St George for four years at the Holborn Empire in “ Where The Rainbow Ends”,  a favourite Christmas children's entertainment.

In 1932 Gomer received rave notices for his performance in an epic show,  “ Miracle at Verdum”, a war parable  staged at the Embassy Theatre, London.

He also co-starred  at the Apollo Theatre, with stage luminaries Sybil Throndike and Marie Tempest in “ The Distaff Side” and with Ellen Pollock and Leo Glenn in “ Beggars in Hell” at the Garrick Theatre, in 1933.

             Geoffrey the Broadcaster in Rome in WW2

During the Second World War Geoffrey was a prominent radio producer and front man for the BBC, broadcasting at ‘pop up’ stations throughout Europe. He was later on the staff of  the BBC’s Light programme department. He also formed the Geoffrey Gomer Agency, providing freelance news services.

After demob from the army he joined up with fellow actors  David Lambert (1916-1979)  and Kenneth Cleveland (1920-2004),  with a season at the little Torch Theatre at Hyde Park Corner, in Knightsbridge. Their first presentation was Jack Alldridge's war story, set in Italy,  “All This Is  Ended”.

 Geoffrey later appeared in an early live recorded  BBC TV film,  of  "All This Is Ended"   the play produced  at the Torch, about the affects of war and  "Without the Prince"  ( 1947)  another BBC production,  an adaptation of a stage play by Philip King, a farce set in a rural English village. 

In the 1950s, despite  success and popular support  Goeffrey and David's beloved  Richmond Players were hit hard with financial problems, worries over the lease of  the 900 seat  Scala Theatre at Dartford.  

Scala Theatre, Dartford ( now closed)

These two bold and brave theatre men tried to keep a brave face on things, forming a Theatre Club but other factors were beyond their control.

The last shows  at Scala in the mid 1950s remain the last legacy of  Geoffrey Gomer and  David Lambert.

https://theatricalia.com/place/64y/scala-theatre-dartford-dartford

But  the much  greater sadness was over the uncertainty created by the deterioration in Geoffrey’s health  and this brought  its own dire climax.   

  Geoffrey Gomer Davies Grave at All Saints, Hartley

The end came suddenly, Geoffrey died  at  the early age of 46, with so much left to do. He was buried at All Saints, Hartley, where a small gravestone ( much weathered by time) can be found.

Another of the very great what might have beens.

 

William Cross, FSA Scot

4 November 2025

For more information, contact Will by email.

williecross@aol.com

For more information contact Will