Professor needs help with new Wolfit book

A professor who became interested in the late-great Balderton actor/manager, Sir Donald Wolfit, is writing a book about him and would like readers to help.

Professor Laurence Raw, 52, who works at Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey, will focus on Wolfit’s career as a Shakespearean actor.

He said: “No one has done it before. A biography of Wolfit was published in 1971, three years after his death, but there has not been anything since.

“I have been trying to look at his papers for many years and was fortunate to be able to do so at the University of Texas last year as I wanted to write a book about him.

“This is because he was a great actor and because he had done something for theatre that no one else had done — taken it out into the community so audiences could see the works of Shakespeare for themselves, getting them to become interested in the theatre.

“I am now trying to get in touch with as many people as possible who knew Wolfit, toured with him or saw him in action. I then hope to finish the book and get it published by the end of the year.”

Professor Raw said the book would be a social history of theatre and what it was like touring and performing during the second world war and afterwards.

“Sir Donald continued performing while bombs dropped round him so it must have been quite a terrifying experience for him, but he was so passionate about Shakespeare and the theatre he was not going to let anything stop him.”

Professor Raw first came across Sir Donald in 1987 when he was doing a doctorate at the University of Sussex and became fascinated with his story and wanted to delve into it deeper.

He visited Newark for the Wolfit Lecture in October and looked round the Magnus Grammar School, where Sir Donald was educated.

“I am returning to Newark from February 25 to 27 and hoping to look round Wolfit’s old haunts and hear from people who knew him,” he said.

Anyone who can help should either contact Dawn Bond at the Advertiser on 01636 688455 or email him at l_rawjalaurence@yahoo.com