Brewster Mason

Brewster Mason
Born William Brewster Mason
(1922-08-30)30 August 1922
Kidsgrove, Staffordshire, England, UK
Died 14 August 1987(1987-08-14) (aged 64)
London, England, UK
Occupation Actor
Spouse(s) Kate Meredith (div.);
Lorna Whittaker
Children 1 daughter

Brewster Mason (30 August 1922 – 14 August 1987) was an English stage actor who also made some notable film and television appearances.[1][2]

He was born in Kidsgrove, Staffordshire and made his stage debut at the Finsbury Park Open Air Theatre in 1947.[3] He then appeared on stage in repertory theatre, in London's West End and on Broadway. He was a particularly notable member of the Royal Shakespeare Company between 1963 and 1987, and his parts included a memorable Earl of Warwick in The Wars of The Roses (1963 and 1964), Claudius in Hamlet opposite David Warner's portrayal of the title character (1965 and 1966), Sir Toby Belch in Twelfth Night (1966), Lafau (in All's Well That Ends Well) and Banquo (in Macbeth) in 1967, Julius Caesar and Falstaff (in The Merry Wives of Windsor) in 1968, Women Beware Women, Wolsey (in Henry VIII) and Falstaff (in When Thou Art King) in 1969, Undershaft in Major Barbara (1970), Othello (1971), Falstaff in Henry IV (1975) and Gaunt in Richard II in 1986.[4] He was an actor of great presence, possessing a distinctive and beautiful voice.[5]

He made appearances in many British plays and TV series including; The Affair (1962), The Pallisers (1974), Quatermass (1979) and Tales of the Unexpected (1980–81).[6][7] He also played Otto von Bismarck in both Edward the Seventh (1975) and Disraeli (1978).[8][9] His film appearances included The Dam Busters (1954), as Guy Gibson's rear gunner Flt. Lt. R.D. Trevor-Roper, and Private Potter (1962) as the Brigadier.[2]

In 1957 he had a spell in the BBC's Radio Drama Repertory company when, after an accident in which he injured his leg, he was unable to undertake film or stage work. Appearances during this time included the role of Rupert Dreisler in Paul Temple and the Spencer Affair.[10]

In the late 1960s and early 1970s he taught classical acting at the University of California, Irvine.[11]

He died aged 64 following a fall when he was appearing in Richard II at the Barbican Theatre, London.[12]

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ League, The Broadway. "Brewster Mason – Broadway Cast & Staff - IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  2. 1 2 "Brewster Mason".
  3. ↑ "Brewster Mason Biography (1922-1987)". www.filmreference.com.
  4. ↑ "Brewster Mason - Theatricalia". theatricalia.com.
  5. ↑ Wells, Stanley W. (17 October 1977). "Royal Shakespeare: Four Major Productions at Stratford-upon-Avon". Manchester University Press – via Google Books.
  6. ↑ League, The Broadway. "The Affair – Broadway Play – Original - IBDB". www.ibdb.com.
  7. ↑ "Brewster Mason". www.aveleyman.com.
  8. ↑ "The Royal Quadrille (1975)".
  9. ↑ "Masterpiece". TVGuide.com.
  10. ↑ "Peter Coke and Marjorie Westbury in ' PAUL TEMPLE AND THE SPENCER AFFAIR'". 15 November 1957. p. 45 – via BBC Genome.
  11. ↑ Soto-Morettini, Donna (17 October 2017). "The Philosophical Actor: A Practical Meditation for Practicing Theatre Artists". Intellect Books – via Google Books.
  12. ↑ Whitfield, Poppy (17 October 2017). "The Pride and The Shame of a Coalminer's Bairns". Author House – via Google Books.


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