About
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About
Studio portrait of Dame Sybil Thorndyke during her 1932 Australian tour of George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan for J. C. Williamson’s theatre company.
Source/Credit:
Courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales. Public domain (Australia). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sybil_Thorndike,_English_actress,_1932_-_The_Falk_Studios_-_Flickr_-_State_Library_of_New_South_Wales_collection.jpg
Acclaimed English actor Dame Sybil Thorndyke and her husband, Sir Lewis Casson, arrived in Singapore (via Hong Kong) on 24 February 1955 to give a series of performances, including three at the Victoria Memorial Hall and three school performances. They were greeted at the Kallang Airport by Dr. S. I. Hsiang of Nanyang University. Presented by Donald Moore Productions, the performances marked the company’s inaugural presentation in Singapore.
The programmes presented a curated sequence of theatrical excerpts, monologues, and literary recitations spanning classical and modern works. Each of the three evening performances featured a different programme and lasted approximately two hours. Contemporary reviews praised the variety and vitality of the recital format, with particular acclaim for Thorndyke’s performance of the trial scene from George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan, the role for which she was most celebrated and which Shaw reportedly wrote with her in mind (The Straits Times 1955, 5).
Genre
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Showtimes and Venues
| Date | Time | Frequency | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| From 25-Feb-1955 to 25-Feb-1955 | From 21:00 | – | Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, Singapore |
| From 01-Mar-1955 to 01-Mar-1955 | From 21:00 | – | Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, Singapore |
| From 03-Mar-1955 to 03-Mar-1955 | From 21:00 | – | Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, Singapore |
| From 26-Feb-1955 to 26-Feb-1955 | From 14:30 | – | Methodist Girls’ School, Shaw Auditorium, Singapore |
| From 05-Mar-1955 to 05-Mar-1955 | From 14:30 | – | Methodist Girls’ School, Shaw Auditorium, Singapore |
Schedule
| Running Order | Schedule Item | Type | Date and Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1- | Prologue, trial scene and cardinals’ scene from Shakespeare’s “King Henry VIII” | – | 25-Feb-1955 |
| 2- | Queen Bess was Harry’s Daughter, by Kipling | – | 25-Feb-1955 |
| 3- | 17th Century Poems, by Ben Johnson and Robert Herrick | – | 25-Feb-1955 |
| 4- | Two scenes from the Medea of Euripides, translated by Gilbert Murray | – | 25-Feb-1955 |
| 5- | By Clemence Dane, Burleigh and Queen Elizabeth from “The Lion and the Unicorn” | – | 25-Feb-1955 |
| 6- | Speech from G. Bernard Shaw’s “Saint Joan” | – | 25-Feb-1955 |
| 7- | “The Little Serving Maid” and “Courtesy,” by Hilaire Belloc | – | 25-Feb-1955 |
| 1- | Prologue and five scenes from “King Henry V,” by Shakespeare | – | 01-Mar-1955 |
| 2- | two Scottish ballads and three poems by Keats – “Old Meg,” “Lady’s Maid,” “Naughty Boy” | – | 01-Mar-1955 |
| 3- | final scene of Euripides’ “The Trojan Women” | – | 01-Mar-1955 |
| 4- | “In a Bombed Church,” by Beatrice Mayor | – | 01-Mar-1955 |
| 5- | “Prayer of Rev. Eli Jenkins,” by Dylan Thomas | – | 01-Mar-1955 |
| 6- | Katherine the Shrew’s Advice to Wives | – | 01-Mar-1955 |
| 7- | The epilogue to “As You Like It,” by Shakespeare | – | 01-Mar-1955 |
| 1- | Three scenes from Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” | – | 03-Mar-1955 |
| 2- | A group of four poems and sonnets by Spenser, Keats, Shakespeare and Herrick | – | 03-Mar-1955 |
| 3- | Scenes from “Much Ado About Nothing” | – | 03-Mar-1955 |
| 4- | Two character poems by Edna St. Vincent Millay | – | 03-Mar-1955 |
| 5- | A messenger’s speech from Euripides’ “Hippolytus” | – | 03-Mar-1955 |
| 6- | Queen Elizabeth’s Speech to the Lords and Commons, by Clemence Dane | – | 03-Mar-1955 |
| 7- | Speech of Saint Joan at her Trial, by G. Bernard Shaw | – | 03-Mar-1955 |
| 8- | A Prayer. King Charles I | – | 03-Mar-1955 |
Person and Troupe
| Name | Type | Role in Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Dame Sybil Thorndyke | Person | – |
| Sir Lewis Casson | Person | – |
| Performer (collaborateWith) | Purpose |
|---|---|
| – |
Support (hasSupport)
| Supporter Name | Type of Support | Support Description |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Moore (Individual) | Brokerage; Logistical |
Dame Sybil Thorndyke and Sir Lewis Casson’s performances in Singapore were the inaugural presentation by Donald Moore Productions. |
Theme and Style
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Sources
Singapore Standard. 1955. “Dame Sybil to Keep Promise.” January 29, 1955, 3. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singstandard19550129-1.2.45.
Singapore Standard. 1955. “Programme for Sybil Thorndyke.” February 1, 1955, 3. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singstandard19550201-1.2.42?qt=sybil,%20thorndyke&q=sybil%20thorndyke.
Singapore Standard. 1955. “Dame Sybil Flies In.” February 25, 1955, 4. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/singstandard19550225-1.2.55?qt=sybil,%20thorndyke&q=sybil%20thorndyke.
The Straits Times. 1955. “Spellbound by Magic of the Cassons.” February 26, 1955, 5. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/digitised/article/straitstimes19550226-1.2.105?qt=sybil,%20thorndyke&q=sybil%20thorndyke.
Contributor
2026. “Dame Sybil Thorndyke and Sir Lewis Casson – 1955 – Singapore”. In Performing Archipelagos, edited by Kyueun Kim, Alvin Eng Hui Lim and Hedren Wai Yuan Sum. Singapore: National University of Singapore.
