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Bob Stage Work

Portrait from Her Cardboard Lover (1928)
STAGE WORK

Newton made his first appearance on the stage at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in November 1920, walking on in Henry IV (Part One). He spent three years with this company and was the assistant stage manager from August 1921 to July 1923. Newton appeared here as Fabian in Twelfth Night, Jesse Redvers in The Secret Woman, and Balthasar in Romeo and Juliet etc.

1922 also saw him play at the Cambridge Amateur Dramatic Club in The Rose and the Ring.

During 1923-4 he toured he South Africa.

Newton’s first London appearance was at Drury Lane on 3 June 1924, in London Life.

He was also to be seen in Perfect Fit which was running in the West End, London during 1924.

In November 1925 he played George Bristow in The Ring O’Bells at the Comedy.

Newton then spent 1926-1928 touring the provinces.

July 1928 saw him playing Jacko Blaker in My Lady’s Mill at the Lyric.

August 1928, Paul Guisard in Her Cardboard Lover at the Lyric.

January 1929, John Murray and the Regent in Byron at His Majesty‘s.

His Majesty’s, July 1929, he played Hugh Devon in Bitter-Sweet, which ran over a year.

Newton went to the US and made his first appearance in New York at the Times Square Theatre on 11 May 1931, succeeding Laurence Olivier as Victor Prynne in Private Lives.

Prince of Wales, London, in March 1932 he played Mort in I Lived With You.

Duchess, June 1932, Jesse Redvers, in The Secret Woman.

Newton then assumed management of the Grand Theatre, Fulham, which he ran as the Shilling Theatre for two years, and played there, among other parts, Pietro Strozzi in Nights Candles, Boris Feldman in The Greeks Had a Word For It, etc. The Shilling Theatre was largely a family affair, with his father, Algernon Newton ARA painting the scenery, his mother, Marjorie Balfour choosing the plays while Newton and his sisters, Joy and Pauline did the acting.

Little Theatre, May 1934, he played Patrick O’Leary in Once Upon a Time.

1934 saw Newton in Success Story.

Duke of York’s, November 1934, Boris in The Greeks Had a Word For It.

Arts, January 1935, Jean in Miss Julie.

Duke of York’s, May 1935, Mark Gresham in Roulette.

1935 also saw him in The Player Queen.

1936 saw Newton touring in Saturday’s Children playing Robin O’Neill.

Little, April 1936, Renny in Whiteoaks.

Old Vic, January 1937, he was Horatio in Hamlet.

Prince of Wales’s, July 1942, he played Slim Grisson in No Orchids For Miss Blandish. This play had been tried out in Blackpool at the Grand Theatre, 29 June - 25 July 1942.

In 1945-46 Newton appeared in So Brief the Spring as Randy Jollifer and following a run at the Wimbledon Theatre went on tour with it.

Vaudeville, July 1950, Mr Manningham in Gaslight.

 

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