Dad's Army - John Le Mesurier Stage

Born: 5th April 1912, Chaucer Road, Bedford, England, as John Charles Elton Le Mesurier de Somerys Halliley

Died: 15 November 1983, in Ramsgate Hospital, after a long fight with liver disease

Parents: Son of Charles Elton Halliley and Anne Michelle Halliley (nee Le Mesurier)

Married: John had three wives:
- June Melville, an actress/director/producer, born 1915, died 1970 (married 1939-47, divorced)
- Hattie Jacques, an actress, born as Josephine Edwina Jacques on 7 Feb 1924, died 6 Oct 1980 (1952 - 65, divorced)
- Joan Malin, a circus performer (married 2 March 1966 till his death, now widow Joan Le Mesurier)

Children: Robin and Kim Le Mesurier, sons from marriage to Hattie Jacques. Kim (known as Jake) died in 1990, aged 35.

Biographies and Books of Interest:
A Jobbing Actor - by John Le Mesurier (autobiography)
Lady Don't Fall Backwards - by Joan Le Mesurier (the __autobiography of John's wife, with much about him)
Dear John - by Joan Le Mesurier (biography)

Acknowledgements: SFTA award for Best Television Actor 1971, for dramatic lead role in Dennis Potter’s television play Traitor

Professional Debut: The Palladium Theatre, Edinburgh, in repertory, 1935

John Le Mesurier's Stage Career
Stage Performance	Role	Notes	Date
John Le Mesurier trained at Fay Compton's Studio of Dramatic Art. He had no previous amateur theatre experience, and following his training he made his professional debut at The Palladium Theatre, Edinburgh, in repertory, in 1935
Berkeley Square Hamlet Hamlet Dangerous Corner Various plays in Repertory Up In Mabel’s Room Twelfth Night Draw The Fires Various Various Strife The Constant Nymph Peace In Our Time French Without Tears French Without Tears French Without Tears French Without Tears French Without Tears French Without Tears Gaslight Gaslight	_ Guildenstern Guildenstern _ _ _ Malvolio _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _	Excerpt of this play whilst training at Studio of Dramatic Art Grand Theatre, Leeds (unpaid understudy) King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (unpaid understudy) The Palladium Theatre, Edinburgh (professional debut) The Palladium Theatre, Edinburgh, (for five or six months) Oldham Repertory Theatre Sheffield Repertory Theatre Sheffield Repertory Theatre The Lyceum, Edinburgh Theatre Royal, Glasgow (for six months) Croydon Repertory Theatre Croydon Repertory Theatre Croydon Repertory Theatre The Grand Theatre at Blackpool Hull Ashton-under-Lyne Doncaster Hanley Ipswich Apollo Theatre, London (West End debut, over Winter) Tour of UK	1933-35? 1935 1935 1935 1935 193? 193? 193? 193? 1937 1938 1938 1938 late 1939 late 1939 late 1939 late 1939 late 1939 late 1939 1939 1939-1940
Goodness How Sad Journey’s End Goodness, How Sad French Without Tears I Have Been Here Before Various Various The Winslow Boy The Linden Tree	_ _ _ _ Walter Ormund various various Chatham _	Tour including The New Theatre, Hull and Brixton Palace Court Theatre, Bournemouth (part of tour above) Brixton Deerbolt Camp, Blackdown (3 performances for fellow soldiers) Barnard Castle, Yorkshire (week long run for fellow soldiers) Croydon Grand Theatre (in Repertory) Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham unknown venue Alexander Theatre, Birmingham	1940 15 Jan 1940 1940 1940 1940 1945/46 1945/46 1947 23 May 1949
The Dubarry Travellers Joy The Smooth-Faced Gentleman Hanging Judge Twenty Minutes South	_ _ _ _ _	Princes Theatre, London (this was a musical ) New Theatre, Bromley Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (lead role, play by Peter Powell) New Theatre, Bromley St Martins Theatre, London (musical produced by Hattie Jacques)	1950 approx 1951 14 Aug 1950 23 Sep 1952 1955
Homage To T.S. Elliot _ _ _ _ _ Twenty Minutes South The Browning Version	Performer _ _ _ _ _ _ Crocker Harris	London Fringe Theatre, one night only with readings and performances made by John Le Mesurier, Bernard Cribbins, George Devine, Cleo Laine, Groucho Marx, Roddy Maude-Roxbury, Alec McGowan, Laurence Olivier, Anna Quayle, Clive Reville, Ian Richardson, Paul Scofield and Nicol Williamson. A recording was made of this homage and released on LP Players Theatre, London (was a musical but he had little to sing) The Alexandra, Birmingham	13 June 1965 _ _ _ _ _ 1967 196?
Poetry Reading Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ Dad’s Army _ An Inspector Calls Bedroom Farce	himself Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sergeant Wilson Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Sgt Wilson and __Chesney Allen Lead role _	Little Medway Theatre, reading poetry by Alexander Hussey The Forum Theatre, Billingham _ The Shaftesbury Theatre, London _ The London Palladium The Opera House, Manchester _ Theatre Royal, Nottingham _ Bradford Alhambra, Bradford _ The Hippodrome, Birmingham _ The Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth _ The Winter Gardens, Blackpool _ Theatre Royal, Newcastle _ The Richmond Theatre, Richmond _ Theatre Royal, Brighton _ Theatre Royal, Bath _ Salisbury, Rhodesia Tour of Far East	20 Sep 1970 4 Sep 1975 - 18 Sep 1975 2 Oct 75 - 21 Feb 76 10 Nov 1975 23 Mar 1976 - 10 Apr 1976 12 Apr 1976 -1 May 1976 3 May 1976 - 15 May 1976 17 May 1976 - 22 May 1976 24 May 1976 -5 June 1976 7 June 1976 - 19 June 1976 22 June 1976 - 3 July 1976 12 July 1976 - 24 July 1976 26th July 1976 - 21 Aug 1976 23 Aug 1976 - 4 Sep 1976 late 1976 1979/80
Hay Fever	David Bliss	Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford	4 Aug 1981
Notes: While in Repertory Theatre at The Lyceum, Edinburgh and the Theatre Royal, Glasgow, John appeared in such plays as Private Lives (as Chase), The Three Sisters (as Konstantin), An Italian Garden, Hay Fever and Tovanich. However I don't have the exact dates or his character, nor know which theatre of the two he appeared at. "The Linden Tree" by J.B.Priestley in which John appeared at the Alexander Theatre Birmingham, opened on the 23rd May 1949. The members of the cast were Colin Laurence, Kathleen St. John, Eileen Draycott, Philip Howard, Pauline Williams, Pamela Abbott, Patricia Driscoll, Stella Hamilton, John Le Mesurier and Geoffrey Chater. TV Credits_____Radio Credits______Film Credits______Stage Credits______Other Work Back To Actors Back To Dad's Army Homepage