Leslie Richard French (23 April 1904 – 21 January 1999) was a British actor of stage and screen.
French was primarily a theatre actor, as well as a director, singer and dancer, with a varied career that included the classics, musical revue, pantomime and ballet. He became most associated with the role of Ariel in William Shakespeare's The Tempest, and over the years he essayed many of Shakespeare's spirits and clowns, such as Puck, Feste and Touchstone.
Early life
French was born in
Bromley, Kent, in 1904 and was educated at the London School of Choristers.
He made his first appearance as a child actor in a 1914 Christmas show at the Little Theatre and left school the same year to join the touring
Ben Greet as a stagehand and prompter.
Hired as an understudy in the West End to
Bobby Howes in the musical
Mr. Cinders, French played the title role when the play went on regional tour.
Theatre
In 1930, he joined the
Old Vic company, where he played Poins in
Henry IV, Part I, Eros in
Antony and Cleopatra, the Fool in
King Lear and the role with which he became most associated with, Ariel in
The Tempest.
This latter role saw him share the stage with contemporaries
John Gielgud (as Prospero) and
Ralph Richardson (as Caliban), the first time these two actors appeared on stage together.
French was the first male actor to essay the role of Ariel for many years and did so in nothing more than a small loincloth, helping to make this version something of a talking point at the time.
French and Gielgud were also the inspiration for
Eric Gill's carving of Prospero and Ariel above the entrance to the then new Broadcasting House in
Portland Place.
French continued his stage career at the Old Vic and later the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, specialising in Shakespeare's spirits and clowns, such as Puck, Feste, Touchstone and of course Ariel, roles greatly enhanced by his singing and dancing ability.
Maynardville open-air theatre
In 1955 he helped to establish the new Shakespearean seasons at the Maynardville Open-Air Theatre in
Cape Town,
South Africa. This theatre, which had opened a short while before, on 1 December 1950,
[ Maynardville - History ] had multi-racial casts performing to multi-racial audiences.
In 1963 he was awarded the key to the city for his work with the theatre.
Film and television
French made the occasional foray into film, appearing in two
Luchino Visconti films,
The Leopard (1963) and
Death in Venice (1971), as well as many British television programmes. These included
Dixon of Dock Green,
Armchair Theatre,
Z-Cars,
The Avengers (the episode
You Have Just Been Murdered),
Jason King and
The Singing Detective. His role as Mr. Woodhouse in a
BBC serial of
Jane Austen's
Emma (1960) is considered one of his most memorable screen performances.
French was also considered for the role of the
First Doctor in the
science fiction series
Doctor Who;
William Hartnell was cast.
He finally appeared in the programme in its 1988 serial,
Silver Nemesis, playing the Mathematician.
Selected filmography
-
Radio Pirates (1935) – Leslie
-
Peg of Old Drury (1935) – Alexander Pope
-
This England (1941) – Johnny
-
The Wallet (1952)
-
Orders to Kill (1958) – Marcel Lafitte
-
The Scapegoat (1959) – Lacoste
-
The Singer Not the Song (1961) – Father Gomez
-
The Leopard (1963) – Cavalier Chevally
-
The Rescue Squad (1963) – Mr. Manse
-
More Than a Miracle (1967) – Brother Giuseppe de Coopertino
-
Death in Venice (1971) – Travel Agent
-
Invitation to the Wedding (1983) – Hobbs
-
The Living Daylights (1987) – Lavatory Attendant
-
Young Toscanini (1987) – Comparsa (uncredited)
External links
