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Mervyn Blake
Mervyn Blake
Mervyn Blake
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Mervyn Alexander Clifford Blake, CM (30 November 1907 – 9 October 2003) was a Canadian stage actor.

Key Information

Blake was born in Dehradun India, where his father worked as a railway executive.[1] After his family returned to England, he fell in love with theatre and attended London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1933.[2] He made his professional theatre debut in 1933 at the Embassy Theatre in London. At the start of World War II, he joined the British Army as a driver, and was present at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp liberation in April 1945, an experience which haunted him for the rest of his life.[3]

After the War, he was an acting company member at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford Upon Avon from 1952 to 1955.[4] During this time, he worked with prominent actors such as Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir Michael Redgrave, and Dame Peggy Ashcroft.[5]

In the mid 1950s, he and his wife Christine Bennett moved their family to Canada, following British acting colleagues Tony Van Bridge and Powys Thomas. He joined the acting company at the Stratford Festival of Canada in 1957, where he stayed to perform in 111 productions over 42 consecutive seasons. In 1988, he performed in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, making him the first company member to perform in the entire canon of Shakespeare's plays.[6][7][8][9]

Blake was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 1995.[10][11] He died in 2003 at a nursing home in Toronto following a long illness.[12]

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Mervyn Blake

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Mervyn Blake is a Canadian stage actor known for his extraordinary 42-year association with the Stratford Festival of Canada, where he performed in over 115 productions and became one of the few actors to appear in every play in the Shakespearean canon. Born in Dehradun, India, on November 30, 1907, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and made his professional debut on the English stage in 1933. He served in the British military during World War II, participating in the liberation of the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp before immigrating to Canada in 1953. Blake joined the Stratford Festival in 1957 during its fifth season and remained a dedicated company member through 1998, his final appearance coming in The Two Gentlemen of Verona—a production arranged specifically so he could complete his cycle of every Shakespeare play. Revered as a mainstay of the company, he was celebrated for his versatility across roles ranging from leads such as Gloucester in King Lear and Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing to supporting parts in numerous other works. His commitment to the festival and Canadian theatre earned him several honors, including the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1978, the Dora Mavor Moore Award in 1987 for his performance in Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada in 1995 for his nearly four decades as part of the Stratford Festival's fabric and his continued stage work into his eighties. Blake passed away in Toronto on October 9, 2003, at the age of 95, leaving a legacy as a beloved figure in Canadian theatre whose dedication to craft and tradition inspired generations of performers.

Early life and education

Birth and early years

Mervyn Alexander Clifford Blake was born on November 30, 1907, in Dehradun (also spelled Dehra Dun), India, to a British colonial family. His father was employed there during the period of British rule. Blake was nicknamed "Butch" during his life. Details on his childhood in India are limited in available records, but his origins in the British Raj environment shaped his early background before he later pursued formal training abroad.

Dramatic training

Mervyn Blake received his formal dramatic training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London, where he studied acting. He completed the Acting program and graduated with a RADA Diploma in 1933. His professional debut in London followed shortly after his graduation that same year.

Early career and military service

Professional debut and pre-war work

Mervyn Blake made his professional stage debut in 1933 at the Embassy Theatre in London, shortly after graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art that same year. His first recorded appearance was in the play Age of Plenty (previously entitled Red Harvest) by Claire and Paul Sifton, which opened at the Embassy Theatre, Swiss Cottage, on 4 September 1933 under the direction of Andre van Gyseghem. During the remainder of the 1930s, Blake performed in various London productions and other English venues, building his early reputation in theatre. This early phase of his career was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II.

World War II service

During World War II, Mervyn Blake served in the British Army as a driver after interrupting his early acting career. He participated in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Following the end of the war, Blake returned to professional acting.

Post-war British theatre

Following his service in World War II, Mervyn Blake resumed his acting career on the British stage, appearing in productions at several notable venues during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He performed in multiple seasons at the Old Vic in London from 1947 to 1951, as well as at the Theatre Royal in Bath and the Cambridge Arts Theatre during overlapping periods. In 1952, Blake joined the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company at Stratford-upon-Avon, where he remained a member through the 1955 season. During this four-season tenure, he took on supporting roles in a wide array of Shakespearean productions, including the Boatswain in The Tempest, Corin in As You Like It, Tubal in The Merchant of Venice, Gratiano in Othello, Snug in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Nym in Henry V. His contributions were part of the company's regular repertory seasons and included participation in associated tours, such as the 1953–1954 London engagement of Antony and Cleopatra. This period represented a significant phase of Blake's engagement with classical theatre in Britain before his subsequent immigration to Canada in 1953.

Stratford Festival

Move to Canada and joining

Mervyn Blake immigrated to Canada in 1953. Having previously performed with the Stratford-upon-Avon Memorial Theatre Company in England from 1952 to 1955, he relocated to pursue opportunities in North American theatre. In 1957, he joined the acting company of the Stratford Festival of Canada in Stratford, Ontario, during its fifth season. The Stratford Festival, distinct from its English namesake, had been established in 1953 as a dedicated venue for Shakespearean and classical productions under the direction of Tyrone Guthrie. Blake's arrival marked the start of his integration into the Canadian theatre scene, building on his established Shakespearean expertise.

42-season tenure

Mervyn Blake remained a member of the acting company at the Stratford Festival for 42 consecutive seasons from 1957 to 1998. This extended tenure made him one of the Festival's most enduring company members, with his consistent presence spanning more than four decades of productions. During this period, he appeared in over 115 productions at Stratford. His final performance came in the 1998 production of The Two Gentlemen of Verona.

Shakespeare canon and contributions

Mervyn Blake achieved the distinction of being the first actor in the Stratford Festival's company to perform in every play in the Shakespearean canon, completing this feat in 1988 with his appearance in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, which had been deliberately programmed as the final missing play in his repertoire. This accomplishment marked him as a foundational figure in the Festival's dedication to Shakespeare's complete works over his 42-season tenure. Blake collaborated with Michael Mawson to mentor younger actors and preserve the history and traditions of the Stratford Festival, ensuring that the company's significance was passed on to future generations. He emphasized the need for an atmosphere of respect, stating of this task, "You need atmosphere...It's something we ought to carry on for the young people to say that this is a kind of hallowed place which should be respected in your work."

Film and television

Television and film appearances

Mervyn Blake's appearances in television and film were relatively limited compared to his extensive stage career, consisting primarily of roles in Canadian anthology series, Shakespearean adaptations, and a handful of earlier films. His screen work often drew from or complemented his long association with the Stratford Festival, featuring filmed versions of productions in which he performed. Blake's early film credits included roles in The Black Arrow (1951) and The Black Tulip (1956). He later featured prominently in the CBC Television anthology series Festival, appearing in multiple productions between 1960 and 1963. In the 1960s through the 1990s, Blake took part in several television adaptations of Shakespeare plays, many taped from Stratford Festival stagings. These included Henry V (1966 TV movie), where he played Captain MacMorris and Bates, As You Like It (1983 TV movie) as Adam, and Romeo & Juliet (1993 TV movie) as Old Capulet. He also appeared in an episode of the Canadian series Seeing Things in 1984 as Peter and in the TV movie The Boys from Syracuse (1986) as Diogenes. These credits reflect his occasional contributions to Canadian television drama and filmed theatre, though they remained secondary to his primary work on stage.

Awards and honours

Major awards and recognitions

Mervyn Blake received a number of official honours recognizing his contributions to Canadian theatre. He was awarded the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal in 1978. In 1987, Blake won the Dora Mavor Moore Award for his featured performance in Saturday, Sunday, Monday at the St. Lawrence Centre. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada on May 4, 1995, and formally invested on November 16, 1995, in recognition of his services to theatre in Canada. The citation highlighted his nearly forty-year association with the Stratford Festival Company, during which he acted in every one of Shakespeare's plays, and his continued stage work into his eighties in productions ranging from Cyrano de Bergerac to Alice Through the Looking Glass, describing his dedication as an inspiration to theatre lovers.

Personal life and legacy

Family and later years

Mervyn Blake was married to the actress Christine Bennett. Survivors from his family include children Andrew and Bridget, along with stepson Tim Davisson. In his later years, Blake resided at the Rekai Centre in Toronto for the final four years of his life. His biography, With Love from Butch: A Stratford Actor, written by Audrey Ashley, was published in 1999.

Death and tributes

Mervyn Blake died on October 9, 2003, in Toronto at the age of 95. Stratford Festival artistic director Richard Monette paid tribute to Blake's legacy, stating: "Butch Blake was a beloved actor and had the distinction of playing in every single play of Shakespeare's, in a career that spanned 70 years. He was respected and he had many friends who mourn his passing." In later recognition of his contributions, a memorial bench financed and organised by the local cricket community was installed at the cricket pitch in Lower Queens Park, Stratford—his favourite spot for watching cricket—honouring his long association with the Festival and his enthusiasm for cricket. Earlier in 2025, the local cricket community also established a permanent cricket pitch in Lower Queens Park, officially named the Butch Blake Memorial Cricket Ground, which will host the 51st annual Stratford Festival vs. Shaw Festival match.
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