Nora Nicholson
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Nora Nicholson in The Saint, 1966

Nora Nicholson (7 December 1886[n 1] – 18 September 1973) was an English actress. Known for her portrayal of character roles, she achieved her greatest success in the later years of her career. She played in classics by Shakespeare and Chekhov and in new plays by authors including Noël Coward and Alan Bennett. Many of her best-regarded performances were as eccentric or even unhinged characters.

In 1914 Nicholson joined the Old Vic company, where she played several Shakespearean roles, and during 1916 and 1917, she played Sally in a long tour of The Scarlet Pimpernel. From the 1920s to the 1940s, she played a variety of character roles on stage in England, France and North America. She achieved wider notice in the West End in 1947 for her role in Dark Summer and was admired in both London and on Broadway in New York in The Lady's Not for Burning in 1949–50. She continued to be in demand for her stage roles into the 1970s.

From the 1950s she made regular television appearances and is particularly remembered for her part in the BBC's The Forsyte Saga (1967). She appeared in many British films, mostly comedies, but also in more serious films, including A Town Like Alice (1956). She continued to act until the year of her death.

Life and career

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Early years

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Nora Miranda Marguerita Nicholson was born in Leamington, Warwickshire, the youngest child of the large family of the Rev John Aldwell Nicholson and his wife Editha, née Hunt. Among her siblings was the actor H. O. Nicholson.[6] She was educated at Leamington High School.[1] where a fellow student was a daughter of the actor Frank Benson.[6] After further education in Germany, Nicholson joined Benson's drama school before becoming a member of his company in 1912.[1]

In April 1912 Nicholson made her professional stage debut, playing Dolly Clandon in Benson's production of Shaw's You Never Can Tell at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon.[6] She remained with Benson's company throughout the 1912–13 season, and in 1914 she joined the Old Vic company playing Ariel in The Tempest, Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Jessica in The Merchant of Venice and Celia in As You Like It.[1] The Stage said of her performance in The Tempest, "the rapidly and gracefull flitting Ariel of Miss Nora Nicholson partook indeed of the Spirit nature".[7]

During 1916 and 1917 Nicholson toured as Sally in Fred Terry's stage version of The Scarlet Pimpernel, after which she served in the Women's Royal Naval Service, 1918–19.[1] When she returned to the theatre after the war her career, according to her obituarist in The Times, "took a long time to develop".[6]

Middle and later years

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Between the wars Nicholson was constantly typecast in character parts that suited "her frail, eager, bright-eyed figure".[6] She made her first West End appearance in 1919, playing two roles in a Christmas season play for children, Once Upon a Time.[1] She had a few outstanding roles, among which were Charlotta, the governess, in The Cherry Orchard (1925), Mrs Debenham in the Broadway production of Rope (1929), and Miss Trafalgar Gower in Trelawny of the 'Wells' at the Old Vic (1938).[6] Between these productions she played in London and on tour in England and Canada in a range of plays from Shakespeare to new drama. Among her more unusual productions during this period was a stage adaptation of The Well of Loneliness, banned in Britain and presented at the Théâtre de la Potinière in Paris in 1930.[1]

During the Second World War Nicholson was a member of the Oxford Playhouse company, where she played one of her three favourite parts of her career, Mrs Boyle in Juno and the Paycock.[n 2] She achieved local celebrity, but remained a lesser name in the West End.[6] This changed in 1947, when her portrayal of a genteelly acid spinster in Wynyard Browne's Dark Summer established her as a leading character actress.[6] Throughout the rest of her career Nicholson was cast in a succession of striking stage roles, including Margaret in The Lady's Not for Burning (1949, London, and 1950, New York), Miss Teresa in Graham Greene's The Living Room (New York, 1954), Ivy in T. S. Eliot's The Family Reunion (1956), Sarita in Noël Coward's Waiting in the Wings (1960), Avdotya Nazarovna in John Gielgud's production of Chekhov's Ivanov (1965), and Miss Nisbitt in Alan Bennett's Forty Years On (1968). Her last stage appearance was as the nurse in Ibsen's A Doll's House in 1973.[6]

Nicholson was in demand for television and cinema work. She is best known as Juley Forsyte in the BBC's The Forsyte Saga (1967).[6] Earlier she had played Clarissa Spenlow in a serial adaptation of David Copperfield (1956)[8] and Miss Flite in Bleak House (1959).[9] Her last television role was in 1973 as Catherine Alan in an adaptation of A Room with a View.[10] Her cinema films included Tread Softly (1952), Raising a Riot (1955), The Hornet's Nest (1955), A Town Like Alice (1956), Law and Disorder (1958), The Captain's Table (1959), Dangerous Afternoon (1961), and Say Hello to Yesterday (1970).[1]

In 1973, she published an autobiography, Chameleon's Dish described by The Times as "quietly witty and generous".[6][11][n 3] She died in London on 18 September of the same year, at the age of 86.[5][6] There was a private burial service on 25 September,[13] and a memorial service was held at Corpus Christi church, Maiden Lane, Covent Garden on what would have been her 87th birthday; Christopher Fry and Alan Bennett gave readings and Sir John Gielgud gave the address.[14]

Notes, references and sources

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Nora Nicholson

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Nora Nicholson (7 December 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a British actress known for her distinctive character roles in film and television, often portraying eccentric elderly women or other quirky supporting parts. [1] Born in Leamington, Warwickshire, England, she began her career in theatre and later transitioned to screen work in the 1950s, appearing in a variety of British productions. [2] Her film credits included comedies and dramas such as Raising a Riot (1955) and A Town Like Alice (1956), while her television work featured roles in series like Secret Agent (1964) and The Forsyte Saga (1967). [3] Nicholson was remembered as a veteran performer with roots in classical theatre, including associations with the Bensonian company, and continued acting into her later years before her death in London on 18 September 1973. [1][4]

Early life

Birth and family background

Nora Nicholson was born on 7 December 1886 in Leamington, Warwickshire, England. [1] She was the child of John A. Nicholson and Editha (née Hunt). [5] Her brother was the actor and comedian H. O. Nicholson. [6]

Stage career

Early career and wartime interruption (1912–1946)

Nora Nicholson made her professional stage debut in April 1912, playing Dolly Clandon in George Bernard Shaw's You Never Can Tell with Frank Benson's company at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. In 1914, she joined the Old Vic company under Lilian Baylis, where she took on several Shakespearean roles including Ariel in The Tempest, Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Jessica in The Merchant of Venice, and Celia in As You Like It. Her early career progressed with a 1916–1917 tour as Sally in The Scarlet Pimpernel, but was then interrupted by the First World War when she served in the Women's Royal Naval Service from 1918 to 1919. Following the war, she resumed acting with roles such as Charlotta in Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard in 1925. In 1929 she crossed to Broadway to play Mrs Debenham in Patrick Hamilton's Rope. She also appeared in a 1930 Paris production adapting the banned novel The Well of Loneliness. Later in the inter-war period, Nicholson returned to the Old Vic in 1938 as Miss Trafalgar Gower in Arthur Wing Pinero's Trelawny of the 'Wells'. During the Second World War she became a member of the Oxford Playhouse company, where one of her favorite roles was Mrs Boyle in Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock. Throughout this period she was frequently cast in character parts.

Breakthrough and later stage roles (1947–1973)

Nora Nicholson achieved wider notice in the West End in 1947 for her portrayal of the genteel acid spinster Miss Loder in Wynyard Browne's Dark Summer, marking her breakthrough as a leading character actress after years of supporting roles. [7] She followed this with admired performances as Margaret in Christopher Fry's The Lady's Not for Burning during its London run in 1949 and its Broadway transfer in 1950 at the Royale Theatre, directed by John Gielgud. [7] [8] In the 1950s and beyond, Nicholson continued to secure striking stage roles that showcased her skill in portraying eccentric or fragile older women. She played Miss Teresa in Graham Greene's The Living Room on Broadway at Henry Miller's Theatre in 1954. [9] Subsequent credits included Ivy in T. S. Eliot's The Family Reunion in 1956, Sarita in Noël Coward's Waiting in the Wings in 1960, and Avdotya Nazarovna in John Gielgud's 1965 production of Anton Chekhov's Ivanov. Her later work featured Miss Nisbitt in Alan Bennett's Forty Years On in 1968. [7] Known for her bright-eyed, often unhinged or delicately eccentric character portrayals of spinsters and elderly women, Nicholson reached the peak of her stage recognition in the 1960s and 1970s, remaining in demand for such roles until the end of her career. [7] Her final stage appearance came in 1973 as the nurse (Anne Marie) in Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House at the Criterion Theatre in London. [10]

Film career

Film appearances

Nora Nicholson began her film career in the 1950s, appearing in supporting roles in a number of British productions that complemented her established stage presence as a character actress. [1] Her screen appearances were relatively limited compared to her extensive theatre work but occurred consistently alongside her postwar stage success. She made her film debut in Tread Softly (1952), followed by roles in the family comedy Raising a Riot (1955) and the children's adventure The Hornet's Nest (1955). Nicholson then appeared in the wartime drama A Town Like Alice (1956), directed by Jack Lee and starring Virginia McKenna and Peter Finch. In the late 1950s, she featured in the comedy Law and Disorder (1958), starring Michael Redgrave, and the nautical comedy The Captain's Table (1959), with Peggy Mount and Donald Sinden. Her 1960s credits included a part in the thriller Dangerous Afternoon (1961) and a later appearance in the comedy Say Hello to Yesterday (1971), starring Jean Simmons and Richard Briers. [1] These roles typically cast her in small but memorable supporting parts, often portraying elderly or eccentric characters consistent with her theatrical typecasting.

Television career

Television appearances

Nora Nicholson featured prominently in BBC television adaptations of classic literature from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s, where she typically portrayed elderly, genteel, or eccentric women in supporting roles that drew on her extensive experience in character acting. [5] In 1956, she appeared as Miss Clarissa Spenlow in the BBC serial David Copperfield. [11] She followed this with the role of Miss Flite in the 1959 BBC adaptation of Bleak House. Her most celebrated television performance came as Aunt Juley Forsyte in the landmark BBC series The Forsyte Saga (1967), an expansive adaptation of John Galsworthy's novels in which she is particularly remembered for bringing warmth and vivacity to the chatty, family-obsessed aunt. [5] [12] Nicholson's final television appearance was as the kindly Miss Catherine Alan in the BBC Play of the Month production of E. M. Forster's A Room with a View, broadcast in 1973. These roles in literary serials and plays marked the later phase of her screen career, overlapping with her film work during the same decades. [1]

Personal life

Autobiography

In 1973, Nora Nicholson published her autobiography Chameleon's Dish through Paul Elek in London. [13] The memoir features a foreword by Sir John Gielgud and spans 170 pages, incorporating black and white photographic illustrations and an index. [13] Released in the final year of her life, the book provides her personal reflections and insights drawn from a long career in theatre and occasional film work. The autobiography is described as quietly witty and generous in tone.

Death

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