21 Facts About Lewis Casson

Sir Lewis Thomas Casson was an English actor and theatre director, and the husband of actress Dame Sybil Thorndike.

Lewis Casson was born at 18 Alfred Road, Birkenhead, Cheshire, the third of the seven children of Laura Ann nee Holland-Thomas and Thomas Casson, a bank manager and organ-builder.

When he was young the family moved to Denbigh in Wales and Casson was educated at Ruthin School.

In 1891 Lewis Casson's father decided to make a business of his hobby of building organs, and the family moved to London.

In 1900 Casson's father began another organ making business and Lewis worked in this for the next four years.

Lewis Casson had always been interested in acting and had taken part in amateur productions in his youth.

Lewis Casson continued to act semi-professionally until 1904, when he left his father's business to work as a professional actor.

Lewis Casson joined the Royal Court Theatre under Harley Granville-Barker and remained there until 1908, when he joined a repertory company founded by Annie Horniman at the Gaiety Theatre in Manchester, the first repertory theatre in the country.

When Lewis Casson returned to England he became a theatrical director working with Annie Horniman from 1911 to 1913.

Lewis Casson then succeeded Alfred Wareing as the producer of the Scottish Playgoers Company, based in Glasgow, and forerunner of the Citizens' Theatre, in which his elder son John would become an actor-director.

At the outbreak of World War I, Lewis Casson joined the Royal Army Service Corps.

Lewis Casson later joined the Royal Engineers reaching the rank of major.

Lewis Casson was invalided home in 1917 after being wounded, and was awarded the Military Cross.

At this point, his wife Sybil, was becoming increasingly well known as an actress, and Lewis Casson supported her in her career.

Lewis Casson directed productions of The Trojan Women and Medea, written by Euripides and translated by Gilbert Murray, and in 1925 he directed Henry VIII and directed Macbeth in 1926.

Lewis Casson played Gonzalo in The Tempest, that tale of a son missing at sea, while his own son was for a time missing off the Norwegian coast.

Lewis Casson was president of the British Actors' Equity Association from 1941 to 1945, and was knighted in 1945.

Lewis Casson took part in a number of national and international recital tours with his wife.

Lewis Casson continued to work until 1968, his last appearance being in Night Must Fall by Emlyn Williams.

Lewis Casson died at Nuffield Nursing Home on 16 May 1969, aged 93.

Lewis Casson was cremated at Golders Green Crematorium on 20 May 1969.