Basil Rathbone's
Appearances on Stage

The theater was always Basil Rathbone's first love. His dynamic voice and presence could totally fill a theater. Although Rathbone made his fortune in films, he turned down the opportunity in 1946 to renew his lucrative film contract in order to return to the stage. In 1948 Rathbone won a "Tony" award for his performance in "The Heiress." After his success in "The Heiress," he was always searching for a good play.

The following is a list of Basil Rathbone's appearances on stage. The majority of appearances were in plays, but I have also included other live appearances, such as Rathbone's performance at the White House in 1963. Most of the information has been gleaned from Rathbone's autobiography and the biography section of Basil Rathbone: His Life and His Films.* If you know of any stage appearances by Basil Rathbone which I have missed, or other information I should add, please e-mail me. I'd like to make this page as complete as possible. The date given is the date, or at least the year, the play opened. In some cases, where I have more information on the play (such as complete cast and plot synopsis), you can click on the title of the play for this information.

* Sources:
Basil Rathbone: His Life and His Films, by Michael B. Druxman (South Brunswick and New York: A.S. Barnes), 1975. (out of print)
In and Out of Character: An Autobiography, by Basil Rathbone (New York: Doubleday), 1962
Basil Rathbone's Record of Performances (preserved at the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center of Boston University)
Numerous newspaper and magazine articles concerning Rathbone's stage appearances, the original playbills, and library reference materials

Paolo and Francesca (age 23)	Romeo and Juliet (age 21)	A Shakespeare role (age 21)

1913
February 25-28	The F.R. Benson Shakespearean Company performed the following plays at the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin, Ireland:
	"The Comedy of Errors" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Antipholus of Ephesus.
	"Queen Tara" by Darrell Figgis. Rathbone played Lyof.
	"Julius Caesar" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Trebonius.
	"Macbeth" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Lennox.
	"Taming of the Shrew" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played the Major Domo.
	"Comus" a masque by John Milton.
	Spring Tour:
Spring	"Hamlet" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Rosencrantz and Bernardo.
	"The Comedy of Errors" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Antipholus of Ephesus.
	"Twelfth Night" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Antonio.
	"As You Like It" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Silvius.
August 6, 12, 21, 29	"Richelieu" by E. Bulwer-Lytton, at Stratford upon Avon. Rathbone played Clermont.
August 9, 19	"Pompey the Great" by John Masefield, at Stratford upon Avon. Rathbone played a Centurion and a Sailor.
August 18, 30	"The Devil's Disciple" by George Bernard Shaw, at Stratford upon Avon. Rathbone played a Soldier.
Aug. - Sept.	Rathbone appeared in the following eleven plays in Stratford upon Avon in August, and London in September:
	"The Taming of the Shrew" by William Shakespeare. Rathbone played the Major Domo.
	"Much Ado About Nothing" by William Shakespeare. Rathbone played a watchman and Conrade.
	"Romeo and Juliet" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Paris.
	"The Merry Wives of Windsor" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Fenton.
	"As You Like It" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Silvius, and costarred with Ethel Marion Foreman.
	"The Merchant of Venice" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Lorenzo, and costarred with Ethel Marion Foreman.
	"Hamlet" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Guildenstern.
	"Richard II" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played the Duke of Aumerle.
	"King John" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played the Dauphin.

	"Henry IV, Part 2" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Poins and Westmoreland.
	"Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare. Rathbone played Sebastian.
October	Rathbone traveled to the United States and Canada with the tour of the above eleven plays.  Canadian cities on tour: Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, Toronto
November	American cities on tour: Chicago, Columbus
December	St. Louis, Louisville
1914
January	Tour of American cities continues: Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo
February	Baltimore, Norfolk, Richmond Atlanta, Memphis
March	New Orleans, Galveston, Houston, San Antonio, Los Angeles
April	San Francisco, Portland
May	Seattle, and back to Canada: Victoria and Winnepeg
July 9	"The Sin of David" by Stephen Phillips, Savoy Theatre, London. Rathbone played Finch. Costarring were H.B. Irving and Miriam Lewes.
August 11, 19, 28	"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Stratford upon Avon. Rathbone played Octavius Caesar.
August 14, 20, 29	"She Stoops to Conquer" by Oliver Goldsmith, Stratford upon Avon. Rathbone played Tom Twist.
October	"The Merry Wives of Windsor" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Pistol and Fenton. "The Merry Wives of Windsor" and "Julius Caesar" toured the following towns in England during October, November and December:
October	Malvern, Bournemouth, London (Kensington Theatre), Reading
November	Cheltenham, Derby, Leicester, Torquay
December	Liverpool
Dec. 26	"Henry V" by Shakespeare, Shaftsbury Theatre, London. Rathbone played Louis, the Dauphin and F.R. Benson played Henry V. The cast included Grosvenor North, Lancelot Heeley, Moffat Johnston, Reginald Denham, Frank Cochrane, J.R. Mageean, George Manship, Leonard Parish, and Marion Foreman.
	"In all I have played fifty-two roles in twenty-three plays of Shakespeare, some forty of these in about twenty of his plays in my first three years in the theater."  -- Basil Rathbone, In and Out of Character, page 96. Click the speaker button to hear a sound clip of Basil making nearly the same comment. (From the 1958 Tony Thomas interview)

1915
Feb. - June	Spring Tour -- The following four plays toured towns in England, Scotland and Wales: Bath, Bradford, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Glasgow, Newcastle, Ayr, Dunfermline, Leeds, Blackburn, Stratford upon Avon, Swansea, Cardiff, Norwich, Ipswich, Bedford, Luton.
Feb. - June	"Richard III" by William Shakespeare. Rathbone played Lord Hastings.
Feb. - June	"The Merry Wives of Windsor" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played William Page.
Feb. - June	"The Taming of the Shrew" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played Lucentio.
Feb. - June	"Henry V" by Shakespeare. Rathbone played the Dauphin.
April 30, May 1	"Coriolanus" by Shakespeare. Performed at the Memorial Theatre, Stratford upon Avon. Rathbone played Tullus Aufidius.
July 31 - August 31	Shakespeare Summer Festival, Memorial Theatre, Stratford upon Avon. Frank Benson and Company performed the following plays during the four-week summer season. (Rathbone's character is in parentheses.) "The Taming of the Shrew" (Lucentio) "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (William Page) "The Merchant of Venice" (Bassanio) "Richard II" (Aumerle) "Macbeth" (Malcolm) "Hamlet" (Laertes) "Henry IV, Part 2" (Prince Hal) "Henry V" (Dauphin) "Richard III" (Hastings) "As You Like It" (Orlando) "Twelfth Night" (Orsino) "Romeo and Juliet" (Romeo) "Paolo and Francesca" by Stephen Phillips (Paolo)
Sept. - Oct.	Autumn Tour -- Frank Benson and Company took the above twelve plays on tour to Graydon, Ramsgate, Torquay, Exeter, Bournesmouth and Bristol.
Dec. 20	"A Midsummer Night's Dream" by Shakespeare, Royal Court Theater (54 performances in 5 weeks). Rathbone played Lysander.
1916
January - March	Spring Tour of the following plays to English and Scottish towns: "The Taming of the Shrew" (Lucentio) "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (William Page) "The Merchant of Venice" (Bassanio) "Macbeth" (MacDuff) "Hamlet" (Laertes) "Henry V" (Dauphin) "As You Like It" (Orlando) "Twelfth Night" (Orsino)
March 25	Rathbone's last performance before leaving the stage to join the army.

1919
August 2-30	Shakespeare Summer Festival, Memorial Theatre, Stratford upon Avon. The New Shakespeare Company performed the following six plays. (Rathbone's character is in parentheses.) "Julius Caesar" (Cassius) "The Tempest" (Ferdinand) "The Winter's Tale" (Florizel) "Romeo and Juliet" (Romeo) "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (Fenton) "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Lysander)
October 19	"Napoleon" by Herbert Trench, Queens Theatre, London. Rathbone played the Aide-de-Camp. A.E. George costarred.
Nov. 19, 21, 26, Dec. 10, 12	"The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare, Court Theatre, London. Rathbone played Bassanio.
Dec. 4, 8	"A Night on the Trojan Walls" by John Drinkwater, Haymarket Theatre, London.
December	"Calliwachus" by Hroswitha of Gandersheim, Haymarket Theatre. Rathbone played Pronase.

1920
February 4	"Peter Ibbetson" by John Raphael (based on the novel by George DuMaurier), Savoy Theatre, London. Rathbone played the title role and starred with Constance Collier. Also performed in Brighton, and at the Royal Court Theatre (London).	Rathbone and Constance Collier in "Peter Ibbetson"
June 3	"Madame Sand" (a.k.a. "George Sand") by Philip Moeller, Duke of York's Theatre, London. Rathbone played Alfred de Musset and starred with Mrs. Patrick Campbell.
August 9	"The Unknown" by W. Somerset Maugham, Aldwych Theatre, London. Rathbone played Major Wharton.
Sept. 28	"Every Woman's Privilege" by J. Hastings Turner, Globe Theatre, London. Rathbone played Harold Glaive and starred with Marie Lohr.
October 30	"Fedora" by Victorien Sardou, Globe Theatre, London. Rathbone played Count Louis Ipanoff and starred with Marie Lohr.
November 19	Special Charity Matinee, His Majesty's Theatre, London. In this special matinee of mixed performances Rathbone and Miss Fay Compton performed the Balcony Scene from "Romeo and Juliet." The Queen of Spain was present at the performance.
November 23	"Diplomacy" by Victorien Sardou, His Majesty's Theatre, London. Rathbone played Julian . Also in the cast were Gladys Cooper, Leslie Faber, and Norman Forbes.

1921
February 17	"King Henry IV, Part 2" by William Shakespeare, Royal Court Theatre, London. Rathbone played Henry, Prince of Wales (Prince Hal). 62 perfs., to April 16.
April 21	"Othello"  by William Shakespeare, Royal Court Theatre, London. Rathbone played Iago, and starred with Godfrey Tearle. 68 perfs, to June 18.
August 9	"The Edge O'Beyond" by Roy Horniman and Ruby Miller (novel by Gertrude Page), Garrick Theatre, London. Rathbone played Dr. Lawson and starred with Doris Lloyd. 150 perfs.
Nov. 16, 25	"The Painted Laugh" (a.k.a. "He Who Gets Slapped") by Leonid Nikolaevich Andreev, Garrick Theatre, London. Two performances only. Rathbone played Tot. (There is no character named Tot in the 1924 film version of the play. However, the 1916 Russian version is titled "Tot, kto poluchayet poshchechini," so I believe that "Tot" was the main character in the play.)

1926
February 9	"Port O'London" by George W. Oliver, Daly's 63rd St. Theater, New York City. Rathbone played Anthony Pook, The Sidewalk Artist.
June	"The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde, Ritz Theatre, New York City. Cast included Rathbone, Reginald Owen, Hilda Spong, Dudley Digges, Patricia Collinge and Catherine Proctor. Rathbone played Ernest Worthing.
Sept. 29	"The Captive" by Arthur Hornblow (translated from the French "La Prisonniere" by Edouard Bourdet), Empire Theater, New York City. Rathbone played Jacques Virien and starred with Helen Menken and Arthur Wontner.

1929
January 24	"Judas" by Walter Ferris and Basil Rathbone, Longacre Theater, New York City. Rathbone played the title character.
1930
Dec. 1	"A Kiss of Importance" by Arthur Hornblow Jr. (from "Monsieur St. Obin" by André Picard and H.M. Harwood), Fulton Theater, New York City. Directed by Lionel Atwill. Rathbone played Christian St. Obin.

1932
Jan. 4	"The Devil Passes" by Benn W. Levy, Selwyn Theater, New York City. Rathbone played Rev. Nicholas Lucy. After 96 performances on Broadway, the played toured major U.S. cities, including Boston and Chicago. Cast for tour: Arthur Byron, Diana Wynyard, Mary Nash, Eric Blore, Malcolm Dunn, Cecilia Loftus, Robert Loraine, Gwen Day Burroughs, and Basil Rathbone.
	"Tonight or Never" by Lili Hatvany, Duke of York's Theater, London. Rathbone played the Unknown Gentleman.
	"Diplomacy"		"The Devil Passes"

1933
May 27	"Diplomacy" by Victorien Sardou, The Prince's Theater, London. Rathbone played Julian Beauclerc. Also in the cast were Eric Portman, Gerald du Maurier, Margaret Bannerman, Joyce Kennedy, Lewis Casson and Esme Beringer.
October	"Romeo and Juliet" by Shakespeare, opened at the Erlanger Theatre in Buffalo, New York, and then toured 86 U.S. cities. The troupe performed this play and the following two plays on alternate evenings during the seven-month tour. Rathbone played Romeo and starred with Katherine Cornell, Orson Welles, Brenda Forbes, George Macready and Helen Walpole. Other players included Brian Aherne, Guthrie McClintic, John Miltern, Blanche Yurka, David Glassford, John Hoysradt, A.P. Kaye and John Emery.
October	"Candida" by George Bernard Shaw. (See description above.) Rathbone played Morrell. Costars same as for "Romeo and Juliet."
October	"The Barretts of Wimpole Street" by Rudolf Besier. (See description above.) Rathbone played Robert Browning. Costars same as for "Romeo and Juliet."

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All original content is © Marcia Jessen, 2011