Nigel Playfair

This is a watercolour cartoon of Sir Nigel Playfair (1874-1934), the actor, manager and producer who first appeared on stage with the Oxford University Dramatic Society. He made his first professional stage appearance in 1902 and later toured with Frank Benson's company and appeared in numerous Shakespeare parts at His Majesty's Theatre with the actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree.

In 1918 Nigel Playfair took over the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith and remained there until 1932, making it one of the most popular and fashonable theatres, especially well-known for its fresh new productions of 18th century comic opera such as The Beggar's Opera and The Duenna. In 1925 he wrote an account of his management of the theatre entitled The Story of The Lyric Theatre Hammersmith.