The last surviving member of a Dorchester theatre group set up by Thomas Hardy has died at the age of 105.
Norrie Woodhall was among a handful of Dorset actors who performed plays based on the author’s works in 1924, rehearsing at Hardy’s home at Max Gate. Later Ms Woodhall became president of the New Hardy Players.
Ms Woodhall’s mother is believed to have inspired the character Tess of the D’Urbervilles. And her sister, Gertrude Bugler who was said to have inherited her mother’s looks, was later given the role of Tess by Hardy.
via BBC News
Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano’) about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.
His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.
