George Benson(1911-1983)
- Actor
George was born in Wales of a Northern family with several generations of architects, including his own son, Christopher. There is also a long family link to Shakespearean actor/manager Sir Frank Benson. After seeing Shakespearean productions in Western Super Mar, his boyhood home, and determined to be an actor, he was taken to see Sir Frank. George was trained at RADA, after which he gained much early stage experience in Charlot Revues, with the Cambridge Festival Theatre in Cambridge and The Gate Theatre in London. He toured the Middle East and Australia where he would return in a Shakespeare group headed by Katherine Hepburn. Just before WWII, he achieved his ambition of joining a top theatre company at the Old Vic, being directed by Tyrone Guthrie in such plays as She Stoops to Conquer. On the outbreak of war, he joined the Royal Artillery,, then on demob played in Bettergate at Londons Garrick Theatre then The Winslow Boy which toured America. On his return, he appeared in Hamlet at the Old Vic in 49/50. He studied theatrical history and was a member of an organisation to preserve important old buildings. He was made Chairman of the organisation of Theatre Research.
