Maude, Cyril Frances

1862

1951

The actor-manager Cyril Maude was born in London on 24 April 1862, the son of Capt Charles Maude and the Hon Mrs Maude. Though intended for the military, he determined for the stage, and after some early training his poor health forced him to leave England for Canada, and then the United States, where he began his stage career in Denver and then New York. In 1885 he returned to England, making his first appearance in London at the Criterion on 18 February 1886 as Mr Pilkie in “The Great Divorce Case”. After numerous appearances in various London theatres he became in 1896 co-manager with Frederick Harrison of the Haymarket Theatre and until 1905 he was responsible for presenting many fine productions in which he often acted with his wife Winifred Emery, whom he had married in 1888. Subsequently, after acting in Charles Frohman’s company at the Duke of York’s in 1906, he took over the management of the Playhouse (formerly the Avenue Theatre at Charing Cross), which he conducted until 1915. Tours took him to North America, and he continued to perform a number of parts in London until he retired in 1927. He excelled in the roles of old men like Sir Peter Teazle, Lord Ogleby and Andrew Bullivant in “Grumpy” (1914). He also appeared in films, notably “Peer Gynt”, “Heat Wave” and “Girls Will Be Boys”. After the death of Winifred Emery in 1924, he married in 1927 Beatrice Mary Ellis, the daughter of John Ellis, a Vicar at Leicester, and the widow of P. H. Trew. Maude enjoyed his later years in Torquay. He was twice President of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He joined the Garrick Club in 1927. His book “Behind the Scenes with Cyril Maude” was published in 1927. Maude died on 20 February 1951, aged 88. (OCT, WWWT)