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John Counsell
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John Counsell
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| Born | (1905-04-24)24 April 1905
Beckenham, London, England
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| Died | 23 February 1987(1987-02-23) (aged 81)
United Kingdom
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| Occupation(s) | Theatre director, actor, theatre manager |
| Spouse |
(m. 1939) |
| Children | Elizabeth Counsell Jenny Counsell |
John William Counsell OBE[1] (24 April 1905 – 23 February 1987)[2][3] was an English actor, director and theatre manager, who (with his wife Mary Kerridge) ran the Theatre Royal, Windsor and its in-house repertory company from the 1930s to the 1980s. His daughter is the actress Elizabeth Counsell, and he was uncle to the actress and painter Jean Miller.[4] Born in Beckenham, to Claud Counsell and Evelyn Fleming, the bulk of Counsell's career was spent in Windsor repertory theatre and the West End stage.[5][6]
He was the author of the German Instrument of Surrender document signed on 7 May 1945 which he wrote when he served as a colonel in the British Army during World War 2.[7]
In 1930, Counsell served as an apprentice at the Theatre Royal in Windsor, Berkshire, when it reopened as a theatre after a short time as a cinema. In 1933, he took over managing the theatre; the venture lasted only a few months before it went bankrupt, but the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth attended one of the last performances, coming from nearby Windsor Castle.[8]: 74 Counsell re-opened the theatre in 1938[9] and was able to establish a viable company that ran without government subsidies.[8]: 74, 115 He and his actress wife Mary Kerridge ran the theatre until his retirement in 1986, the year before his death.[10]
John William Counsell was awarded the OBE in 1975 for services to the Theatre Royal in Windsor.[1]
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