Great War Theatre

Gwen Lally was born in 1882 in London becoming an actor despite parental opposition. She began her acting career at His Majesty’s Theatre in London under the management of Herbert Beerbohm Tree. She also worked in touring theatre and music halls. She acted in both her plays, ‘Pierrot Philanders’ and ‘The Great Moment’. Lally only ever played male roles and appeared only once on stage as a female when her character was a male impersonator. She claimed the distinction of never having worn a skirt on the stage. She encouraged and motivated repertory theatres and the Village Drama Society schools. She is best known as a pageant master, the first woman to succeed in this field. She produced many historical pageants between 1924 and 1952; as such she was responsible for the production and coordination of casts of performers and musicians who often numbered the thousands. In 1954 she was awarded an OBE for her pageant making and she died in 1963 in Tunbridge Wells.

Gender: Female

Served in the armed forces? No

Scripts associated with Gwen Lally

Script Role
Pierrot Philanders Author
The Great Moment Author