Brewster Mason
Encyclopedia
Brewster Mason was an English
stage actor
who also made some notable film and television appearances.
He was born in Kidsgrove
, Staffordshire
and made his stage debut at the Finsbury Park
Open Air Theatre in 1947. He then appeared on stage in repertory
theatre, in London
's West End
and on Broadway
. He was a particularly notable member of the Royal Shakespeare Company
between 1963 and 1987, and his parts included a memorable Earl of Warwick in 'The Wars of the Roses' (1963 and 1964), Claudius in the David Warner 'Hamlet' (1965 and 1966), Sir Toby Belch (1966), Lafau (All's Well) and Banquo (Macbeth in 1967), Julius Caesar and Falstaff (The Merry Wives) in 1968, Women beware Women, Wolsey in Henry VIII, and Falstaff in 'When thou art King' (!969), Undershaft in Major Barbara (1970), Othello (1971), Falstaff in Henry IV (1975), and Gaunt in Richard II in 1986.
He made appearances in many UK television plays and series including; The Affair
(1962), The Pallisers
(1974) and Quatermass
(1979) and Tales of the Unexpected
(1980–81). He also played Otto von Bismark in both Edward the Seventh (1975) and Disraeli
(1978). His film appearances included; The Dambusters
(1954) as Guy Gibson's
rear gunner Flt Lt R.D. Trevor-Roper and Private Potter
(1962) as the Brigadier.
He died aged 64 following a fall when he was appearing in Richard II
at the Barbican Theatre, London.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
stage actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
who also made some notable film and television appearances.
He was born in Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove
Kidsgrove is a town in the borough of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England, near the border with Cheshire. It forms part of The Potteries Urban Area in North Staffordshire, along with Stoke-on-Trent and Newcastle-under-Lyme. It has a population of 24,112...
, Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
and made his stage debut at the Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park
Finsbury Park is a 46 hectare public park in the London Borough of Haringey. Officially part of the London area of Harringay, it is also adjacent to Stroud Green, the Finsbury Park district and Manor House. It was one of the first of the great London parks laid out in the Victorian...
Open Air Theatre in 1947. He then appeared on stage in repertory
Repertory
Repertory or rep, also called stock in the United States, is a term used in Western theatre and opera.A repertory theatre can be a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation...
theatre, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's West End
West End theatre
West End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
and on Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
. He was a particularly notable member of the Royal Shakespeare Company
Royal Shakespeare Company
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
between 1963 and 1987, and his parts included a memorable Earl of Warwick in 'The Wars of the Roses' (1963 and 1964), Claudius in the David Warner 'Hamlet' (1965 and 1966), Sir Toby Belch (1966), Lafau (All's Well) and Banquo (Macbeth in 1967), Julius Caesar and Falstaff (The Merry Wives) in 1968, Women beware Women, Wolsey in Henry VIII, and Falstaff in 'When thou art King' (!969), Undershaft in Major Barbara (1970), Othello (1971), Falstaff in Henry IV (1975), and Gaunt in Richard II in 1986.
He made appearances in many UK television plays and series including; The Affair
The Affair (play)
The Affair is a 1962 play by Ronald Miller based on the novel by C.P. Snow.-Synopsis:A group of professors at Cambridge University try to hire an old colleague back even though they all don't like him, they all agree he was dismissed unfairly....
(1962), The Pallisers
The Pallisers
The Pallisers is a 1974 BBC television adaptation of Anthony Trollope's Palliser novels.-Cast :*Anthony Ainley: Rev. Emilius*Terence Alexander: Lord George*Anthony Andrews: Lord Silverbridge*Sarah Badel: Lizzie Eustace...
(1974) and Quatermass
Quatermass (TV serial)
Quatermass is a British television science fiction serial produced by Euston Films for Thames Television and broadcast on the ITV network in October and November 1979. Like its three predecessors, Quatermass was written by Nigel Kneale...
(1979) and Tales of the Unexpected
Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)
Tales of the Unexpected is a British television series originally aired between 1979 and 1988, made by Anglia Television for ITV. Filming began in 1978.The series was an anthology of different tales...
(1980–81). He also played Otto von Bismark in both Edward the Seventh (1975) and Disraeli
Disraeli (TV serial)
Disraeli is a British mini-series about the great statesman and first Prime Minister of Jewish descent of the United Kingdom, Benjamin Disraeli. It was originally featured on British network ITV. With a screenplay by David Butler, it was produced by Cecil Clarke and directed by Claude Whatham...
(1978). His film appearances included; The Dambusters
The Dam Busters (film)
The Dam Busters is a 1955 British Second World War war film starring Michael Redgrave and Richard Todd and directed by Michael Anderson. The film recreates the true story of Operation Chastise when in 1943 the RAF's 617 Squadron attacked the Möhne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany with Wallis's...
(1954) as Guy Gibson's
Guy Gibson
Wing Commander Guy Penrose Gibson VC, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, RAF , was the first CO of the Royal Air Force's 617 Squadron, which he led in the "Dam Busters" raid in 1943, resulting in the destruction of two large dams in the Ruhr area...
rear gunner Flt Lt R.D. Trevor-Roper and Private Potter
Private Potter
Private Potter is a 1962 British drama film directed by Caspar Wrede and starring Tom Courtenay, Mogens Wieth, Ronald Fraser, and James Maxwell.-Plot:...
(1962) as the Brigadier.
He died aged 64 following a fall when he was appearing in Richard II
Richard II (play)
King Richard the Second is a history play by William Shakespeare believed to be written in approximately 1595. It is based on the life of King Richard II of England and is the first part of a tetralogy, referred to by some scholars as the Henriad, followed by three plays concerning Richard's...
at the Barbican Theatre, London.