Olga Nethersole
Encyclopedia
Olga Isabella Nethersole, CBE
, RRC
(18 January c. 1867 – 9 January 1951) was an English
actress, theatre producer, and wartime nurse/health educator.
, of Spanish
descent on her mother's side, and made her stage début at Theatre Royal, Brighton
in 1887. From 1888 she played important parts in London, at first under Rutland Barrington
and John Hare
at the Garrick Theatre
.
She toured Australia
and America
, playing leading parts in modern plays, notably Clyde Fitch
's Sapho
, where she was arrested for "violating public decency" and later found innocent at trial. Her powerful emotional acting, however, made a great effect in some other plays, such as Carmen, in which she again appeared in America in 1906.
She served as a nurse in London throughout World War I
and later established the People's League of Health, for which she received the Royal Red Cross
(RRC) in 1920. She combined her theatre work with health work for the rest of her life. She was created a Commander of the British Empire
(CBE) in 1936.
She died on 9 January 1951 in Bournemouth, England.
by artist Herbert A. Collins
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, RRC
Royal Red Cross
The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing.The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria, with a single class of Member...
(18 January c. 1867 – 9 January 1951) was an English
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...
actress, theatre producer, and wartime nurse/health educator.
Biography
She was born in LondonLondon
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...
, of Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
descent on her mother's side, and made her stage début at Theatre Royal, Brighton
Theatre Royal, Brighton
The Theatre Royal, Brighton is a theatre in Brighton, England, United Kingdom presenting a range of West End and touring musicals and plays, along with performances of opera and ballet and a Christmas pantomime.-History:...
in 1887. From 1888 she played important parts in London, at first under Rutland Barrington
Rutland Barrington
Rutland Barrington was an English singer, actor, comedian, and Edwardian musical comedy star. Best remembered for originating the lyric baritone roles in the Gilbert and Sullivan operas from 1877 to 1896, his performing career spanned more than four decades...
and John Hare
John Hare (actor)
Sir John Hare , born John Fairs, was an English actor and manager of the Garrick Theatre in London from 1889 to 1895.-Biography:Hare was born in Giggleswick in Yorkshire and was educated at Giggleswick school...
at the Garrick Theatre
Garrick Theatre
The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster. It opened on 24 April 1889 with The Profligate, a play by Arthur Wing Pinero. In its early years, it appears to have specialised in the performance of melodrama, and today the theatre is a...
.
She toured Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, playing leading parts in modern plays, notably Clyde Fitch
Clyde Fitch
Clyde Fitch was an American dramatist.-Biography:Born William Clyde Fitch at Elmira, New York, he wrote over 60 plays, 36 of them original, which varied from social comedies and farces to melodrama and historical dramas.As the only child to live to adulthood, his father, Captain William G...
's Sapho
Sapho (play)
Sapho was a British play produced in 1902 by Clyde Fitch. It was controversial when it was produced in New York City in 1908 with Olga Nethersole.-History:...
, where she was arrested for "violating public decency" and later found innocent at trial. Her powerful emotional acting, however, made a great effect in some other plays, such as Carmen, in which she again appeared in America in 1906.
She served as a nurse in London throughout World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and later established the People's League of Health, for which she received the Royal Red Cross
Royal Red Cross
The Royal Red Cross is a military decoration awarded in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth for exceptional services in military nursing.The award was established on 27 April 1883 by Queen Victoria, with a single class of Member...
(RRC) in 1920. She combined her theatre work with health work for the rest of her life. She was created a Commander of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) in 1936.
She died on 9 January 1951 in Bournemouth, England.
Performances
This is a partial list of her notable performances:- Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene (1910 play)Mary Magdalene is a 1910 play by Belgian playwright Maurice Maeterlinck. It inspired a symphonic work by Kosaku Yamada.*...
, 5 December 1910 - December 1910 - The Writing on the Wall, 26 April 1909 - May 1909
- The Enigma, 8 February 1908 - 1 March 1908
- I Pagliacci, 8 February 1908 - 1 March 1908
- SaphoSapho (play)Sapho was a British play produced in 1902 by Clyde Fitch. It was controversial when it was produced in New York City in 1908 with Olga Nethersole.-History:...
, 1908
Legacy
Between 1885 and 1890, her portrait was painted in Omaha, NebraskaOmaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
by artist Herbert A. Collins
Herbert A. Collins
Herbert Alexander Collins, Sr., was a Canadian-born American artist. He was known nationally in the United States as a landscape and portrait painter.-Early years:...
.