Janet Achurch (1854-1916) was a well regarded and busy young actress from a theatrical family; her first engagement was with Genevieve Ward at the Olympic Theatre and her range extended from the Fairy Queen in pantomine to Lady Macbeth in which she appeared with F.R. (later Sir Frank) Benson’s company. However, it was in 1889 that William Archer’s translation of A DOLL'S HOUSE opened at the Novelty Theatre, the first direct translation of Ibsen to be seen in London; Janet Achurch played Nora, and her fame was assured.

Sally Gray (1916-?) trained as a child at the Fay Compton School of Dramatic Art (where Joe Mitchenson also trained). She was discovered in the chorus of JILL DARLING by John Gliddon, the agent who also discovered Vivien Leigh, and went on to have a successful career in films.

Bernard (later Lord) Miles (1907-1991) started in the theatre as a scene painter but did not confine himself to the legitimate stage, appearing at the London Palladium in 1950 in his rustic image of THE UNCROWNED KING OF THE CHILTERN HILLS. However, he will probably be best remembered for his achievement in building the Mermaid Theatre, the first new playhouse in the City of London for over 300 years. He was made CBE in 1953, knighted in 1969 and made a life peer as Baron Miles in 1979.

Tomasso Salvini (1829-1915) a great Italian tragedian, best remembered for his Othello `which he played all over the world to great admiration. In the United States, he played the part (in Italian to Edwin Booth’s Iago (in English). His obituary also records that he was a master at billiards!

With George Zucco (1886-1960) we can truly claim that our archive runs from A to Z! He was an actor of great range, but his finest role was probably that of Osborne in JOURNEY'S END, the part he created at the Savoy Theatre in 1929. He went to Hollywood in 1936 and had a long career in films.