| Level | Fonds |
| Finding Number (Click this to view full catalogue structure) | DSH29 |
| Title | Papers of Wendy Beavis |
| Extent | 3 standard boxes |
| Date | 1900-2008 |
| Thumbnail (Click this image to open a larger image) | 
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| Description | This collection is held at Shakespeare Institute Library, Stratford-upon-Avon.
Material relating to the actress Wendy Beavis (1932-1994). Comprises extensive sequence of personal correspondence, including letters sent from Beavis whilst touring with the Shakespeareana theatre company [founded by Geoffrey Kendal] in India during 1950s. These letters were addressed to her parents, Mr and Mrs J. [John] R. Beavis, living in Sutton Coldfield. The majority of letters are accompanied with their original envelopes and are numbered 1-164 [some letters, according to this numbering, appear to be missing]. Following number 164, additional letters have been labelled A-S and there is also an small series of miscellaneous letters which have not been included in the numbering system. These miscellaneous letters include newspaper cuttings, loose photographs, receipts and other ephemera. It is unclear whether this numbering was completed by Wendy, her parents or by Carole Hodgson during the course of transcribing some of the letters. The letters provide a snapshot of life in India during the 1950s and of the fellow members of the theatre company as well as detailing Beavis' own personal experiences in India. They also provide details about how Shakespeare was received in India. Other members of the company mentioned in the letters are: Geoffrey Kendal and Laura Liddell and their daughters Jennifer Bragg and Felicity Kendal (known as Foo), Brian Kellet, Conor Farrington, John Day, Utpal Dutt, Anwar Mirza, Frank Wheatley and Nancy Neal. Also mentioned are family members and 'Hasti' who is presumably Eveline Hastilow, Wendy's drama teacher. There are typescript transcripts of some of these letters, 1953-1956, which were compiled by Carole Hodgson and include a brief foreword.
The collection also includes a number of photographs, including albums of the Shakespeareana Theatre Company trip to India, 1953-1956 as well as family snapshots and formal portrait photographs; miscellaneous papers relating to Beavis' Indian tour including a map of India and Pakistan compiled by her father, based on the letters she sent home and detailing the places where the company toured; a small number of theatre programmes, from the 1950s; some publications collected by, or about, Wendy Beavis, 1949-[late 20th century]; a small number of newspaper cuttings; and a series of papers comprising family papers and ephemera. These include acting certificates and mark sheets; her father's [John Beavis] birth certificate, 1901; her father's school reports and a card issued to him during the Second World War confirming his role in the City of Birmingham voluntary firefighting party, 1941; Wendy Beavis' birth certificate; her school reports; her parents' ration books, 1953-1954; and a small number of obituaries relating to Wendy Beavis and presumably collected by Carole Hodgson. |
| Arrangement | Papers arranged into seven series:
Correspondence;
Photographs;
Miscellaneous papers relating to Shakespeareana in India;
Theatre programmes;
Publications and video cassette;
Newspaper cuttings;
Family papers and ephemera |
| Location | This collection is held at the Shakespeare Institute Library, Stratford-upon-Avon |
| Access Conditions | Access to all registered researchers |
| Copyright | Permission to make any published use of any material from the collection must be sought in advance in writing from the Director of Special Collections (email: special-collections@contacts.bham.ac.uk). Identification of copyright holders of unpublished material is often difficult. Special Collections will assist where possible with identifying copyright owners, but responsibility for ensuring copyright clearance rests with the user of the material |
| Language | English |
| Finding Aids | A catalogue of this collection is available on the online archive catalogue. Click on the Finding Number to display the summary contents list of the catalogue and to view the full catalogue. A paper copy is also available at the Shakespeare Institute Library. |
| Access Status | Open |
| Creator Name | Beavis, Wendy Patricia (1932-1994) |
| Administrative History | Wendy Patricia Beavis was born on 7 March 1932 to John R. Beavis and Queenie C. L. Beavis (nee Brown). She attended St Agnes' Convent High School in Erdington, Birmingham and received dramatic training at the Birmingham School of Drama where she studied for two years. She sat many acting examinations during the 1940s including those organised by the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art [LAMDA]. During the 1950s, as an actress she toured India for several years with the Shakespeareana company run by Geoffrey Kendal (1909-1998) [father of the actresses Jennifer and Felicity Kendal]. Before joining Kendal's company Wendy worked for the Rex Deering Repertory Company around 1951/52, there are several programmes from her work with this company.
By 1958 Wendy Beavis had given up her acting career and was appointed as a junior clerk in the Physiotheraphy Department of the Kidderminster General Hospital. She continued working as a secretary in the National Health Service for many years. Following the death of her parents, Wendy moved to Clent, Worcestershire in 1986 and fully embraced village life. She was involved in the Gardening Club, the History Society and the Women's Institute. Wendy Beavis never married and died in Kidderminster on 8 December 1994, aged 62. Her close friend Carole Hodgson was given this collection following Wendy's death.
The work of the Shakespeareana company was immortalised in the book and film 'Shakespeare Wallah'. Felicity Kendal, who toured with the company as a young girl has also documented her time with the company in a BBC programme entitled 'Felicity Kendal's Indian Shakespeare Quest'.
Sources: papers of Wendy Beavis; information supplied by depositor, Carole Hodgson |
| Custodial History | Records presented to Carole Evelyn Hodgson following the death of Wendy Beavis |
| Acquisition | Deposited September 2015 |
| Archival Note | Description prepared by Kate Welch, Shakespeare Institute Library, March 2017 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/sil/archives-rare-books/archives/wendy-beavis |