ABSTRACT
Like many actresses Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies experienced typecasting, especially in uenced by her enduring association with the ethereal epithet. Inevitably her casting was o en determined by character types such as the young girl and the old lady, which precipitated bu sy and lean periods in her working life. However, there were also times in her career during which the diversity of roles she played was remarkable. Having experienced the frustrations of scarce employment in the 1910s, she fully exploited the opportunity to further her career when Barry Jackson o ered her a position at the Birmingham Repertory eatre. Jackson established the company in 1913, where he developed a reputation for making stars of his lead performers. If Th e Immortal Hour was Ffrangcon-Davies’s stepping stone to success, it led the way to a position in the Repertory and the chance to prove herself in a wide variety of roles. As one of Jackson’s leading actresses at the Birmingham Repertory company in the 1920s, she demonstrated her diversity as a means of consolidating her career. Building on her reputation as a singer, in Jackson’s company she was able to expand and develop her acting talents and reputation. She acknowledged her debt to Jackson, who ‘saw what I could do before I did it, and gave me my opportunity’.1 As part of the Birmingham company, her experience was that of the Repertory performer, playing in the evening while rehearsing at least one other play during the day.
