Ernest Thesiger’s
Chronology
1879
January 15 Ernest is born.
1890
September 4 Performs at amateur concert in the Constitutional Hall at Bramley in aid of the Royal Surrey County Hospital, playing violin with his father and his brother Arthur. Ernest is given an encore for his fine violin playing of ‘Le secret de Bebe’ and ‘Over in the Meadow,’ by A. Scott Gay.
1891
Student and boarder at Bell Hill, Weybridge Parish, Chertsey.
1893
January Enrolls at Marlborough College boarding school, Cotton House.
1894
Mid-Summer Leaves Marlborough due to bronchitis, travels to Switzerland with tutor to convalesce.
1895-96
Enters the Slade School of Art, University College, London.
1896-97
Wins prize certificate for Elementary Antique Drawing at the Slade .
1897-98
Wins prize certificate for Figure Drawing at the Slade.
1899
Meets William Ranken.
1899
May 18 Appears in amateur production of “Jim the Penman” at the AvenueTheatre, London.
1900
June 23 Attends the Countess of Jersey’s Garden Party at Osterley Park, Hounslow, London
June 28 Appears as Major Domo in amateur production of “The Swineherd and the Princess” at the Prince of Wale’s Theatre, London.
September Travels to Bavaria.
September 13 Visits Ammergau , is joined by his father and sister.
September 16 Attends Mass and sees the Passion-play at Oberammergau.
Appears as Gerald in amateur production of “A Good Woman.”
1901
July8 Appears in charity matinee to help the men of the St John’s Ambulance Brigade on duty at Victoria Station.
Appears as Benedetto Francini in amateur production of “Forget-Me-Not.”
May 8 Performs as Captain the Hon Terence Trivett in amateur production of “Shades of Night” and as Sir Charles Grandison in “A Pantomime Rehearsal” at the Royal County Theatre, Reading.
1902
April 26 Attends wedding of his brother Arthur Lionel Bruce Thesiger and Florita Maria Engracia Knight at St. Paul’s Church, London.
May 8? Appears as Cecil Graham in amateur production of “Lady Windermere’s Fan” at the Lyric Theatre, London.
1903
July16 Attends wedding of Miss Maria Russell and the Hon. Ernest Guinness at the Church of St. Margaret in Westminster
1904
Appears in amateur production of “Hey-Day or the Bird and the Bow.”
Hosts afternoon tea party.
Meets Percy Grainger, who from August 18 spends some days with Ernest at the Thesiger country home Woodrough Cottage, Bramley, Guildford, Surrey.
1905
February 18 Attends Charles Conder’s fancy dress party as “Death.”
Travels to Spain, Corsica, and Italy.
October 10 Attends wedding of Captain E.L Strutt and Miss Florence N. Holland; his sister Sybil is a bridesmaid.
1906
Exhibits watercolors at The Modern Gallery, London. Sketches of Spain, Corsica, and Italy.
December 22 Mother Georgina Mary Stopford Thesiger, dies.
1907
Travels to Madeira with his father and sister.
Travels to Morocco on an invitation to stay with the Comtesse deVillamarina.
June Exhibits watercolors at The Modern Gallery, London. Landscapes of Madeira and Morocco.
July 9 - 10 Assists at the Royal Fete at Claremont in aid of the Deptford Fund
November 28 Appears as William in amateur production of “Papa’s Wife.”
1908
Appears as Lord Dundreary in amateur production of “The Catch of the Season.”
January16 Grandmother Caroline Harriet Stopford Sackville dies.
Appears in amateur production of “The Importance of Being Earnest” at the Scala Theatre.
Designs cover for the program of a concert at the Albert Hall on May 30 in aid of the League of Mercy.
June 25-July1 On the Dress Committee of the Chelsea Historical Pageant.
1909
June 10 - 16 Producer and costume designer for the “Saint Dunstan and the Monks” scene presented by Holy Trinity Church, Chelsea, at the English Church Pageant.
April 23 - May 7 appears on the professional stage for the first time as James Raleigh in “Colonel Smith” at St. James’s Theatre, London.
May 24 - appears as a Student in “Old Heidelberg” at St. James’s Theatre, London.
October 21 appears as Franz Pepo in “The Little Damozel” at Wyndham’s Theatre, London.
December 3 Command Performance of “The Little Damozel” at Windsor Castle.
December 27, “The Little Damozel” at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre, London.
1910
January 25 - February 12 Appears as Bert in “The Parent’s Progress” at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre, London.
February 14 - July 9 “The Parent’s Progress” at Wyndham’s Theatre, London
April 14 - August 27 Appears as Teddie Lestrange in “The Naked Truth” at Wyndham’s Theatre, London.
August 29 - September 24 “The Naked Truth”at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre, London.
July 15 Appears as Mr Higginbotham in “The Unlucky Family” at His Majesty’s Theatre, London in aid of the Royal Waterloo and Infants Hospitals.
Appears in “Nobody’s Darling” at Wyndham’s Theatre, London.
October 1 - April 8 Appears as Morange in “Inconstant George” at the Prince of Wales’s Theatre, London.
1911
June 17 Carries banner for the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage in the Women’s Coronation Procession.
September 20-21 Appears as Jeremy Deakin in “The Girl with the Cash” at the Kingsway Theatre, London.
Attends wedding of Miss Marjorie Turner and gives a watercolor painting.
Appears as Dr. What’s On in “Sherbet Jones; or Who Stole the Roller Skates” at the Kingsway Theatre, London.
October 14-December 1 Appears in “Lady Windermere’s Fan” at the St. James’s Theatre, London.
October 27 Appears as the Mad Hatter in “Alice in Ganderland” at the Lyceum Theatre, London in support of voting rights for women.
November 23,24 Assists at musical at-home hosted by Miss Clara Evelyn.
November 26 Appears as Lord Conyngham in “Pains and Penalties: The Defense of Queen Caroline” at the Savoy Theatre, London.
1912
Portrait sketch done of Ernest by John Singer Sargent.
January 13 Best man at the wedding of Miss Una Stratford Dugdale, militant suffragist and Mr Victor D Duval, secretary of the Men’s Political Union for Womens’ Enfranchisement. “Obey” not used in the marriage ceremony.
February 1 Attends at-home given by Mrs. Grainger (mother of Percy Grainger) in London.
March 25 Appears as Arthur Callander in “A School for Life” at the Court Theatre, London in aid of the Daily Graphic Free Meal Fund.
April 9-May 25 Appears as Roderigo in “Othello” at His Majesty’s Theatre, London.
June 20 Appears as Lord Ceresby Winterport in “Very Much Married” at the Little Theatre, London.
Appears with the Pioneer Players at Kings Hall of National Sporting Club.
December 3 Rehearsal for the Arabian Nights’ Ball.
December 12 Arabian Nights’ Ball, Ernest dressed as “The Green God” leads the dance of the Farandole.
Designs the dresses for the Sleeping Beauty pageant at the Christmas Pantomime Ball.
1913
February 9-11 Appears as Mr. Bentley in “A Matter of Money” at the Little Theatre, London.
March 8 Attends at-home hosted by Mrs. Charles Campbell, gives recitation.
March 9 Appears as Osric in “Hamlet” at the King’s Hall, London.
March 17 Appears as Bertie Lloyd in “Stolen Fruit” at the Tivoli Theatre, London.
March 20 Attends funeral of Rev. Augustus Legge, his great-uncle.
May 14 -31 Appears as Baron Gida Radviany in “The Seven Sisters” at the Savoy Theatre, London.
June 4 Attends Epsom Derby at which he witnesses the trampling of suffragist Emily Davison.
Exhibition of watercolors at The Modern Gallery, London: “Italian Lakes and London Churches.”
1914
February 21 - May 8 Appears as Potiche in “The Joy-Ride Lady” at the New Theatre, London.
May 9 - June 6 “The Joy-Ride Lady” at the Garrick Theatre, London.
June 19 Attends at-home given by Percy and Mrs. Grainger.
August 26 Attends memorial service for military airmen at the Church of St. Thomas, Portman Square, London.
Travels to France, returns to England when war with Germany is declared.
September 1 Enlists as a Private in the 9th London Battalion, Queen Victoria’s Rifles.
Moves on mobilization to Bullswater, then to Crowborough.
November 5 Lands at Le Havre.
November 27 Comes under command of 13th Brigade in 5th Division.
Stationed near Bailleul.
December 31 Sent to reserve trenches on the front.
1915
January 1 Seriously wounded.
January 18 (approximate) Returns to England, hospitalized.
May 30 Appears as Sir Sagramour in “Godefroi and Yolande” at the Playhouse Theatre, London.
October 11 Appears as Bertram Tully in “A Little Bit of Fluff” at the West Pier, Brighton.
October 27 “A Little Bit of Fluff” transfers to the Criterion Theatre, London, where it plays for 1241 performances.
1916
April 22 Appears as a Witch in the film “The Real Thing at Last.”
May One-man show The Modern Gallery, London. Profits donated t the Red Cross.
May 2 Appears as Cinna the Poet in a production of “Julius Caesar” for A Tribute to the Genius of William Shakespeare at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.
May Attends tea and concert at the Piccadilly Theatre, London
June 6 - 7 Participates with William Ranken as pavement artists at the Caledonian War Fair in aid of the War Funds.
July 7 Appears as the Prince of Arragon in “A Shakespeare Pageant” at the Covent Garden, London.
July 11 Appears in “Wealthy Walter George” at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Regent’s Park, London.
Theatrical Garden Party.
November 12 Appears as Count Irus in the Society of French Players production of “A Quoi Revent les Jeunes Filles” at the Aldwych Theatre, London.
1917
Proposes marriage to Radclyffe Hall, is refused.
March Appears in benefit at the Ritz organized by the Catholic Women’s League in aid of Soldiers' and Sailors' Huts in England and France.
March 20 Performer/dancer in “The Sanguine Fan” ballet by Edward Elgar, part of the revue “Chelsea on Tiptoe.”
April 15-16 Appears as Tattle in “Love For Love”at the Aldwych Theatre, London.
Groomsman in the wedding of Captain Archibald Maule Ramsay and Lady Ninian Crichton-Stuart.
May 29 Marries Janette Mary Fernie Ranken, William’s sister, at Holy Trinity Church, Sloan Square, London.
June 5 Nominated for membership in the Actors’ Association.
October William Ranken’s portrait of Janette shown at the Royal Society of Portrait Painters exhibition at the Grafton Galleries.
December Appears as Baroness Sunnydale in the “Grand Pantomime of Cinderella” at Endell Street Military Hospital.
December 11 Sketches charcoal portraits at the Theatrical Ladies’ Guild Tea Party.
1918
Creation of the Disabled Soldiers’ Embroidery Industry.
February Exhibition of watercolors at the Modern Gallery, London.
“The Life Story of David Lloyd George” filmed but not released, Ernest as Joseph Chamberlain.
April 21 Appears in a Grand Concert at the Alhambra Theatre in aid of the Motherhood League for Infant Welfare.
June Runs hat stall at the Theatrical Garden Party at the Royal Botanic Garden.
June 9 Appears as Nour-ed-Din in “The Sneezing Charm” at the Court Theatre, London.
July 5 Appears in matinee at the Shaftesburg Theatre in aid of the Queen’s Hospital.
August ? Tours military camps on the Continent with the Lena Ashwell Players.
September 18 Appears as Ambrose Tibbet in “A Week-End” at the Kingsway Theatre, London.
December 8 Appears as Boy Golliwog in “The Children’s Corner” at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, London.
December Appears as William Pitt in the film “Nelson.”
1919
January 28 Appears as William Pitt in the film “Nelson.”
March 10 William Ranken’s portrait of Ernest exhibited in the National Portrait Society show at the Grosvenor Gallery.
March 30 Appears as Rev. St. George Loftus in “St. George and the Dragons” at the Repertory Theatre, Birmingham.
April 5 Appears as Bagoas in “Judith” at Eastbourne.
April 30 - ? “Judith” at the Kingsway Theatre, London
May Appears as Pan in the pageant at the Women’s Floral Ball at the Albert Hall in aid of the Chelsea Hospital for Women.
May Appears as Bertram Tully in the film “A Little Bit of Fluff.”
May 27 Ernest and Janette attend the unveiling of the Sir Herbert Tree memorial tablet at His Majesty’s Theatre, London.
May 30 Attends the Theatrical Garden Party.
June “St. George and the Dragons” at the Gaiety Theatre, Manchester.
June 11 “St. George and the Dragons” at the Kingsway Theatre, London.
June 30 Appears in “Clothes and the Woman” at the St. James’s Theatre, London in aid of the Serbian Red Cross.
July 17 Ernest and Janette attend the wedding of Major-General Edward B. Ashmore and Miss Betty Parsons.
December Article about the dining rooms in Ernest’s house published in House and Garden.
December 7-8 Appears as St. John in “Callimachus” at the Haymarket Theatre, London.
December 26 Appears as Slender in ”The Merry Wives of Windsor” at the Gaiety Theatre, Manchester.
Meets James Whale.
1920
Portrait painted by Sir Gerald Kelly.
February “The Merry Wives of Windsor” at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London.
April Appears as Jacquot in “Sylvia’s Lovers” at the Haymarket Theatre, London.
April 22 Appears as Cameron in “Mary Rose” at the Haymarket Theatre, London, which plays for 399 performances
May Wins a silver medal in The Royal Amateur Art Society, exhibition at the home of Sir George Cooper, Grosvenor Square.
June Appears as Charlie Bates in a scene from “Oliver Twist” at the Palace Theatre, London in aid of the Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
June Attends the Theatrical Garden Party, in aid of the Actors’ Orphanage
Nov 28,30 Appears as Renault in “Venice Preserv’d; or, A Plot Discover’d” at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, London, misses one performance due to illness.
1921
February 26 Final performance of ”Mary Rose” at the Haymarket.
March 3 Appears as Arnold Champion-Cheney in “The Circle” at the Haymarket Theatre, London, which runs for 180 performances.
March 20, 22 Appears as Tattle in “Love for Love” at the Lyric Hammersmith.
June Appears as Israfel Mondego in the film “The Bachelor’s Club.”
June 26,27 Appears as Bartholomew Cokes in “Bartholomew Fair” at the New Oxford Theatre, London.
August 6 Final performance of “The Circle.”
September 6 - October 8 Appears as Gianetto Malespini in “The Love Thief” at the Comedy Theatre, London.
October Filming of “The Pickwick Papers” Ernest as Mr. Jingle.
November Release of “The Pickwick Papers.”
December 15 Appears as Captain Hook in “Peter Pan” at St. James’s Theatre, London.
1922
January 28 Final performance of “Peter Pan.”
February 27 - March 18 Appears as Ferrand in “The Pigeon” at the Court Theatre, London.
March 18 Appears in matinee concert and tea given for wounded veterans at 10 Scarsdale Villas, Kensington.
April 25 Appears as Mr. Bly in “Windows” at the Court Theatre, London.
May 14 Exhibits watercolors at The Royal Amateur Art Society show at No. 27 Grosvenor Square.
May 15 Appears in “One Touch of Art” at the Palace Theatre, London in aid of the Church of England Waifs and Strays.
June 3 Appears as Sir George Orreyed in “The Second Mrs. Tanqueray” at The Playhouse Theatre, London, which runs for 221 performances.
November 5, 6 Appears as Ithamore in “The Jew of Malta” at Daly’s Theatre, London
December 1 Final performance of“The Second Mrs. Tanqueray.”
Film “Mrs. Peabody” begun but not completed; Ernest as Mr. Peabody.
1923
Commissioned to paint two miniature watercolor landscapes for The Queen’s Dolls House.
February 19- March 24 Revival of “A Little Bit of Fluff” at the Ambassador’s Theatre, London.
April 3 - June 9 Appears in “The Rainbow” revue at the Empire Theatre, London.
May Wins prizes for two landscapes at The Royal Amateur Art Society, exhibition at the home of Dame Alice Godman, 45 Pont Street, S.W.
November 18,19 Appears as Piers Gaveston in “Edward II” at the Regent Theatre, London.
1924
January 4 Appears in mock trial on BBC Radio.
January 12-19 Appears as Professor Borradaile and produces “The Painted Lady” at Everyman’s Theatre, London.
January 16 Hosts party for Princess Marie Louise, Arnold Bennett attends.
February 17 - 18 Appears as Mr. Sparkish in “The Country Wife” at the Regent Theatre, London.
March 26 Appears as The Dauphin in “Saint Joan” which opens at the New Theatre, London and runs for 244 performances.
April - October William Ranken’s portrait of Ernest on display in the British Empire Exhibition.
April 8 Participates in embroidery exhibition at Lady Mary Morrison’s house.
June 2 Appears as Eustace Ede in “The Ware Case” at the Adelphi Theatre, London, in aid of the King George Pension Fund for Actors and Actresses.
June 11 Attends meeting of the Stage Guild at the Criterion Restaurant.
June 12 On temporary council of the newly-formed Stage Guild.
July 21 Appears as Ninian Shelton in “A Surplus Man”at the Court Theatre, London in aid of the Disabled Soldier’s Embroidery Industry.
June 24 Sells cigarettes at the Theatrical Garden Party in Chelsea.
September, Offered the role of a dame in a London pantomime.
October 25 “St Joan” closes at the New Theatre.
1925
January 14 “Saint Joan” opens at the Regent Theatre, London and runs for 132 performances.
January Attends Ivor Novello’s birthday party dressed as a fairy queen.
March 6 One of the judges of costumes at the British Fascists Costume Ball.
April Appears in British Vogue.
May 9 Final performance of “St Joan” at the Regent Theatre
March 17 Appears as Violet Banks, Curate, and other roles in “On With The Dance” revue which opens at the Palace Theatre, Manchester, then transfers to the London Pavilion where it runs for 229 performances.
July 7 Attends Stage Guild meeting.
October 25, 26 Appears as Mephistopheles in“Doctor Faustus” at the New Oxford Theatre, London.
November 17 Auctioneer at the Peach Ball at Claridge’s in aid of the Ellen Terry Homes for Blind Children. Janette is one of the organizers of the ball.
November 19 Performer and dialogue producer in “Still Dancing” revue at the London Pavilion.
November 22 Stage Guild supper and cabaret at the Metropole Hotel. Ernest on the entertainment committee.
1926
February 27 Final performance of “Still Dancing.”
March Ernest’s article “Needlework as a Hobby” appears in Home Magazine.
April Gluck’s portrait of Ernest is displayed at the Fine Art Society Galleries.
April 29 Appears in “Cochran’s Revue of 1926” at the London Pavilion.
June 27,28 Appears as Mr. Diafoirus in “Le malade imaginaire” at the Court Theatre, London.
September 4 Final performance of “Cochran’s Revue of 1926.”
September 30 Appears as Reginald Gill in “The Scarlet Lady” at the Criterion Theatre, London.
November 22 Ernest and Janette attend the wedding of Sir Reginald Leeds and Miss Winnaretta Singer.
December 5 Appears as Peters in “Six Characters in Spite of Their Authors” at the Globe Theatre, London.
December 11 Final performance of “The Scarlet Lady.”
December 12 Gives toast at the Repertory Player’s Dinner at the Criterion.
1927
January 23 Reads poems selected from “The Bard of Dimbovitza” BBC Radio.
February Appears as Ambrose in “One More River” at the New Theatre, London.
March 3-12 Appears as Another Scholar in “Cocks and Hens” at the Royalty Theatre, London.
March 27 Ernest’s advice on courtship printed in the Sunday Post.
April 3-4 Appears as Roderigo in “Othello” at the Apollo Theatre, London.
Ernest’s memoir Practically True published.
May Ernest and Janette attend luncheon at Lady Mond’s London house and view display of embroidery by totally disabled servicemen.
June 2 Appears as Master Crummles and George Barnwell in “When Crummles Played” at the Lyric Hammersmith.
July 16 Attends party and enjoys humorous discussion with the Princess Royal (Louise).
July 25 Attends meeting of the Artists’ section of the Stage Guild.
-September 10 Final performance of “When Crummles Played.”
October 3-8 Appears as Hon. Denham Ware in “Their Wife” at the Little Theatre, London.
October 16 Directs “At Number Fifteen” at the Garrick Theatre, London.
November William Ranken’s paintings of interiors at the Royal Palace at Madrid are exhibited at the Bromhead Gallery, London. Ernest and Janette attend as well as Ranken’s patron Lord Beauchamp.
November 1 - 26 Appears as Rafael Posada Mendoza in “The Girl From Cook’s”at the Gaiety Theatre, London.
December 14 Appears as Sir Henry Considine in “Sylvia” at the Vaudeville Theatre, London.
1928
January 21 Final performance of “Sylvia.”
February 12 Appears as Flachon in “A Wise Child” at the Garrick Theatre, London.
March 8 Attends exhibition of needlework at Sir Philip Sasoon’s house in Park Lane in aid of the Great Norther Hospital.
March 8 Appears as Bed No. 1 in “London Pride” at the Drury Lane Theatre, London in aid of the Charing Cross Hospital.
April Supports the Agencies and Registries Bill aka the Chorus Girls’ Charter.
April Attends party in Chelsea given by Lady Dean Paul, Miss Olivia Wyndham and the Hon. Stephen Tennant.
April 2 - May 12 Appears as Henry Spoffard in “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London.
May 14 Appears as 1st Labourer in “The Scarlet Pimpernel” at the Palace Theatre, London.
June 12 Runs “Ringing for Drinks” at the Theatrical Garden Party in aid of the Actors’ Orphanage.
July 23 Voted onto new council of the Artists’ section of the Stage Guild.
September 5 Appears as Count Stanislas in “Excelsior” at the Playhouse Theatre, London.
November 11 His father Hon. Sir Edward Pierson Thesiger dies.
November 16 The Daily Express reports that Ernest attended a shooting party in Scotland but spent the time knitting.
December 8 Final performance of “Excelsior.”
Appears as Bertram in the film “Week-End Wives.”
1929
January Sava Botzaris’ portrait sculpture of Ernest exhibited at the French Gallery in London.
January 27 Performer in the 10th Anniversary Celebrations of Sir Nigel Playfair’s Management of the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith
March 7 Stage Guild Masked Costume Ball. Ernest chairman of the Ball committee.
March Judge of costumes at the dance of the Society of Women Artists.
April 4 Attends The Great Urban Dionysia Party dressed as Medusa.
May Appears as Lidoff in the film “The Vagabond Queen.”
June 1-9 Appears as Ming Fung in “Sybarites” at the Arts Theatre, London.
July Attends Norman Hartnell’s Circus Party dressed as a lion tamer.
July 3 Attends the Men’s Dress Reform Rally in London.
July Performs as comic fortune teller at the Midnight Revue at the London Pavilion in aid of Lady Alexander Metcalf’s special appeal for the Bristol section of the Save the Children Fund.
July 16 Attends meeting of the Artists’ Section of the Stage Guild, member of Grand Council of the Stage Guild.
August Creates tinsel pictures, screens and lampshades for Lady Playfair’s decorating business.
September 18-22 Appears as Raphael Trew in “Veronica; or, The Secret” at the Arts Theatre, London.
October Ernest and Janette attend a private viewing of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters exhibition.
November 25 Appears as Poggles in “Fast and Loose” at the Kings Theatre, Hammersmith
December Attends The Three Arts Fairy Tale Ball at Grosvenor House, London and wins first prize for men with his oriental costume.
December 30 Attends private view of the Italian Art Show at Burlington House.
1930
Appears in his first talking film, the short “Ashes.”
January 12, 13 Appears as Cosmo Penny in “The Devil”at the Arts Theatre, London.
January 15 Appears as “Nurse” in the cast of the “When We Were Very Young” ball in aid of the Brompton Hospital for Consumption.
January 14 Elected to serve on the administration committee for the benefit fund of the Stage Guild Actors’ Section.
January 21 - February 8 Appears as Dr. MacAndrew in “The White Assegai” at the Playhouse Theatre, London.
February 23 “The Devil” at the Arts Theatre, London.
February 26, 27 Producer of theatricals and tableaux at the Corn Exchange, Melton organized by the Hon. Mrs. Gretton on behalf of the funds of the Melton and Framland Nursing Associations.
March 4 - April 17 Appears in “The Lion Tamer” at the Gate Theatre, London.
March 29 - Amateur Art Exhibition at Lady Bathurst’s house in Belgrave Square. Ernest enters tinsel picture.
March 27 Designs costumes for the Chelsea China Pageant in aid of the Chelsea Housing Scheme.
April 2 Matinee of the Chelsea China Pageant, Queen Mary attends
April 22, 25 Appears as Osric in “Hamlet” Haymarket Theatre, London in aid of the Actor’s Benevolent Fund, the Actors’ Orphanage Fund, the Theatrical Ladies’ Guild, and the Denville Hall for Elderly Actors.
May 19 Appears in a royal command performance of “Hamlet” in aid of King George’s Pension Fund for Actors and Actresses.
July 3-26 Appears as Charles Dumby in “Lady Windermere’s Fan” at the Everyman’s Theatre, London.
July On the Grand Council of the Stage Guild Artists’ Section
September Appears as Septimus Seede in “The Red Dog”
November 13 Director of “At Number Fifteen” at The Players Theatre, London.
December 4 Appears as John Beal in “If” by Lord Dunsany BBC Radio.
December 14 Producer of “The Merchant and Venus” at the Piccadilly Theatre, London.
December 29 Appears as Jack Deedes in “A Pantomime Rehearsal” at the Fortune Theatre, London.
1931
January 21 Final performance of “A Pantomime Rehearsal.”
January 26 Appears in “The Dark Horse” at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool.
February 2 “The Dark Horse” at the Grand Theatre, Croydon.
February 9 Appears in “Vaudeville” on BBC Radio.
February Appears at a Victorian Ball as Joseph Chamberlain.
April 4 Appears in “The Little Flower of the Wood” on BBC Radio
April 6 - May 9 Appears as The Dauphin in revival of “Saint Joan” at His Majesty’s Theatre, London.
May 7 Speaks at the annual meeting of the Ladies’ Association of St. Peter’s Hospital, Covent Garden, London.
May 12- 16 “St Joan” at the Haymarket Theatre, London.
June 12 Produces and appears as Charles Dumby in “Lady Windermere’s Fan”at His Majesty’s Theatre, London in aid of Charing Cross Hospital and the Stage Guild Benevolent Fund.
August Appears as Lord Foppington in “A Trip to Scarborough” at the Malvern Festival.
August 7-21 Appears in “Money” at the Malvern Festival.
September 14-19 Appears in “A Trip to Scarborough St James’s Theatre, London.
September Chairman of the Artists’ Section of the Stage Guild.
October 8 - 18 Appears as Miles Malpractice in “Vile Bodies” at the Arts Theatre, London.
November 26 Travels to New York on the Aquitania.
December Ernest’s article “Casting to Type is Paralysing the Theatre” published in Theatre World.
1932
January 1 - March 26 Appears as Cosmo Penny in “The Devil Passes” at the Selwyn Theatre, New York.
Invited to Hollywood by James Whale, makes screen test in NewYork, travels across country, visits the Grand Canyon, and performs as Horace Femm in the film “The Old Dark House.”
July ? Attends literary and musical evening hosted by the Hungarian Minister and reads selections from an English version of the Hungarian drama “The Tragedy of Man”
July 18, 19, 20, 21 Embroidered screen by Ernest is included in an exhibit of antique and contemporary needlework in aid of the County Nursing Association, Taunton, Somerset.
July 20 Mentioned in The Daily Express article “We Want a 1932 Beau Brummel.”
August Appears as Ralph in “Ralph Roister Doister”, as King Arthur in “Tom Thumb” as Dazzle in “London Assurance,” and as The Monster in “Too True to be Good” at the Malvern Festival.
August 11 Appears as King Arthur in broadcast of “Tom Thumb the Great” from the Malvern Theatre, BBC Radio.
September Aleister Crowley writes to Thesiger requesting he recite Crowley’s “Hymn to Pan” at Foyles 23rd Literary Luncheon to be held September 15.
September 13-22 “Too True to be Good” at the New Theatre, London.
October 20 US release of “The Old Dark House.”
November 17 Appears in “The Three Musketeers” on BBC Radio.
1933
February 1-11 Appears as Hon. Nigel Ellworth in “Head On Crash” at the Queen’s Theatre, London.
June 21 Awarded first prize at the Midsummer Dress Revel at the Suffolk Galleries, organized by the Men’s Dress Reform Party.
July 24 - August 7 Appears in “Conversion of St. Paul” at the Malvern Festival.
August Appears as Laing in the film “The Ghoul.”
July 27 - August 10 Appears in “Love Chase” at the Malvern Festival.
July 29 Appears as Dr. Marshall in “A Sleeping Clergyman” at the Malvern Festival.
August 14-26 “A Sleeping Clergyman” at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
August 28- September 2 “A Sleeping Clergyman” at the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow.
September 19 “A Sleeping Clergyman” at the Piccadilly Theatre, London, 230 performances.
December Opens the Applied Arts and Handicrafts Exhibition at the Royal Horticultural Hall, London, and sells his embroideries.
December 5 Appears as Man in “Polly Hereafter” at the Playhouse Theatre, London.
Appears as The Chamberlain in the film “The Only Girl.”
1934
February 28 - June 16 Appears as Maireya in “The Golden Toy” at the London Coliseum.
May 5 Attends private view of the Royal Academy at Burlington House, London.
Travels to New York on the President Taft.
October 8-November 10 Appears as Dr. Marshall in “A Sleeping Clergyman” at the Guild Theatre, New York.
1935
January Appears as Fevrier in the English version of “Mon Couer t’appelle/My Heart is Calling.”
March 8 Sails from New York on the Barengaria.
April 19 Appears as Dr. Septimus Pretorius in the film “Bride of Frankenstein.”
July 16 Appears as Adrian Chiddiatt in the film “The Night of the Party.”
July 27 Attends luncheon in the Royal Hop Pole Hotel in Tewkesbury for the Tewkesbury Appeal Fund Festival to preserve Tewkesbury Abbey.
November 19 Speaks at the annual meeting of the Friends of the Poor at Kent House, Knightsbridge.
December Films scenes as Theotocopulos for the motion picture “Things to Come” but his scenes are reshot with Cedric Hardwicke.
1936
February 2 Departs Southampton to New York on R.M.S. Berengaria.
February 7 - 15 Shows rug in the Exhibition of Contemporary British and French Needlework at Sunderland House, London.
March 2 Appears on the Entertainment Program of the R.M.S. Berengaria on return to England.
Fine Art Society Exhibition of Flower Portraits. Watercolors.
June 3 - 20 Appears as Hans Christian Andersen in “The Emperor of Make Believe”at the Westminster Theatre, London.
July 23 Appears as Silas Maydig in the film “The Man Who Could Work Miracles.”
July 28 - August 18 Appears as Lord Ogelby in “The Clandestine Marriage” at the Malvern Festival.
July 25 - August 25 Appears as The Dauphin in a revival of “Saint Joan” at the Malvern Festival.
July 30 - August 20 Appears as Henry Higgins in “Pygmalion” at the Malvern Festival.
August 24 - September 4 “Saint Joan” at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.
October 6 - November 7 Appears as Mr. Sparkish in “The Country Wife” at the Old Vic Theatre, London.
1937
January 5 Appears as Mr Cuba in “Money With Menaces” on BBC Radio.
January 14 Appears as Grand Prior Profundity in “The Son of the Grand Eunuch” at the Arts Theatre, London.
February Supervisor of tableaux, along with Irene and Violet Vanbrugh, for “Shakespeare Down the Ages” in aid of the Shoreditch Housing Association.
February Appears in “Julius Caesar” for Children’s Theatre Society.
February 21 Appears as Nicholas Trott in “The Tryal of Major Stede Bonnet and other Pirates” on BBC Radio.
April On the program committee for a special matinee in aid of Vaslav Nijinsky.
April 8, 9 Appears as Warren Hastings in “The Impeachment of Warren Hastings” on BBC Radio.
May 13 Appears in the “Midsummer Night’s Dream” Coronation Costume Ball at the Albert Hall.
May 16 Appears as Philostrate in scenes from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on BBC Radio.
June 17 Appears as A Lunatic in “Atmospherics” on BBC Radio.
June 30 Attends memorial service for Sir James Barrie at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.
? Opens an exhibition of embroidery at 45 Eaton Square.
September Travels to New York on the Columbus.
October 5 Appears as Lheureux in “Madame Bovary” at the National Theatre, Washington DC.
November 16 - December 1 “Madame Bovary” at the Broadhurst Theatre, New York.
1938
January 18 Appears as Count del Bosco in his play “The Elixir of Count del Bosco, a Fifteen-minute Farce by Ernest Thesiger” on BBC Radio.
January 19 Appears as John Rayford, K.C. in “The Case of Lady Talond” on BBC Radio.
February Appears in “Special Delivery”at the Richmond Theatre
March 23 - April 2 Appears as Lord Milroy in “Flood Tide” at the Phoenix Theatre, London.
April Alexander Christie’s portrait of Ernest shown at the Royal Scottish Academy exhibition.
May Exhibits at Actor Painters Exhibition at the Wertheim Galleries.
Fine Art Society. Exhibition of Flower Portraits.
May 23 Appears in “Here’s to Our Enterprise” Henry Irving Centenary Matinee Scenes from The Pickwick Papers at the Lyceum Theatre, London, Command performance for Queen Mary.
August Appears as Sir Orpheus Midlander in “Geneva,” as Charles Bendred in “Music at Night,” as Albert in “Coronation Time at Mrs Beams” at the Malvern Festival.
Appears as Professor in the film “Lightning Conductor”
November 6 Chairman at meeting of the Gallery First Nighters’ Club.
November 22 “Geneva”at the Saville Theatre, London.
December 2 Appears as Carter in the film “The Ware Case.”
1939
January Hosts a party at the Saville Theatre, London.
January 28 Final performance of “Geneva” at the Saville Theatre
January 30 “Geneva” at St. James’s Theatre, London.
March 27 Appears as Padre in “Drake” pageant play at the London Coliseum matinee in aid of King George’s Pension Fund for Actors and Actresses.
April Gives address on the art of acting comedy with special reference to period comedy, as part of an educational program for amateur actors and producers by the British Drama League.
April 23 Appears as Sir Orpheus Midlander in Act 3 of “Geneva” relay broadcast from St. James’s Theatre on BBC TV.
April 30 Appears as Hegai in “Scandal in Assyria” at the Globe Theatre, London.
May 13 Final performance of “Geneva” at St. James’s Theatre.
May 15 - June 17 “Geneva” returns to the Saville Theatre.
June 12 Appears as Walter Hoover in the film “They Drive by Night.”
July 20 His photo appears on the cover of The Stage magazine
June 27 Opens an exhibition of Victor Hume Moody’s paintings at the Goupil Gallery, London.
August 10 Appears in “Old Master” at the Malvern Festival
August 11 Appears in “Big Ben” at the Malvern Festival
August 12 - ? Appears as Mr. Rowley/Charles II “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” at the Malvern Festival
Exhibits sketches of Malvern Festival personalities at the Goupil Gallery, London.
November 12 Speaks at a meeting of the Gallery First Nighters’ Club at the Duke of Argyll, Great Windmill Street, London, on “Sidelines and the Actor.”
1940
January 12 Usher at memorial for Sir Frank Benson at St Martin’s-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square, London.
February 4 Appears as Angus McBean in the “Green Room Rag” at the Strand Theatre
February 10 Appears as King Charles in extracts “From the Theatre: In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” BBC Radio.
April 15 - ? “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” at the Streatham Hill Theatre, London.
May 9 - June 1 “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” at the New Theatre, London.
May 24 Appears in “All Star Matinee” at the Phoenix Theatre, London in aid of the Anglo-French Ambulance Corps.
August Buys the coat worn by Sir George Alexander in “The Aristocrat” at a Red Cross sale.
Sept Appears as Mr. Boyard in “Divorce for Chrystabel” at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool.
Oct “Divorce for Chrystabel” at the Palace Theatre, Manchester
November “Divorce for Chrystabel” at the Grand Theatre, Leeds
1941
January 29 Attends funeral of John Rankin Rathbone at St Margaret’s, Westminster.
Spring William Ranken dies suddenly in London of a brain hemorrhage.
May 31 Ernest appears as Trissotin in “The Blue Stocking” on BBC Radio.
June Exhibition of Ernest’s artwork entitled “Military Objectives” in Bond Street, London.
June 12 Appears as Mr Cuba in a revival of “Money With Menaces” BBC Radio.
July 18 Appears in “The New Ambassadors Revue” at the Ambassadors Theatre, London.
August 2 Appears in an excerpt from “The New Ambassadors Revue” BBC Radio.
September 13 Final performance of “The New Ambassadors Revue.”
October Appears as Lord Cornwallis in “Napoleon Couldn’t Do It” at the Pavilion, Torquay.
October 14 Visits his brother Judge Arthur Thesiger at Torquay County Court.
December 8 Appears as Vasili in “Alexander Nevsky” BBC Radio.
1942
January 5 Appears as King Louis the Fourteenth in “The Man in the Iron Mask” BBC Radio.
January 20 Appears as Lord Cornwallis in “The Devil Within” (“Napoleon Couldn’t Do It”).
February 5 Appears as William Ireland in “William Ireland’s Confession” BBC Radio.
March 10 Appears as Heinrich Hunlein in “Once There Was Music” at the Q Theatre, London.
June 21 Personal appearance at the microphone for the Forces, BBC Radio.
July 6 Reads from “The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope on BBC Radio.
Sells drawings and watercolors to raise funds for charities.
July 8 Appears as the First Witch in “Macbeth” at the Piccadilly Theatre, London.
September 15 Appears as Gibbon in “Gibbon Joins the Home Guard” on BBC Radio.
October 7 Appears as the First Witch in “From the Theatre in Wartime: Macbeth” on BBC Radio.
October 10 Final performance of “Macbeth” at the Piccadilly Theatre.
November Appears in “The Crooked Billet” at the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield.
November Salesman at an exhibition of war disabled veterans’ work at the Lord Roberts Memorial Workshops.
November 20 Attends memorial service for Violet Vanbrugh.
December 27 Appears as Sir Benjamin Backbite in “The School for Scandal” on BBC Radio.
1943
January 22 Appears as Professor Lucius in “Not In Our Stars” on BBC Radio.
July Draws map to help visitors find their way from the ruined St. Columba’s Church to temporary meeting place at the Imperial Institute.
August 14 Opens the exhibit “Art for All” presented by the Midland Regional Designers Group and the Nottingham Photographic Society.
October Appears as Louche in “This Time It’s Love” at the King’s Theatre, Southsea.
October 23 Appears as Ferris in the film “My Learned Friend.”
October 26 “This Time It’s Love”at the Grand Theatre, Blackpool.
November 24 “This Time It’s Love” at the Comedy Theatre, London.
November 29 Appears as Chairman in the film “The Lamp Still Burns.”
1944
March 11 Final performance of “This Time It’s Love.”
March Appears as Voltaire in “Crisis in Heaven” at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow.
April 10 Appears as Vasili in “Alexander Nevsky” on BBC Radio.
April 10 “Crisis in Heaven” at the Grand Theatre, Derby.
May 10 - June 10 “Crisis in Heaven” at the Lyric Theatre, London.
June 18 Appears in Spelling Bee, actors versus actresses on BBC Radio.
June 23 Appears as Mr. Pope in “The History of Mr Alexander Pope” on BBC Radio.
July 2 Week’s Good Cause “For Those Who Have Seen Better Days” appeal by Thesiger on behalf of the Guild of Aid for Gentle People, the Homes of Rest for Gentlewomen, and the Friendly Almshouses.
July 10 - 29 Appears as Malvolio in “Twelfth Night” at the Open Air Theatre, London.
November 13 Appears as Justice’s Clerk in the film “Don’t Take it to Heart.”
November 22 Appears as the Duke of Berri in the film “Henry V.”
1945
February - March Appears as Polonius in “Hamlet” at the Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool
May Shows flowered rug at the Embroiderers’ Guild Exhibition in Conduit Street, London.
May 28 Appears as Dr. Marsham in the film “A Place of One’s Own.”
October 15 Appears as Ronnie Sanctuary in “A Man About the House” at the Grand Theatre, Derby.
October Filming of “Caesar and Cleopatra.”
December Appears as Theodotus in the film “Caesar and Cleopatra.”
1946
February 27 - May 25 “A Man About the House” at the Piccadilly Theatre, London.
May 3 Appears in “Senior & Co” on BBC Radio.
May 7 Appears as Monty in “1066 And All That” at the Palace Theatre, London in aid of the Reunion Theatre Association.
July 7 Reads poetry for “Time for Verse” on BBC Radio.
July 22 Appears as Baron Emil de Kekesfalva in the film “Beware of Pity.”
July 27 Appears as Mr. Cuba in “Money With Menaces” on BBC Radio.
September 20 Appears as Catulus in “Enter Caesar” on BBC Radio.
September 20 Appears as The Man in “Mystery Playhouse: The Pipe Smoker” on BBC Radio.
November 3,5 Appears as Caesar in “Androcles and the Lion” by Shaw BBC TV.
November 20 Presides as chairman of the Royal Society of Arts for a presentation of a paper by Kay Kohler on “Embroidery as an Expression of National Characteristics.”
Appears on stage in “The Cat and the Canary” ?
1947
April 2 Appears as Farne in the film “The Smugglers” aka “The Man Within.”
May 25, 28 Appears as Ctesiphon in “Pytheas” on BBC Radio.
Appears as Viscount Sorrington in “I Killed The Count,” Combined Services Entertainments, Italy.
June 3 Appears in “A Fish in the Family” at Boltons Theatre, London.
June 7 Appears as Sir Philo Phaoron in “The Man Who Ate The Popomack” on BBC Radio.
September 8 Appears as Sir Edward Follesmark in the film “Jassy.”
October 3 Appears as Finch McComas in “You Never Can Tell” at Wyndham’s Theatre, London.
October 30 Appears as Dr. Cruikshank in the film “The Ghosts of Berkeley Square.”
December Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.
December 4 Appears as Aristophanes in “The Dialogues of Plato” on BBC Radio.
1948
Films scenes as Bloomfield for the motion picture “Lost Daughter” but his scenes are cut.
April 3 Karl Pollak’s photographic portrait of Ernest exhibited at the Victoria Art Galleries, London.
April 24 “You Never Can Tell” at Wyndham’s Theatre, London.
May 26 - June 29 “You Never Can Tell” at the Criterion Theatre, London.
May 31 - July 3 “You Never Can Tell” returns to Wyndham’s Theatre, London.
July-August Appears as Mr. Rowley/Charles II in a revival of “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” at the Royal Hall, Harrogate.
September “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” at the New Theatre, London.
September 24 Appears as Mr. Ridgeley Pierce in the film “The Winslow Boy.”
October “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” at the Peoples’ Palace, London.
November “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” at the Royal Theatre, Brighton.
December 4 Appears in “Imaginary Conversations: The Dreams of Petrarch and Boccaccio” on BBC Radio.
November 22 Appears as Henry Dashwood in the film “Quartet” (segment “The Colonel’s Lady”).
December Appears as Ryder-Harris in the film “Brass Monkey.”
1949
January 7 Reads poetry selections from T.S. Eliot on BBC Radio
January 14 “Poetry Reading: Selections from Dylan Thomas, David Gascoyne, and Wyndham Lewis” on BBC Radio.
February 21 Reads “The Deserted Village” by Oliver Goldsmith on BBC Radio.
February 23, 24 Appears as the First Weird Sister in “The Tragedy of Macbeth” BBC TV.
March 12 Appears as Chairman of the Bank on Saturday Night Theatre “Youth at the Helm” BBC Radio.
April Appears as Joseph Pillin in “Old English” at The Q Theatre, London.
April 18 Appears as Count Guiccioli in the film “The Bad Lord Byron.”
April 23 Appears as the King of France on Saturday Night Theatre “The Life of King Henry V” BBC Radio.
August The voice of Shaw in the puppet play “Shakes versus Shav” at Foley House, Malvern Festival.
Appears as Mr. Rowley/Charles II in “In Good King Charles’s Golden Days” (revival) at the Malvern Festival
Appears as Charles Tressingham in “The Tressinghams”, a role written for him by Lewis Wood. Ernest also designs costumes, Malvern Festival.
December Appears as Jacques in “As You Like It” at New Haven, Connecticut.
1950
January 2 “As You Like It”at the Hanna Theatre, Cleveland, Ohio.
January 9 “As You Like It”at the Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, Ohio.
January 26 - June 3 “As You Like It” at the Cort Theatre, New York.
May 3 Appears as Sir Trevor Lampington in the film “Last Holiday.”
July 25 - August 26 Appears as O.F. Phillipson in “Always Afternoon” at the Garrick Theatre, London.
August 28 Appears as The Chronicler in “The Saxon Saint” at the Dunfermline Abbey, Dunfermline, Scotland.
1951
March 2 Appears as The Storyteller in “The Perfect Fool” opera in one act on BBC Radio.
June Shows his 18th century-style carpet at an exhibition of embroidery at the Royal Watercolour Society Galleries in Conduit Street, London.
August 7 Appears as Sir John Kierlaw in the film “The Man in the White Suit.”
November 11 Appears in as Endicott in the film “Laughter in Paradise.”
October 31 Appears as the Undertaker in the film “Scrooge.”
1952
January 21 Appears as the Earl in the film “The Magic Box.”
February Appears as the Judge in the film “The Woman’s Angle.”
February 10 Presents The Week’s Good Cause on behalf of the Friends of the Poor on BBC Radio.
February 18 Appears as the Chief Statistician in “Under the Sycamore Tree” at the Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Scotland.
February “Under the Sycamore Tree” at His Majesty’s Theatre ?
March “Under the Sycamore Tree” at theTheatre Royal, Brighton.
? “Under the Sycamore Tree” at the Opera House, Manchester.
March 4 Appears as Burdon Sr. in ““Rheingold Theatre: Thought to Kill” NBC TV.
April 7 “Under the Sycamore Tree” at the Hippodrome, Golders Green.
April 23 - October 4 “Under the Sycamore Tree” at the Aldwych Theatre, London.
May 9 Attends memorial service for Leslie Banks.
September 8 Appears as The Rev. Philip Hodgson in “A Fish in the Family” BBC TV.
1953
July 21 Speaks at a tribute for Ellen Terry and Edith Craig.
July 24 Attends Foyle’s Literary Luncheon for Gladys Cooper’s biography “Without Veils” by Sewell Stokes.
September 16 Appears as Emperor Tiberius in the film “The Robe”
November Filming “Father Brown.”
November 30 Appears as Mr. McDonald in “Meet Mr. Lucifer.”
December Finishes writing his second memoir “I Was,” which has never been published.
1954
January 7 Appears as Mr. Garrett the Bank Director in the film “The Million Pound Note.”
January 26 Appears as Burden Senior in the film “Thought to Kill”
February 19 His sister Sibyl Adeline Thesiger dies.
April 8 - May 15 Appears as John Cadmus in “Marching Song” at St. Martin’s Theatre, London.
June 8 Appears as Vicomte de Verdigris in the film “Father Brown.”
August 30 Appears as Wilson in “Simon and Laura” at the Opera House, Manchester.
September 20 “Simon and Laura” at the The King's Theatre, Edinburgh.
November 1 “Simon and Laura” at the Hippodrome, Golders Green.
November 16 Demonstrates theatre makeup on “For Women Leisure and Pleasure” BBC TV.
November 25 “Simon and Laura” at the The Strand Theatre, London.
December Appears as Sir John in the film “Make Me a Offer.”
1955
January 3 Appears in excerpts from “Simon and Laura” on BBC TV broadcast from the Strand Theatre.
February 12 Final performance of “Simon and Laura”at the The Strand Theatre, London.
February 14 “Simon and Laura”at the Apollo Theatre, London.
April 12 Shows his embroidery on BBC TV “For Women: Leisure and Pleasure.”
May 18 Final performance of “Simon and Laura”at the Apollo Theatre, London.
August 9 Appears as Lord Dewsbury in the film “Value for Money.”
November 23 Appears as Lord Crawford in the film “Quentin Durward”
November Appears as Polonius in “Hamlet” at the Art Theatre, Moscow.
December 8 “Hamlet” at the Phoenix Theatre, London
December 13 Appears as Notcher in “An Alligator Named Daisy.”
1956
February 27 Appears as Polonius in “ITV Play of the Week: Hamlet.”
March 20 Appears as Sir Walter Finch in the film “Who Done It?”
March 24 Final performance of “Hamlet” at the Phoenix Theatre, London
May 1 - 12 Appears as Mr. Beebe in “The Silver Whistle” at the Duchess Theatre, London
May 30 Guest of the week on BBC TV “Woman’s Hour.”
July? Host of a table at the Lyceum Tea Party for Victoria Cross recipients.
July 23 To celebrate the centenary of Bernard Shaw 's birth, Dame Sybil Thorndike , Blanche Patch, and Ernest Thesiger remember the author and playwright on BBC TV “Mainly for Women: Twice Twenty.”
August 26 Appears as John Cadmus in BBC TV “Sunday Night Movie - Marching Song.”
December 25 Appears as Umpire in the film “Three Men in a Boat.”
1957
April 5 Appears as First Examiner in the film “Doctor at Large.”
April 6 Appears as Mr. Skaife in “Joyous Errand” on BBC TV.
April 18 Appears as Phipps in “ITV Television Playhouse: The Queen’s Husband.”
August 20 Appears in “The Hidden King” at the The Assembly Hall, Edinburgh.
October Appears as Judge in the film “The Truth About Women.”
November 11 - 23 Appears as Sir Jasper Fidget in “The Country Wife” at the National Theatre, Washington DC.
November 27- December 21 “The Country Wife” at the Adelphi Theatre, New York.
December 23 “The Country Wife” at Henry Miller’s Theatre, New York.
1958
Appears as Death in the short film “Chaucer’s England.”
January 4 Final performance of “The Country Wife” at Henry Miller’s Theatre, New York.
March 14 Appears as Colonel Gyll in “ITV Television Playhouse: Do As I Do”
April 2 Appears in “You Are There: The Presentation of Madame Du Barry” BBC TV.
June 6 Appears in “ITV Television Playhouse: The Touch of Fear.”
September 2-13 Appears as Earl of Shrewsbury in “Mary Stuart” at the Assembly Hall, Edinburgh.
September 17 - October 4 “Mary Stuart” at the Old Vic Theatre, London
November 10 “For Collectors” Thesiger describes his collection of 200 pieces of Victorian mercury glassware on BBC Radio.
November 11 Appears as Mr Hickson in the film “The Horse’s Mouth.”
November Invited to exhibit painting at the Martell Art Exhibition to be held at the Royal Watercolour Society Galleries February 3 - February 14, 1959
1959
January 22 Appears as Mr. Justice Finston in “Result of an Accident” BBC TV.
March 9 Speaker at the Annual Critics’ Circle Dinner “The Microphone as a Curse.”
March 16 “Desert Island Discs” Thesiger discusses records he would choose to have with him if he were condemned to spend the rest of his life on a desert island, BBC Radio.
July 3 Appears in “ITV Television Playhouse: The White Sheep of the Family.”
August 30 Appears as Millionaire in “Armchair Theatre: Invitation to Murder” ITV.
October 15 - November 21 Appears as Vigeon in “The Edwardians” at the Saville Theatre, London.
November 22 Appears as Professor Galton in “Armchair Theatre: Suspicious Mind” ITV.
1960
January 3 Appears as The Dean in “Armchair Theatre: Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime” ITV.
February 25 Appears as Old Macpherson in the film “The Battle of the Sexes.”
May Appears as Mr Hadlock in the film “Sons and Lovers.”
June 30 Appears as Calvin Broderick in “ITV Television Playhouse: Night Run to the West.”
Films scenes as Stefano for “The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone.”
August Appears as the Baron Santa Clara in “The Last Joke” at the Oxford New Theatre, Manchester Opera House, and Birmingham Hippodrome.
September 19 and 24 “The Last Joke” at the King’s Theatre, Edinburgh.
September 28 - November 19 “The Last Joke” at the Phoenix Theatre, London.
1961
January 14 Dies in his sleep at home in Kensington, London.
This chronology is by its nature incomplete and some dates are approximate.
