John Gale – ColB 38-46

Submitted by Peter Bloomfield (PeB 44-51)

John Gale was one of several of the wartime generation at CH, alongside Sir Colin Davis, Bernard Levin, and Brian Magee, who achieved national fame in the arts and the media through success in their chosen professions. Although a good all rounder during his time at school, his devotion to the theatre was apparent at an early age, as he took part in every possible drama production, leading to a highly successful career in London West End theatre production, followed by the artistic directorship of Chichester Festival Theatre.

After National Service as a commissioned officer, John trained as an actor at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Arts where he met Lisel who he married in 1950. After acting for the following ten years in theatre, TV and films he became a producer in 1960 with Inherit the Wind, the first in a long line of successful productions over the next thirty years.

As a London impresario John produced over a hundred productions in the UK and abroad, some of which broke records, such as No Sex Please We’re British, which ran for seventeen years, the longest running comedy in theatre history. Others big West End hits included Boeing Boeing, The Secretary Bird, Cause Celebre, The Kingfisher, which also ran on Broadway, Abelard and Heloise, and Middle Aged Spread for which he won a SWET (now Olivier) award.

In addition to highly successful popular comedies John also produced more serious literary adaptations, including Henry James’ The Wings of a Dove and E.M. Forster’s Where Angels Fear to Tread and a feature film, Maroc 7.

At the same time he became involved with the broader theatre scene, serving as president of the Society of West End Theatres (SWET) from 1972 to 1975 and chairman of the Theatres National Committee 1979 to 1985. Together with Sir Peter Saunders and Ray Cooney they renamed the SWET Awards to the current Olivier Awards and he introduced the Leicester Square Half Price Ticket Booth.

While still producing in the West End John was appointed Artistic Director of the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1983, rescuing it from near collapse by introducing a strict policy of classic productions and star casting through his West End connections. He also built the smaller Minerva theatre, appointing Sam Mendes, whom he had hired as an assistant, as its first artistic director, introduced community projects and extended youth theatre.

Both Sir Sam Mendes and Sir Cameron Macintosh paid tribute to the help given by John in launching their careers in the theatre ,as he did Nicholas Hytner in giving him his directorial debut of a major play at Chichester and Her Majesty’s theatre in London.

John was awarded the OBE in 1987 for services to the theatre and continued after retirement in 1989 as chairman of the Guildford School of Acting and with the BRIT Programme at the University of Florida which he set up with Sir Cameron Macintosh in 1989.

Proud of his Welsh ancestry and a keen supporter of Welsh rugby, he was chairman of London Welsh RFC.

Always thankful for his education at Christ’s Hospital, John was a keen supporter of the School and all it stood for. An Almoner for many years and President of the Amicable Society of Blues and, as Donation Governors, he and Lisel presented several children. His theatrical advice and contacts were sought during the building of the school theatre and the design of the girls’ uniform when they moved to Horsham in 1985 and he helped facilitate the sale of London theatres in Shaftesbury Avenue owned by CH to Sir Cameron Macintosh.

The huge love and respect that John had earned in the theatre world was publicly recognized by all London West End theatres and the Chichester Festival Theatre when their lights were dimmed in his honour on 14th May.

To conclude with the words of Sir Cameron Macintosh: “ John Gale was one of the titans of British theatre but his longest and proudest run has been his amazing marriage to his wonderful wife, Lisel”.

And Sir Sam Mendes: “Passionate, dynamic, larger than life – they don’t make them like John Gale anymore.”