This distinguished theatrical tragedienne will be remembered forever if only for the fact 'George Bernard Shaw' . In 1969, Sybil lent her name to the new theatre in Leatherhead, Surrey, which became The Thorndike. Despite her 87 years, she performed in the new play There Was An Old Woman in its first season. It was to be her final theatrical performance. Always a healthy, vigorous woman, she died of a heart attack on June 9, 1976 at the ripe young age of 93. She was survived by four children and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Mother with Sir Lewis Casson of Ann Casson , Christopher Casson , John Casson and Mary Casson.
Sister of actor Russell Thorndike and actress Eileen Thorndike. A fourth sibling Francis Herbert Thorndike (1894-1917) died as a pilot in the war.
She was awarded the DBE (Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1931 Kings Birthday Honours List and became a Companion of Honour (CH) in the 1970 Queens Birthday Honours List for her services to drama.
1966: Created an honorary DLitt of the University of Oxford.
First British actress to appear on a postage stamp
Was nominated for Broadways 1957 Tony Award as Best Actress for "The Potting Shed."
Considered by many critics to be one of the greatest actresses of the 20th century.
George Bernard Shaw wrote his play "Saint Joan" specifically for her, and she performed it in its original production.
In 1940, during WWII, her son John, who was in the military, was reported missing and presumed dead. She and her husband had no further news about him until the war ended in 1945 and they found out he had been captured and was still alive. He was home within a few weeks.
Sybil and husband Sir Lewis Casson were involved in the early days of British Equity, The Arts Council, The Old Vic, the National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and, of course, the Thorndike Theatre in Leatherhead, which has since closed. Both Dame Sybil and Sir Lewis died at the ages of 93. Lewis died in May of 1969, a few months before the opening of The Thorndike Theatre in September.
Both she and husband Sir Lewis Casson took a keen interest in politics and were supporters of the Popular Front government in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, which was fighting against the Nazi-supported forces of Francisco Franco. She joined Emma Goldman, Rebecca West , Fenner Brockway and C.E.M. Joad in establishing the Committee to Aid Homeless Spanish Women and Children. Both she and Lewis held strong politically leftist beliefs and were active members of the Labour Party, to the extent that when the 1926 general strike cut short the run of "Saint Joan", they remained strongly on the side of the strikers. On a trip to South Africa in 1928, she and Lewis aggressively fought segregation so black theatergoers could experience their presentations.
She severely damaged her voice on a tour of the US presenting Shakespeare plays in 1905. Vocal problems would continue to plague her for the rest of her career.
She was superstitious about washing her stage costumes, and would not allow anyone else to touch them.
She was portrayed by Sian Thomas in the original production of the play "Fram", by Tony Harrison , which premiered at the National Theatre, London, UK in April 2008.
Grandmother of Glynis Casson.
Dame Sybils ashes are buried in Westminster Abbey. Plot - The Nave (South Choir Aisle).
A cousin of actress Brenda Dunrich , whose mother Hilda (1881-?) was a Thorndike.
Both she and her brother Russell Thorndike appeared in films starring and directed by Laurence Olivier : she appeared in The Prince and the Showgirl while her brother appeared in The Chronicle History of King Henry the Fifth with His Battell Fought at Agincourt in France , Hamlet and Richard III .
She played the wife of her real life brother Russell Thorndike in Macbeth (1922/I) .
[on her husband] Divorce, never! Murder, often!.
