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.