John Stone Collection

This collection contains correspondence, paperwork and photographs relating to the stage and screen career of British actor John Stone. Of particular interest is the surviving documentation relating to his theatrical, film and radio engagements and the level of detail.

Born in 1924, John Hailstone started his acting career at the Q Theatre in London. After performing with a variety of repertory companies he eventually graduated to the West End, where his first role was in One Wild Oat at the Garrick in 1948. Many West End appearances followed, most notably in A View From the Bridge at the Comedy Theatre in 1956 and Signpost to Murder at the Cambridge Theatre in 1962.

Throughout the 1950s and through to the 1980s Stone branched out into film and television, becoming a familiar face through appearances in such popular series as Quartermass II, Z Cars and The Avengers. He also played the lead in Peter Shaffer's first play for television, The Balance of Terror and starred in Terence Rattigan's cricketing play The Final Test.

In the 1970s Stone starred opposite his partner Margaret Lockwood in three series of the legal television series Justice.

Under his birth name Stone wrote A Present For the Past, which premiered at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh International Festival of 1966 and Before Autumn which played at the Watford Palace Theatre in 1978.

The archive has been divided into the following files:

• THM/416/1 - Contracts and paperwork
• THM/416/2 - Photographs
• THM/416/3 - Scrapbook

This archive collection is available for consultation in the V&A Blythe House Archive and Library Study Room by appointment only. Full details of access arrangements may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.

Access to some of the material may be restricted. These are noted in the catalogue where relevant.

Gift, Sept 2011.

Information on copying and commercial reproduction may be found here: http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/a/archives/.

This collection was appraised in line with the collection management policy.

The following theatre programmes have been removed and added to core collections:

• A Present From The Past by John Hailstone, Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh, Edinburgh International Festival, 1966.
• Relative Values by Noel Coward, Theatre Royal, Brighton, 1972.
• Relative Values by Noel Coward, Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, 1972.
• Relative Values by Noel Coward, New Theatre, Oxford, 1972.
• Relative Values by Noel Coward, Ashcroft Theatre, Croydon, 1972.
• Quadrille by Noel Coward, The Grand, Leeds, 1977.
• Quadrille by Noel Coward, King's Theatre, Glasgow, 1977.
• Double Edge by Leslie Darbon and Peter Whelan, Theatre Royal, Brighton, 1978.
• Most Gracious Lady at the Alexander Theatre, Birmingham, 1978.
• Most Gracious Lady at the Richmond Theatre, 1978.
• The Man Most Likely To by Joyce Rayburn, Arts Theatre, Cambridge, 1982.
• Murder Among Friends by Bob Barry, Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, 1982.
• Murder Among Friends by Bob Barry, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth, 1982.
• Murder Among Friends by Bob Barry, Arts Theatre, Cambridge, 1982.
• Murder Among Friends by Bob Barry, Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage, 1982.
• Educating Rita by Willy Russell, Dundee Repertory Theatre, 1988.

No further accruals are expected.