Errol John facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Errol John
Born	(1924-12-20)20 December 1924 Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
Died	10 July 1988(1988-07-10) (aged 63) London, England, UK
Occupation	Actor Playwright
Years active	1951–1988
Notable work	Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (1957)
Parent(s)	George John (father)

Errol John (born December 20, 1924 – died July 10, 1988) was a talented actor and writer from Trinidad and Tobago. He moved to the United Kingdom in 1951 and became well-known for his acting and his plays.

Errol John's Life and Work

Early Life in Trinidad

Errol John was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on December 20, 1924. His father, George John, was a professional cricketer who played for the West Indies team. Errol was taught at home when he was young.

He started his career as an artist and a journalist. Later, he decided he wanted to be an actor. He joined a group called the Whitehall Theatre Group in Trinidad to learn and perform.

Moving to Britain and Acting Career

After the Second World War, Errol John moved to Britain in 1951. He continued his acting career there. He performed in many plays on the London stage. These included Salome (1954) and The Member of the Wedding (1957).

He also acted in classic plays like The Merchant of Venice (1962) and Othello (at the Old Vic theatre).

Errol John also appeared in several films. Many of these films were set in Africa. Some of his early film roles were in The African Queen (1951) and The Nun's Story (1959).

He also had important roles in TV shows. He was in the BBC's A Man from the Sun (1956) and No Hiding Place (1961). He also starred in a six-part series called Rainbow City. This show was written especially for him.

Becoming a Playwright

Errol John found that there were not many acting roles for black actors at the time. This made him want to write his own plays.

His first play was called The Tout (1949). In 1957, his play Moon on a Rainbow Shawl won a big award. It was named The Observer newspaper's Play of the Year.

Moon on a Rainbow Shawl was performed at the Royal Court Theatre in 1958. It was also shown in New York City in 1962. The play has been performed many times since then, even recently at the Royal National Theatre in 2012. Critics have praised it as a timeless and fresh play.

Errol John also wrote other plays and screenplays. These include Force Majeure and The Dispossessed. For television, he wrote Teleclub (1954) and Dawn (1963). He also wrote The Exiles for the BBC's Wednesday Play series.

He tried to work in the American film industry, but mostly got smaller roles. He appeared in Assault on a Queen (1966) and Buck and the Preacher (1972).

Errol John passed away in London on July 10, 1988, at 63 years old. After his death, he was given the Chaconia Medal (Silver) from Trinidad and Tobago for his contributions to drama.

Selected Plays

• 1949: The Tout
• 1954: Teleclub (for television)
• 1957: Moon on a Rainbow Shawl
• 1966: The Tout
• 1967: Force Majeure
• 1967: The Dispossessed
• 1967: Hasta Luego: Three Screenplays

Filmography