Yvonne Brewster facts for kids

Yvonne Brewster is a talented actress, theatre director, and writer from Jamaica. She was born Yvonne Clarke on October 7, 1938. She helped start two important theatre groups: Talawa Theatre Company in the UK and The Barn in Jamaica. From 2000 to 2001, she also acted in the BBC TV show Doctors, playing the character Ruth Harding.

Early Life and Education

Yvonne Brewster grew up in Kingston, Jamaica, in a well-off family. When she was 16, her father took her to see a play called Huis Clos. She was very impressed by an actress named Mona Chin, who looked a bit like her. This experience made Yvonne want to become an actress too.

In 1956, Yvonne moved to the UK to study drama. She attended Rose Bruford College, becoming the first Black woman to study drama there. On her first day, she was told it might be hard for her to find acting jobs in Britain. She also studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where she earned a special award for her drama and mime skills.

Starting Her Career

After her studies, Yvonne Brewster went back to Jamaica to teach drama. In 1965, she co-founded The Barn in Kingston with Trevor Rhone. This was Jamaica's very first professional theatre company.

In the early 1970s, Yvonne returned to England. There, she worked a lot in radio and television. She also directed many plays for the stage. In 1981, she starred in a BBC show called Maybury. From 1982 to 1984, she worked as a Drama Officer at the Arts Council of Great Britain. This role involved helping to support theatre across Britain.

Founding Talawa Theatre Company

In 1985, Yvonne Brewster helped create the Talawa Theatre Company. She started it with Mona Hammond, Carmen Munroe, and Inigo Espejel. They received money from the Greater London Council to begin their work.

Yvonne was the artistic director of Talawa until 2003. She directed their first play, The Black Jacobins, in 1986. This play featured Norman Beaton as Toussaint L'Ouverture. Another big moment for Talawa came in 1991. Yvonne directed the first ever all-Black production of William Shakespeare's famous play Antony and Cleopatra. Doña Croll and Jeffery Kissoon starred in this production.

Later Work and Achievements

From 2000 to 2001, Yvonne Brewster played the character Ruth Harding, a nurse, in the BBC soap opera Doctors. She had to leave the show because she became ill.

In 2004, Yvonne published her own story in a book called The Undertaker’s Daughter: The Colourful Life of a Theatre Director. She has also put together five collections of plays by other writers. These include Black Plays (1987) and Mixed Company: Three Early Jamaican Plays (2012). In 2018, she wrote another book about Jamaica's Barn Theatre, called Vaulting Ambition: Jamaica's Barn Theatre 1966–2005.

Awards and Special Recognition

Yvonne Brewster has received many awards for her important work in theatre.

• In 1993, she was given the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) award. This is a special honor from the British government.
• In 2001, she received an honorary doctorate from the Open University.
• Also in 2001, she was honored with a "living legend" award at the National Black Theatre Festival.
• In 2003, she was included on a list of "100 Great Black Britons."
• In 2005, the University of London's Central School of Speech and Drama gave her an honorary fellowship. This recognized her big role in developing British theatre.
• In 2013, the BBC named her one of their 100 Women.