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Biography
Virginia McKenna was born in London in 1931. She trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama and then went to the Dundee Rep. Her career quickly took off and, in 1952, she appearing both in the West End in plays including in Charles Morgan’s The River Line at the Strand Theatre and in two films, the first being The Second Mrs. Tanqueray. For the next couple of years, she successfully combined theatre, film and television work. In 1954, with short-cropped hair, she starred at the Aldwych as Cassandra in Dodie Smith’s I Capture the Castle. Her performance was highly praised but the production survived for only four weeks. During the 1954/5 season, she was part of the Old Vic Company, playing parts including Rosaline in Love’s Labours Lost.
By the mid-1950s, she was firmly established as one of the country’s best loved actresses and received numerous awards. These included: the BBC Best Actress Award for Juliet in the TV production of Romeo and Juliet (1955); The British Academy Award for her role opposite Peter Finch in the film A Town Like Alice (1956); another Best Actress Award for the film Carve Her Name With Pride (1958) opposite Paul Schofield; and The Variety Club’s Award as Best Actress for her performance in Born Free (1966) opposite her husband Bill Travers.
This wildlife classic was based on the true-life story of Joy Adamson and her husband, Kenya game warden George Adamson, who raise Elsa, a lion cub that is released into the wild. It changed their lives. Afterwards, she and her husband became actively campaigners to protect both wild animals and their habitat. They went on to appear in the other similar stories, An Elephant Called Slowly (1969) and Ring of Bright Water (1969). In 1984, with their son Will, they founded the campaigning organisation Zoo Check that later became the Born Free Foundation.
She has continued to appear in TV dramas and films. Although her stage performances have been infrequent, they have still been significant, and includ playing Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music at the Adelphi (1976); winning the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a musical for her performance in The King and I (1979) with Yul Brynner; and, with the RSC, playing Queen Gertrude to Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet (1984 & 1985).
In 2004, she was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List for services to the arts and animal conservation.
| Items for Sale on Collectors' Post |
| Click for details |
| 012102 |
Theatre: Programs (UK) - post 1939 | THE RIVER LINE (by Charles Morgan) with Paul Scofield & Virginia McKenna |
| 008345 |
Theatre: Photos - Signed | VIRGINIA McKENNA - signed photo |
| 011631 |
Cinema & TV: Signed Material | VIRGINIA McKENNA - signed photo |
| 011738 |
Cinema & TV: Signed Material | VIRGINIA McKENNA - signed photo |
| 011739 |
Cinema & TV: Signed Material | VIRGINIA McKENNA - signed photo |
| 011740 |
Cinema & TV: Signed Material | VIRGINIA McKENNA - signed photo |
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