Allan Wilkie CBE (9 February 1878 – 7 January 1970) was an English Shakespearean actor of Scottish descent noted for his career in Australia.
Born in Toxteth Park, Lancashire, he was educated at Liverpool High School and went to work in a merchant's office but became infatuated with the theatre after experiencing a performance by Osmond Tearle.
[4] A remarkable feature of their schedule was an annual Christmas season at the Theatre Royal, Hobart at a time when Tasmania was almost universally bypassed by touring companies.
Within a short time £4000 was raised from donations[10] and benefit performances,[11] with Orient Shipping Line contributing a free return passage to London[11] so he could purchase new armour, wigs and wardrobes.
They travelled to New Zealand, Canada and the United States with a low-budget two-hander "scenes from Shakespeare"[9] then retired to Scotland, or to Gillingham, Dorset,[19] "running a chicken farm".
He was often criticised for his declamatory style of acting, notably by The Triad which compared him unfavourably to his contemporary Gregan McMahon, but no-one ever doubted his sincerity and energy.
)[6] Among Wilkie players who went on to achieve later success were Frank Clewlow, Lorna Forbes, Marie Ney, Augustus Neville, Leslie Manners, John Cairns[21] and Ellis Irving.
[6] The Allan Wilkie – Frediswyde Hunter-Watts Theatre Collection in the Barr Smith Library of the University of Adelaide (donated by Angel Symon) is named for them.