Frank had two younger siblings Hilda Dorothy Clewlow (born 1891 in Stone) and Harry Dawson Clewlow (born 1898 in Stone) He went to Alleyne's Grammar School then studied maths, physics, chemistry, zoology and botany at the University of Birmingham, but became involved with the Pilgrim Players and, under the influence of Barry Jackson and John Drinkwater, never completed the course.
[3] On his return, he was appointed by (later Sir) Barry Jackson as actor-producer with his newly formed Birmingham Repertory Company (1913–1918) where he appeared in: [5] He played with Ian McLaren's company as Touchstone and Sir Andrew Aguecheek,[3] In November 1921 he met Herbert Pochin and Walter Martin in a cafe to discuss setting up the Leicester Drama Society.
[10] He was appointed director of the Melbourne Repertory Theatre Society, succeeding Gregan McMahon in 1928.,[3] amongst other plays directed The Touch of Silk (by Australian playwright Betty Roland) in November of that year.
[3] Angel Symon, who had also toured with Wilkie and assembled an important collection of stage ephemera now held at the University of Adelaide, was his secretary.
A similar group was assembled by his counterpart in Sydney, Laurence Halbert, and the two stations exchanged programs by landline and transcription disc.
[1] In 1938 he was moved to Sydney to become National Director of Productions for the ABC by (later Sir) Charles Moses, who was developing the Commission into a more centralised network.